Over the course of his nearly ten year career, Declan McKenna has established himself as a solid and exciting artist with a unique and captivating blend of musical styles. He’s currently on tour in North America, performing many songs off his 2020 release, ‘Zeroes’, which garnered much critical acclaim for its concept and sonic experimentation. With a mix of retro 70s space-race-inspired energy and modern tales of anxiety and introspection, the album explored themes of escape, identity, and a dystopian world with a distinct British storytelling style combined with humorous lyrics, and emotional depth. More recently, McKenna is prepping for the release of his third studio album, ‘What Happened To The Beach?’. Being active in promoting his music, McKenna found that a fan video of him performing his cover of ABBA’s “Slipping Through My Fingers” had gone viral on TikTok. The video was a screen recording of a livestream he had done in 2021 but has not only resurfaced but has many comparing the performance to one of his idols in Paul McCartney. McKenna shared, “I’ve been copying McCartney for years, of course I hear similarities, I’m such a big Beatles fan. It’s just all very funny to me.” His new album, ‘What Happened to the Beach’ explores a more digital and intimate sound and while there are some songs with a sound similar to “Nothing Works,” the album as a whole is more laid-back, aiming to provide an escape and evoke a sense of being in the moment. ‘What Happened to the Beach’ is set for release in February 2023.
Declan McKenna spoke with B-Sides host Pete Mar at Austin City Limits to talk about performing at the festival, his reaction and thoughts about going viral with his ABBA cover, the upcoming album and more.
