Declan McKenna + Soft Launch

On his third studio album, produced by Gianluca Buccellati, Declan McKenna taught & trusted himself to take his time & let the listener soak in the ambience. The result ‘What Happened To The Beach?,’ is an album that revels in both space & atmosphere. “The songs sound a lot like the music I listen to,” McKenna says about the new tunes.

Second single “‘Nothing Works’ came out of the frustration of feeling boxed in and tied to expectation. It is a euphoric tune, at its core it’s a celebration of being true to yourself. In the track, I’m kind of mocking the idea that I’d just take advice that neglects my own intuition, and I often feel like nothing works when you’re trying to match norms or expectations, because you can never please everyone, but if you trust your gut & your own motivations in any aspect of life, the parameters for feeling good in yourself are much simpler & more powerful.”

Recently McKenna, wrapped up his second leg of his US tour & shared his first single “Sympathy,” which Paste says “carries a similarly boisterous indie-pop melody as his previous work & has chiming organs, jumpy piano chords & an overall shimmer to it.” Following an early evening slot on the main stage of the Reading & Leeds Festival behind Billie Eilish, Declan McKenna is ready for the next step. McKenna has always been a smart, literate songwriter. With ‘What Happened To The Beach?’ he’s still all those things – he’s just down for a good time.