An Exclusive Q&A with Declan McKenna ahead of Boardmasters 2018

Golden boy, Declan McKenna, sat down with Second Screen ahead of his sure-to-be-scintillating performance at Boardmasters.

Lined up on the same bill as The Chemical Brothers, Annie Mac, Lily Allen and Friendly Fires, McKenna is set to storm the Boardmasters Watergate stage on Sunday, August 12.  Not only is the final day of the festival blessed with his presence, but Second Screen shall also see the 19-year-old singer/songwriter hijacking their official Boardmasters App for the day.

Expect to be let in on backstage secrets, behind-the-scenes antics and who McKenna has tipped for stardom.  He will post to the App via a verified account so you can follow his mayhem first-hand, as well as simultaneously keeping up-to-date with festival information, checking stage times and plotting your way around an interactive map.  There is even the chance to curate your own bespoke festival schedule and receive push notifications before your favourite acts hit the stage!

Ahead of the Official Boardmaster’s App takeover and his performance, McKenna sat down and discussed whether there is a chance it could finally come home in 2020, getting black eyes in Cornwall and an exclusive on his forthcoming record.

Are you looking forward to playing Boardmasters?

Yeah, it was one of the first festivals I played when I was about 16 – probably 25 people in the crowd. But, I had a great weekend, looking forward to seeing it now.

How do you want your show to make people feel?

I just want people to have fun, have a dance and leave having seen/heard something that they haven’t before.

Tell us about a time you’ve been to Cornwall.

I went to a wedding in Cornwall when I was about six years old.  I came away from it with a black eye after my brother caught it with an aggressive outstretch of the hand whilst dancing to ‘Kung Fu Fighting’. Needless to say it is still to this day, the only wedding I have been to.

Will you be checking out the surfing competition?

I think I will probably find myself hitting the beach at some point… I would not want to upstage anyone with my six+ years worth of bodyboarding expertise though.

Would you rather write a Christmas banger or an England football song?

At the grand age of 19, I see time for both. I think a Christmas hit is well overdue if I’m looking to retire at 23, though.

Is it coming home in 2022?

100%

How is the new album coming along?

It’s coming along nicely.  I’ve got a lot of tunes written that I like, a lot of piecing together still to be done and recording of course; but I’m enjoying writing. I’m pretty happy with the progress so far considering how much has been going on recently.

Are dungarees to you what parkas are to Liam Gallagher?

I think it’s rarer to find Liam-sans-parka than Declan-sans-dungaree, so not quite. But, I do dabble in dungarees fairly regularly.

Whose sets will you be watching at Boardmasters?

It would be a tragedy to miss The Chemical Brothers. I’ve already missed them once before!

 

Catch Declan McKenna performing at Boardmasters on Sunday, August 12.  Download the Second Screen Boardmasters Official App to stay up-to-date with the weekend.

 

 

Ella Scott

Ella Scott

Gigslutz Editor, token Geordie and Blur fangirl. Naturally, achieving Vicky Pattinson's VIP edge is what drives me to get up in the morning.