Declan McKenna is the real deal. Boasting distinctive vocals, thoughtful lyrics, and a dazzling on-stage wardrobe, the 24-year-old, North London-born musician seems almost from another time, evoking the wild glamour of Ziggy Stardust in the 1970s.
When he sits down to chat with Vogue on a recent afternoon, he’s just finished rehearsing with his band for a headlining North American tour called The Big Return, kicking off in Montreal on May 25. (For a while, he was referring to his stretch of 50 gigs that way as a joke, but it eventually stuck.) With two records under his belt and a third forthcoming, he is eager to get back on the road. “That’s the idea for The Big Return: it’s all the hits and a little bit of chaos,” McKenna says.
If one thing’s for sure, it’s that McKenna knows how to serve up a visual feast when he performs. This time around, he’s managed to fit a plethora of chrome and satin regalia into one giant box on the tour bus. (A few shirts with metallic appliqués designed by his sister are also in the mix.) It’s all neat for now, but he’s keen to go thrifting at his various tour stops and add to the trove. “I’ve always got my eye out for stuff. I set a tone at the start of the tour and then gradually collect things while traveling,” McKenna says. Yet his curated look and high-octane stage presence are neatly balanced out by simpler pleasures, too: spending his days off by the sea, setting quiet time aside to read (he’s currently on Yann Martel Life of Pi), and helping his friends with their own musical endeavors.
His live shows have often consisted of layered rock guitars, upbeat synths, and the occasional piano or acoustic interlude, reflecting McKenna’s own multi-instrumentalism. “We try to strike a balance, for the most part, between a show that uses modern technology in a fun way, but one that also carries the essence of rock and roll and has sort of rough edges to it. I like to combine all of my favorite shows that I’ve been to in what I do live,” he continues, recalling gigs that left a particular impression on him as a teenager: St. Vincent headlining the Green Man Festival, Tame Impala and David Byrne playing at Coachella. “Those are the experiences I really draw from. When 15-year-old Declan walks in the room to watch Declan on stage, how do we make it the craziest gig he’s ever seen? How do we just blow his tiny mind?” he muses with a laugh.
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