Acclaimed indie singer-songwriter Declan McKenna burst onto the scene aged just 16 with hit Brazil. The song drew attention for its criticism of FIFA bosses for choosing to hold the World Cup in Brazil without taking action on the poverty affecting the country’s people.
What followed was a rise to the top for the young musician – from winning Glastonbury’s Emerging Talent competition in 2015 to returning to play the festival in the years after, and taking on the other biggies like Reading and Leeds, Coachella and Lollapalooza.
Hailing from Enfield, the 21-year-old never shies away from dealing with the big issues in his songwriting. British Bombs, released last year, takes aim at UK foreign policy while Paracetamol deals with how transgender teens are treated by the media. Last year he performed as part of an outdoor Extinction Rebellion protest. It has served him well, having grown a fan base to help him sell out big venues across the UK.
A Radio 1 hit, the Beautiful Faces singer will release new album Zeros next month. And we’re going to speak to him.
But we want your questions. When we sit down with McKenna, you’ll run the show in this readers’ interview.