Declan McKenna’s new single, “The Kids Don’t Wanna Come Home” draws on Declan’s personal experience, partially inspired by the attack that took place in Paris on November 13th. Upon leaving Paris in the early hours of the morning, Declan realised that he had just experienced first-hand what he'd tried to express before in the song - the powerlessness of a young person in today’s world, experiencing the shock and the terror, and helplessly watching those in positions of power cause so much uncertainty for the future. The song is Declan’s rally against the widespread assumption that the younger generation are self-obsessed and merely glued to their mobile phones. Despite those very real frustrations, “The Kids Don’t Wanna Come Home” is a song that elicits a feeling of hope, and how ultimately the youth want to positively fight for change through both art and conversation.
It will feature on his as-yet-untitled debut album, due for release this spring through Columbia Records.
In a very short period of time, the recently turned 18 year old Declan McKenna has become synonymous with anchoring his alt-pop songs in smart, engaged lyrical content. “The Kids Don’t Wanna Come Home” follows on the heels of his catchy yet socially conscious tracks “Paracetamol” and “Isombard” as well as breakout track “Brazil” which he performed on Conan as well as The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. Declan also kicked off NPR Music’s first Tiny Desk Concert of 2017 – watch here.