Declan McKenna Breaks Free

The singer-songwriter discusses the more chilled vibe that defines his third album, the pressure on artists to engage with social media, and how he's becoming the artist he always wanted to be

- By Henry Pearce

Take one listen to Declan McKenna’s third album, What Happened to the Beach?, and you’ll notice the sunshine that permeates it. If 2020’s Zeros — released midway through the pandemic — saw him exploring the highs of 70s glam rock and psychedelia, there’s a more relaxed groove on this latest record by McKenna, now 25. The title track, for instance, skips along with all the laid-back energy of a day out at its eponymous location.

It’s a natural occurrence, he explains, given that vast chunks were recorded in the sunsoaked climes of Los Angeles. “It’s got that sense of sun and freedom that you might associate with LA.”

There he teamed up with producer Gianluca Buccellati, who has previously worked with Lana Del Rey and Arlo Parks, on her Mercury Prize-winning debut album, Collapsed in Sunbeams. It is with the help of Buccellati, as he reveals, that he’s created his freest album yet.

What’s changed for you between Zeros and this, your third album?

Well, we’re not expecting a pandemic for starters! I’ve got more