Declan McKenna on being independent and supporting Sabrina Carpenter on tour

McKenna toasts the new era with double AA single “Champagne” and “That's Life”, the first release on Miniature Ponies. On the two tracks he incorporates more electronic elements into his sound and maintains his passion for catchy songwriting; McKenna's melodies and choruses are some of the best that British pop has produced in recent years. Both songs are about the ridiculous excesses and follies of success, and on “Champagne” we are drawn into empty conversations where attention is the social currency: “Of course I didn’t mean it, I just wanted them to laugh.” he reluctantly admits.

One of the main reasons for deciding to go independent, according to McKenna, was to streamline the decision-making process and work freely with potential collaborators on his music and visuals.

“If I were there giving advice to my younger self, I would say, 'You have to stick to your guns,'” McKenna says. “There is a lot of work with fear in all areas of the industry, but it is so necessary and important to overcome this and let creativity flow.”

Outwardly, his catalog has so far shown little sign of compromise. His ambitious debut in 2017 What do you think about the new car? was produced with former Vampire Weekend member Rostam Batmanglij and James Ford, whose credits include Arctic Monkeys and Florence + The Machine. 2020s zerosMeanwhile, he gave a nod to '70s glam rock, embraced the imperfections of the creative process, and delivered one of his best songs, “The Key To Life On Earth.”

Likewise, McKenna's voice continues to be direct. In 2019, he released the single “British Bombs”, which highlighted the role of British defense companies in fomenting conflict on a global scale; It is now a fan favorite and an integral part of his live performances.

The new independent era goes hand in hand with some of McKenna's biggest shows. Beginning November 1, he will join Carpenter as primary support at arena shows in Los Angeles, Seattle, Denver and elsewhere. He said the couple met last summer at the Lollapalooza Festival in Chicago, where Carpenter revealed she was a fan of his work. Earlier this year, Carpenter invited McKenna as a special guest, followed by fellow British artist Griff, who also got the call for the tour.

“It might be surprising to some people and in a way it was surprising to me because I'm not exactly the bookmakers' favorite for this gig,” he laughs. “Sabrina, along with a few other pop artists who are obviously putting the fun back into pop music.”

He adds: “For most of the music I love, the lyrical meanings and intentions are not entirely clear. Sabrina has a bit of that. She can get to the heart of a concept but also have fun.”

He'll then head to Australia for a series of co-headlining dates with Northern Irish indie heroes Two Door Cinema Club and next summer McKenna will join Imagine Dragons on their stadium tour of Europe, his biggest venues ever. The final date will take place at the Spurs Stadium of his beloved football team Tottenham Hotspur in London. “I’m very lucky because this is a dream gig,” says McKenna.

The next step in his journey as an independent artist is to increase the speed of releases. He says he's still “hoarding” music he'd like to share, which is clearly due to Miniature Ponies' label boss: himself.

“I've always been at the forefront of what I do and who I collaborate with creatively, but now it's a whole different level because no one is looking over my shoulder anymore,” he concludes. “It’s a liberating thing.”