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Paracetamol is the first track to find its way online since the young Hertfordshire musician uploaded a demo, Brazil, to his Bandcamp site in late Spring 2015. In a little over four minutes, it was a track that kick-started a summer that saw him snatch the Glastonbury emerging talent competition by a landslide, and nestled him firmly on the main stages at the festival alongside his heroes just a few weeks later.
Not bad at all for a fresh-faced 16 year old who was juggling school whilst being caught in the eye of an intense industry storm.
Paracetamol conjures up the rough-hewed lo-fi magic of Tom Vek, or Mac DeMarco. A simple, infectious casio keyboard line bounces over Declan’s jauntier guitar stabs. It’s nagging, a tune that gets under the skin and refuses to dislodge. It doesn’t really sit alongside anyone else either, and that’s Declan McKenna in a nutshell.
As a live performer, Declan is still very much in an experimental mode, honing his craft and working out how best to present these leftfield pop nuggets. Recent shows, armed with loop pedals and guitar, are currently being phased out for a full band. Match fitness isn’t far off.
It’s early days, but they’re exciting ones.
UK TOUR
15-Jan-16 Hull Fruit w/ Lisbon
16-Jan-16 Stoke-on-Trent The Sugarmill w/ Lisbon
19-Jan-16 Liverpool Studio 2 w/ Lisbon
20-Jan-16 Manchester Gullivers w/ Lisbon
21-Jan-16 Nottingham Bodega Social Club w/ Lisbon
22-Jan-16 Leceister The Cookie w/ Lisbon
23-Jan-16 Brighton The Hope & Ruin w/ Lisbon
24-Jan-16 Reading Purple Turtle w/ Lisbon
25-Jan-16 Norwich Norwich Arts Centre w/ Lisbon
15-Feb-16 London Camden Barfly (Headline)
18-Feb-16 Birmingham The Library at The 02 Institute w/ Mystery Jets
19-Feb-16 Manchester Gorilla w/ Mystery Jets
20-Feb-16 Glasgow The Art School w/ Mystery Jets