World-renowned musician Declan McKenna played a mix of indie pop and playful rock The Sylvee on Tuesday, October 29, with support from musician Vlad Holiday.

The Badger Herald spoke with McKenna about his independence, his new releases and his upcoming tour with Sabrina Carpenter.

McKenna recently released two new songs, “Champagne” and “That’s Life,” in one Double AA side singles after going independent almost a decade ago for the first time since signing with Columbia Records in 2015. McKenna said his decision to go independent was a natural progression as the end of his recording contract was near.

“I feel like I’ve gained a lot of experience in the industry now and can provide a lot more support myself. I think creatively it could lead to something different and something more direct,” McKenna said.

Fans who know McKenna for his catchy songs and relatable messages will delight in the same upbeat melodies and evolution of McKenna's creative process in his new songs. What I like most about McKenna's music is the way he celebrates the spectrum of emotions – good and bad.

At the concert, he performed his song “Beautiful Faces” from his 2020 album “Zeros” with lyrics like “Going to the stores, pulling socks out of the drawers / From the people you don't love anymore.” For me, that is this song makes you feel stuck on social media and realize how wrong it is while simultaneously being afraid of missing out.

He also performed his new song “Champagne,” which includes lyrics like “Stumbled and killed the boss / Well you know I never mean what I say / But I'm sorry for your loss.”

Reflecting on how his creative process has changed, McKenna said he is greatly simplifying things and re-expressing the freedom of being a young creator. Now he can look back on what he has done and judge whether or not he wants to do something similar in the future.

“I think you're most creative when you're not analyzing or trying to be something,” McKenna said. “It was just a journey of finding your own voice and finding the purest way to do your own things.”

McKenna said there are some songs he likes to play for personal enjoyment and others because they excite an audience, citing his 2019 hit “British Bombs” as one of them. I could tell by the way he wowed the crowd with this song at The Sylvee when he sang “It's a good old fashioned earthslide / Killing with your hands tied.”

This concert was bittersweet, McKenna said. It's the last headlining show with Vlad Holiday before he goes on tour with Sabrina Carpenter. He and Holiday ended up getting along very well, McKenna continued, which was evident during their performance in Madison. Towards the end of the show, McKenna told the audience, “We're going to do something we've never done before.” He then brought Holiday on stage for a cover of The Beatles' “Don't Let Me Down.” The musical chemistry was right.

McKenna said he's excited to hit the road with Carpenter and he and his crew have been working hard on preparations. What an exciting time for McKenna as he moves on to lighting up stages both new and established. Stream his new songs “Champagne” and “That’s Life” and look out for more releases in the future.