18-Year-Old Brit Declan McKenna Is Not the Voice of His Generation (Yet), But His Protest Pop Echoes Their Feelings
Meet the 18-year-old London musician, and get an exclusive look at his new live music video.
The English alt-pop musician Declan McKenna—boyish features, hair over his eyes—is just 18, and has already been dubbed by countless outlets the voice of his generation. This is probably a little premature for the breakout singer-songwriter who has just released his debut album, What Do You Think About The Car?, even if his lyrics do echo, resoundingly, the concerns of his peers.
Born in a small town in Hertfordshire, a county north of London, McKenna has been writing songs since he was 6. The title of his album, he recalled, came even earlier: “It’s from a home video from when I was 4 years old. We’d just got our car, which we still have, and my sister is like, ‘What do you think about the car? Do you like it?’ And my response is, ‘I think it’s really good, and I’m gonna sing my new album now.’” And then I just start singing something… it stuck in my family’s history records.”
Every successful artist has a song that changes his trajectory; for McKenna, it was “Brazil”, which he self-released and entered into the Glastonbury Festival‘s Emerging Talent Competition in 2015.
A Visual History of It-Brits at Glastonbury, From Kate Moss to Cara Delevingne
Kate Moss and Jamie Hince are seen backstage at Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, Pilton on June 25, 2010 in Glastonbury, England.
Emma Watson and George Craig of band One Night Only are seen backstage at Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, Pilton on June 25, 2010
Keira Knightley is seen on the second day of the Glastonbury Music Festival 2005.
Emma Watson and George Craigs attend Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm on June 26, 2010 in Glastonbury, England.
Florence Welch poses at the Glastonbury Festival on June 25, 2010 in Glastonbury, England.
Sienna Miller attends Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm on June 26, 2010 in Glastonbury, England.
Florence Welch attends day 2 of the 2013 Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm on June 28, 2013 in Glastonbury, England.
Sienna Miller attends the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts at Worthy Farm, Pilton on June 28, 2013.
Kate Moss during day 3 of the 2013 Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm on June 29, 2013 in Glastonbury, England.
Kate Moss and Jamie Hince attend day 3 of the 2013 Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm on June 29, 2013 in Glastonbury, England.
Sienna Miller attends day 4 of the 2013 Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm on June 30, 2013 in Glastonbury, England.
Rita Ora attends Day 1 of the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm on June 27, 2014 in Glastonbury, England.
Florence Welch and Sam Smith attend the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm on June 28, 2014 in Glastonbury, England.
Suki Waterhouse is pictured during day 4 of the 2013 Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm on June 30, 2013 in Glastonbury, England.
Lily Allen and friends attends the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm on June 29, 2014 in Glastonbury, England.
Lily James attends the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, Pilton on June 26, 2015 in Glastonbury, England.
Suki Waterhouse attends the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, Pilton on June 27, 2015 in Glastonbury, England.
Hunter Boots’ Alasdhair Willis and Stella McCartney are seen backstage at the Glastonbury Festival 2015.
Florence Welch and Daisy Lowe attend the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, Pilton on June 28, 2015 in Glastonbury, England.
Lily James on Day 3 of the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm on June 29, 2014 in Glastonbury, England.
Poppy Delevigne attends the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, Pilton on June 24, 2016 in Glastonbury, England.
Rita Ora attends Day 1 of the Glastonbury Festival 2016 at Worthy Farm, Pilton on June 24, 2016 in Glastonbury, England.
Lily Donaldson attends day 1 of Glastonbury Festival on June 24, 2016 in Glastonbury, England.
Natalie Dormer attends Glastonbury Festival 2016 at Worthy Farm, Pilton on June 24, 2016 in Glastonbury, England.
Poppy Delevingne attends the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, Pilton on June 25, 2016 in Glastonbury, England.
Poppy Delevigne attends the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, Pilton on June 25, 2016 in Glastonbury, England.
Natalie Dormer attends the Glastonbury Festival 2016 at Worthy Farm, Pilton on June 25, 2016 in Glastonbury, England.
Suki Waterhouse and Lily Donaldson attend Glastonbury Festival 2016 at Worthy Farm, Pilton on June 25, 2016 in Glastonbury, England.
Alexa Chung is seen backstage at Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, Pilton on June 25, 2010 in Glastonbury, England.
Cara Delevingne attends day 2 of the 2013 Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm on June 28, 2013 in Glastonbury, England.
He wound up winning the contest, at 16 sharing the same stage with the likes of Bastille. “It was pretty wild to be honest. It kind of was and is [a dream],” McKenna said. “I sometimes step back, and I’m like, How did I pull that one off?”
He had written the song the summer before, during the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil; it criticizes the shady socioeconomics of the World Cup industrial complex.
“It initially started out as this guitar bit that I had for quite a while that I really liked but didn’t know what to do with,” McKenna explained. “I used to just jam it in school or wherever I could. And then eventually, I don’t know how, but the lyrics sort of just came. I just had a couple of words and phrases I wanted to throw in, but for some reason, it turned into this catchy pop protest song about a lot of the wrongdoings that were going on around FIFA and just generally around.”
