Declan McKenna has today delighted fans with an exclusive video of him performing George Harrison’s ‘Crackerbox Palace,’ in his Instagram profile. The singer, who’s songwriting style is more than a little influenced by the late Beatle, performed the song very informally from what appears to be his bedroom with just a guitar and and a microphone in what he described as ‘a lil bit of snow day antics.’
This intimate performance comes at a difficult time for all of us in the UK where the second wave of coronavirus is still wreaking havoc and costing us many lives every single day. The consequences of this are a full national lockdown and no live music in sight. While many artists are still planning tour dates for 2021, there is still much uncertainty as to whether any of this will actually go ahead.
It is due to this uncertainty that Declan McKenna’s fans will likely be very appreciative for the direct-to-fan interaction which he provides through his social media presence. While a simple home recorded video is not a replacement for a full on live show, it will certainly be a comfort and a relief to many of us who are locked down that musical interactions are still going on in some way. For dedicated music fans, this is not merely a luxury item but something essential to our survival, we need to hear and share music like we need to eat food.
One of the most simple, yet effective ways to raise one’s spirits through music is through the reinterpretation of old and well-loved songs with a fresh voice. In an industry plagued by commercialisation and the effects of monopolising major record labels, it is easy to forget the simple human aspect of communication and solidarity which is produced by a musical experience. We don’t need music only to be delivered to use in neatly purchased packages of albums and singles, we need it regularly and more than anything else we need it to be live.
Declan McKenna’s second album ‘Zeros,’ was released in 2020, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic and yet has managed to see him rise to a much greater level of fame and success than he achieved with his debut, with ‘Zeros,’ reaching number 2 on the UK official album charts. While this was an impressive feat for an Indie artist in 2020, with the days of The Smiths topping the charts long behind us, McKenna’s impressive feat paved the way for another British Indie artist, this time hailing from up north, to reach an even greater success last year.
Fellow Indie Rocker Yungblud managed to top the UK album charts in December with his second album ‘weird!’ which came out just months after McKenna’s ‘Zeros.’ Both of the young Indie singers are heavily influenced by the glam rock era which was defined by British stars like David Bowie and Marc Bolan, there is great promise in both of them.
