Declan McKenna has announced his forthcoming third LP ‘What Happened To The Beach?’ and has shared his new single ‘Nothing Works’.
- READ MORE: Declan McKenna on the cover: “There is a time for understanding – and that time is now”
‘Nothing Works’ follows Mckenna’s previous single ‘Sympathy‘ that was released earlier this summer. Speaking of the track in a press release, the singer shared:“’Nothing Works’ came out of the frustration of feeling boxed in and tied to expectation, but it is a euphoric tune, at its core it’s a celebration of being true to yourself.”
He continued: “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 and your own motivations in any aspect of life, the parameters for feeling good in yourself are much simpler and more powerful.”
Produced by Gianluca Buccellati (Lana Del Rey, Arlo Parks), ‘What Happened To The Beach?’ marks Mckenna’s third studio album following 2020’s ‘Zeros‘. The press release describes the LP as “an album that revels in both space and atmosphere,” with the singer explaining that the tracks are much looser.
“Any time I tried to be too serious, the songs would get too heavy and the thing I was trying to get at, this idea of a release, was weighed down,” he explained. “The songs sound a lot like the music I listen to,” he shared, citing St Vincent and Unknown Mortal Orchestra as influences.
He continued:“If every song features a lyrical statement, then it loses some of its impact, too. I haven’t let go of that aspect of myself, but I don’t want to live out that style forever,” adding: “It was the first time I’d been able to open up and unload. It helped me deal with the pressures of making music and mature as a person.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCGt_gTODHA
‘What Happened To The Beach?’ is set for release on February 9 via his own label, Tomplicated Records. Pre-order the album here.
Speaking of the album as a whole, McKenna said: “In the past few years there has been a bit of weight behind making music. I wanted to open up and not worry about things so much. I was putting a lot of pressure on myself in the past when I just needed to drop the intensity a bit and have some fun. I will always speak my mind with music, but we live in a time where the conversations I wanted to contribute to previously are much more out in the open now.”
He is currently on the final leg of his ‘The Big Return’ US tour. Visit here for any last minute tickets and check out the full dates below.
Declan McKenna’s ‘The Big Return’ US tour dates are:
SEPTEMBER 2023
27 – New Haven, CT, Toad’s Place
OCTOBER 2023
1 – Columbia, SC, The Senate
2 – Athens, GA, Georgia Theatre
3 – Chattanooga, TN, The Signal
5 – New Orleans, LA, Toulouse Theatre
9 – Mexico City, MX, Pabellón Oeste
11 – Guadalajara, MX, C3 Stage
16 – Albuquerque, NM, El Rey Theater
17 – Tempe, AZ, Marquee Theatre
19 – Denver, CO, Ogden Theatre
21 – Salt Lake City, UT, The Union
23 – Seattle, WA, Showbox SoDo
25 – Portland, OR, Roseland Theater
29 – Vancouver, BC, Commodore Ballroom
31 – Sacramento, CA, Ace of Spades
NOVEMBER 2023
1 – Oakland, CA, Fox Theater
3 – Los Angeles, CA, The Novo
4 – Pomona, CA, The Fox Theater
In a four-star review of his 2020 LP ‘Zeros’, NME shared: “This record is full of ideas and never fully settles on one genre for long; it hops from finger-picked and folky (‘Emily’) to stomping space-rock (‘Daniel, You’re Still A Child’). Sometimes it does so in one song – as when ‘Eventually, Darling’ opens it sounds like it about to channel the most fringe-worthy emo, but instead turn into a shimmering piece of experimental pop.”
It continued: “The 21-year-old might be trying to shake off any unwieldy labels from critics this time around, but he’s doing so in electric, entertaining and thought-provoking form. Climb aboard McKenna’s space shuttle, and let him transport you to a place where dancing and getting deep are equally encouraged.”