“Brazil”, which peaked on Sirius’ Alt 18 Countdown, was followed by the equally praised “Paracetamol”, a song about transgender youth, and later “Isombard”, which touches on police brutality—all of which, along with more recently released singles “Humonguous” and “The Kids Don’t Wanna Come Home” (2.5 million YouTube views and counting), can be heard on the new record, on which McKenna worked with producer and composer James Ford (Arctic Monkeys, Florence and the Machine) in London and Los Angeles. (A music video of McKenna’s live performance of “Make Me Your Queen,” also from the album, at London’s Garage premieres exclusively here on W.)
“I finished recording [it] in November last year, so I’ve been sitting on it for a long time,” he said. “It’s funny, my album release has pretty much coincided with my friends finishing their exams.”
Considering the eloquence of his lyrics, it’s easy to forget McKenna is in fact still a teen. He’s now dropped out of school, choosing to concentrate on music, and is currently touring the East Coast—off the heels of playing Lollapalooza—with a lineup of shows, including a gig at Webster Hall in New York tonight.
“It’s just very nice to have [the album] out and be able to see people knowing all the songs at shows,” he said. “Just having a record out there and seeing the positive feedback and just being able to move on and work on something else is a really nice point to be at.”
He’s always writing, he added, and has been fomenting his next project. “I’ve been trying to focus my songwriting recently into a concept,” he said. “There’s a lot to draw from at the minute… I just want to make songs that I like and be able to get away with doing music for as long as I can get away with it.”
Webster Hall’s Most Iconic Nights: Madonna, Hillary Clinton, and a Lot of Debauchery
An early photo from Webster Hall. A New Year’s Eve party hosted by dancer Margarita Buencore (1938).
Beyond the rambunctious New Year’s Parties and debauched concerts, Webster Hall has also operated as an important venue of political activity. Here, a fundraiser for Republican candidates vying for local, state and federal office in New York State convene inside Webster Hall (1958).
Before the smoke-filled rooms and backroom power brokering, Webster Hall was an organizing hub—playing host as a haven for New York City’s buzzing political blocs. On July 17, 1945, the newspaper and mail deliverer’s union members voted to end their labor strike.
Fast forward two decades and Webster Hall slowly shed its image as a place of political organizing. Instead, it emerged as one of the leading music venues for New Yorkers. Jefferson Airplane (pictured) performed in January, 1967, in what is dubbed as the “first psychedelic light show” to hit New York City.
Mick Jagger, backstage at Webby in the late eighties.
Far from its roots as a social club for New York’s political elite, Webster Hall evolved to become a haven for subversive and fringe culture. Here model Kirsten McMenamy poses during the AmFar benefit at Webster Hall in 1993.
Mick back at it again. This time he performs with the Rolling Stones at Webster Hall in 1993.
Madonna turned heads and broke all the rules with her 1995 Bedtime Stories performance-come-party.
Her performance at Webster Hall became a spectacular classic. Her epic night, dubbed “Madonna’s Pajama Party” is remembered as one of the all-time great nights at Webster Hall.
Madonna read a children’s story called ‘Miss Spider’s Tea Party’ to the assembled guests and television viewers.
Webster Hall was also known for its coterie of celebrity guests. Here, Bret Michaels of Poison and Pamela Anderson are spotted in the crowd in October 1994.
A topless woman dances on stage while other patrons dance during a party held inside New York City’s Webster Hall, 1993.
Prince rehearsing before a video promo at Webster Hall in April, 2004.
More than music: Webster Hall was the confluence of artist performance and New York’s downtown fashion elite. Here Chloe Sevingny arrives before a Duran Duran reunion concert (2003).
“Alternative Fashion” — a democratic, makeshift fashion show for New York’s independent, young fashion designers, hosted at Webster Hall in 1996.
The Exotic Erotic Ball, billed as the biggest in sexiest costume and lingerie party in America is held at Webster Hall (2001).
Legendary burlesque dancer, Dita Von Teese arrives to promote the Exotic Erotic Ball at Webster Hall.
Fetish artist Catherine D”Lish takes a bath in a giant Martini glass during the Exotic Erotic Ball at Webster Hall November 28, 2001 in New York. A tradition in San Francisco and newly launched in New York, the Ball draws those interested in erotica and role play.
Back to politics: Hillary Clinton stumps on the trail during her 2000 bid for Senator. Here she speaks to a crowd of donors and voters at Webster Hall.
A young Kanye West performs at Webster Hall at Webster Hall in New York City, New York, United States (2004).
The late Chester Bennington, of Linkin Park, in concert at Webster Hall in 2007.
Inside Wilhelmina’s NYFW: Men’s party in July 2017.
A new generation, but it’s still the same old Webster Hall. Tyler, The Creator performs with 070 Shake in one of the last concerts in Webster Hall’s storied and illustrious history.
After a recent change in ownership, it has been announced that Webster Hall will shutter after more than hudnred years in lower Manhattan and return in 2020 as Spectrum Hall. This month legendary musical venue closes, ending an incredible run as one of New York’s most important cultural, social, and political mainstays.
See Millie Bobbie Brown do her karaoke rendition of “Just the Way You Are”:
