New Music: Declan McKenna - Bethlehem

Never judge a book by its cover. 

If you took a quick look at Declan McKenna you probably wouldn’t think he’s one of the most thoughtful and interesting new singer songwriters around today. But he is. His new single, Bethlehem, released online yesterday tackles religion and how it is used as justification for the acts of hate and war. It certainly challenges Nicky Wire of the Manic Street Preachers who recently said to the Guardian, of modern pop music: “Music has just become a giant brand of blandness, of digitised fakery. People are willing to join causes, but no one puts those feelings into their actual art.” Well here you go Nicky, here’s someone who’s doing it. In fact he ‘s done it on every one of his three singles so far. Maybe you’re just listening to the wrong pop music? Mind you Wire does have a point and it’s for that reason that I believe it’s important to champion acts like McKenna, who not only are doing something interesting and worth listening to lyrically but are equally capable of chucking out a good melody to go with it. On Bethlehem McKenna manages that one with some aplomb - a serious message with an uplifting tune. 

Declan plays the Great Escape festival in Brighton today, which is where this post is brought to you from.

Declan McKenna - Bethlehem

The Great Escape 2016 - Preview / Recommendations (Friday)

No messing, no commentary on the event (you can find that on yesterday’s post), I’m just going straight in with 5 music makers that are on my list of possible (venue capacities permitting) acts to see at this year’s Great Escape festival, which takes place in Brighton city centre at a variety of venues between 19th and 21st May. Then I finish by tossing up a link to a recommendation for a band on the Alt Escape line up as well.

Here are my choices from the Friday line-up. (You can find Thursday's choices on this link here) If you’re going you can see all these 5 selections with no clashes (unfortunately my Alt Escape bonus pick does clash). If you’re a regular reader of Breaking More Waves none of these choices will in any way surprise you.

Note: You should also go and see Have You Ever Seen The JaneFonda Aerobic VHS? On Friday at the Queens Hotel at 14:30 because with a name like that and being from Finland they can be nothing but incredible. Also in between Black Honey and Declan McKenna at Wagner Hall  there’s Loyal, an act that is very much loved by the blogosphere, so they’re going to be worth sticking around for. Don’t go to the bar instead.

Xylaroo 13:00 The Pop-Up Stage

If singing sisters are a thing (and the evidence suggests they are – The Staves, First Aid Kit, Haim…er…..The Nolan Sisters) then these sisters, one of two acts we’re recommending from the Sunday Best stable are another name to add to the list. I tipped Xylaroo as One to Watch for 2016 last year on the blog, so go on, take my advice and watch them.

Pleasure Beach 15.30 Spiegeltent

I’ve seen (and maybe in some cases written) words about Northern Ireland’s Pleasure Beach that compare them to Arcade Fire, War On Drugs and Bruce Springsteen. This is the point where I should say ‘but that’s just lazy journalism’. But it isn’t – because those comparisons have some basis of truth. It’s not lazy journalism – it’s accurate journalism. Lazy journalists are the ones who work for a couple of hours in a day and then call it quits to go down the pub / watch TV. Anyway, I digress. I have no idea what Pleasure Beach are like live, but if they sound anything like their recorded material they should be pretty marvellous.

Alice Jemima 19.00 Jubilee Gardens

The unsigned artist that I’ve posted the most about in the history of Breaking More Waves, but now she’s signed to Sunday Best. She recently released a rather clever tune called Liquorice. It went top 10 on the Hype Machine. She’s playing BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend. It’s all very exciting. This is why you should catch Alice Jemima at Great Escape. If you see a man explode like a bomb in front of you – that’s me. The excitement got too much.

Black Honey 20:30 Wagner Hall

The band most likely to 'do a Wolf Alice' over the next year or so. Need I say any more? Rock ‘n’ roll with a nostalgic twangy cinematic twist. Breaking More Waves regulars.They’re the real deal and genuine contenders. If you haven't seen them yet, make Black Honey a must. 

Declan McKenna 22:30 Wagner Hall

The winner of the Glastonbury Emerging Talent competition in 2015. Two fascinating, unusual and assured singles in the form of Brazil and Paracetamol. Another of Breaking More Waves’ Ones To Watch 2016. A young but rare talent doing something different in a crowded field of the singer songwriters. For once someone that isn't Ed Sheeran-like or r'n'b influenced pop

Alt Escape Bonus Pick: Majik 19.15 North Laine Brewhouse 

New Music: Declan McKenna - Paracetamol (Video)

When I published my annual Ones to Watch list for 2016 last November, one name that I had down as being a definite for inclusion as far back as April 2015 was Declan McKenna. I was pretty sure Declan was going to crop up on a whole bunch of tips for 2016 lists, because he was taking the classic singer songwriter template and doing something bold, interesting and that little bit unique with it both musically and lyrically. His mini anthem Brazil took on corruption in football and its governing body FIFA, whilst Paracetamol deals with the misrepresentation of transgender teenagers. As it turned out, his name didn't feature on many lists, but maybe that’s a blessing, allowing him to develop his talents without the pressure and expectation that 'Sound of 2016' type predictions bring.

It’s artists like Declan that interest me the most; the ones who aren’t just following tired clichés (and there's an awful lot of them around in mainstream pop music right now). His new video for Paracetamol continues that direction of pushing a little harder. Shot in London and Brighton by Director Matt Lambert, it features a number of teenagers who live in Hackney (the video was also filmed in part in Brighton) using a variety of different media including the casts own phones. Watch out also for a cameo appearance by drag artist David Hoyle - his statement at the end of the piece that life is all about love and the rest is bullshit sums things up perfectly.

Declan plays this year’s Great Escape festival in Brighton. If you’re going take our tip – he’s one to watch.

Declan McKenna - Paracetamol (Video)

Ones to Watch 2016 - #3 Declan McKenna

According to his Facebook page, our 3rd One To Watch for 2016 is inspired by the Nolan sisters and one word South American countries/ religious pilgrimage points. It certainly makes a refreshing change from Oasis and The Libertines. Declan McKenna is very much one of those who fits into the ‘how can someone so young be doing stuff like this’ category. He’s scarily good and original with it as well.

Declan first came across the Breaking More Waves radar through this years Glastonbury Emerging Talent competition (which we helped judge), where he beat thousands of other entrants to win and is now signed to a major label (Colombia Records). He’s already charmed much of the blogosphere with his incredibly hooky football protest song anthem Brazil and his latest work, a warbling casio keyboard based pop nugget called Paracetamol is further and absolute justification for including him as Ones To Watch for 2016. It's an experimental and 100% engaging tune full of ideas, that suggests that whilst this guy is still finding his way to a certain extent (let's remember he's only 16), he has the potential to go on and make a really interesting debut album. The fact that we really can't compare him to anyone that easily (some have suggested Tom Vek but we don't fully hear that) is something to celebrate. One to Watch for 2016, but maybe for '17 and '18 as well?

Declan McKenna - Paracetamol

Declan McKenna - Glastonbury Emerging Talent Competition Winner 2015

Yesterday in the UK there were 2 important competitive events, both beginning with the letter G. The first was the Grand National, but it was the second, the Glastonbury Emerging Talent Competition, which music lovers would have probably been more interested in. The competition represents an opportunity for new and emerging artists who aren’t signed to major labels an opportunity to compete for a slot on one of the main stages of the world famous festival. The winner of the free to enter competition is also awarded a £5,000 PRS for Music Foundation Talent Development prize, with two runners up receiving £2,5000 to enable them to help their develop their music even further. 

For the last four years Breaking More Waves has acted as one of the first round judges, helping compile a long list of 120 acts from the 6,000 or so that entered. From those 120 a judging panel that includes festival organisers Michael and Emily Eavis selects a final 8 who each play a short 10 minute 2 song set at Pilton Working Men’s Club before a winner is determined by the panel. Breaking More Waves was in attendance at the final last night.

If you were a betting man or woman you’d have probably already had a flutter on the National (the sporting event not the band) but if you had wanted to continue there were 2 clear favourites for the Emerging Talent Competition. One was Shields, a Newcastle band we first introduced back on the blog way back in 2012, who are already reasonably well established and known for being a slick live act having supported the likes of Placebo and played the BBC 6 Music Festival. The other was Declan McKenna, who whilst only being 16 years old has already picked up support from many of the usual early adopter websites, has been chased by many a label / publisher and has received play on Radio 1 with his hooky looped guitars, keys and beats football protest anthem Brazil.

The form book came good and last night it was Mckenna that charmed the judges with his idiosyncratic one man band set, with Shields coming second, with a blistering last performance of the evening. Third place went to the bizarrely named K.O.G and the Zongo Brigade, a brilliantly tight and infectiously groovy afropop / soul / funk 9 piece who despite being first on got the crowd dancing in their allotted 10 minutes – that’s no mean feat. A quick mention also to Surrey based Princess Slayer a group that we’ve caught live in the past and hadn’t been impressed with but have come on leaps and bounds with their crowd pleasing mix of heavy electronic pop and indie. If there was a fourth place we’d have given it to them.

At the end of the night when McKenna was announced as the winner there was good news for all 8 finalists as they were told that they would all be offered a slot somewhere at the festival, so nobody went home disappointed – including us, for what was another very special night. The Emerging Talent Competition always delivers.

Hear McKenna’s Brazil below. We’re looking forward to hearing this again in a (hopefully) sunny field in Somerset this summer.

Declan McKenna - Brazil