English singer-songwriter Declan McKenna is an up-and-coming indie artist drawing praise for his diverse musical stylings and socially charged lyrics. His latest album, Zeros, received critical acclaim, with many reviews comparing the glam rock sound on the album to David Bowie. Declan is in the midst of The Big Return Tour, playing cities throughout North America this summer and fall. He sat down with WRBB 104.9 FM prior to his set at Boston Calling to talk about having to wait to play Zeros in front of live audiences, keeping up the energy on tour, and the contradictory actions of FIFA.

Arslan Sheikh: Declan, thank you so much for taking the time to sit down with us. We’re so excited to see your set I wanted to start this interview off with a little bit of a personal anecdote. So I first heard your song “Isombard” on the FIFA 17 soundtrack.

AS: Yes, I loved it when I heard, it was great! Knowing now that your first breakout hit, “Brazil” was a song that was protesting FIFA's corruption with regards to the 2014 World Cup, did you enjoy that sweet irony when that same organization that you protested asked, “We love your song, can we put it in our product?”

DM: [Laughs] Yes, some might call it a contradiction. Yeah, I took some joy out of it. I kind of grew up with FIFA and am obviously a big football fan. I mean, FIFA hasn't really stopped being a total sort of shitshow the whole time. So I don't know, you got to say your piece, but yeah, it was a bit of a childhood dream at the same time to me for us to do the game. It's like a mixture of emotions, but particularly at the time, being 18 or whatever and being asked to be on the soundtrack, I was just like “I’m not gonna say no.” Yeah, it's pretty funny.

AS: You released [Zeros] in 2020, but last year and this year you've been touring it. What's it like going on tour with such a long interval between the release and being able to play it live? Have your feelings on some songs changed in that period?

DM: I mean, really, when we were doing the proper Zeros tour stuff, I was playing everything from the album because I just really wanted to do it. It just felt really good in a way, because we'd made the album with the live stuff in mind and then recorded it with the band in a relatively traditional way. So yeah, going out and playing it live was great. And to be honest, it just changed the whole thing for me, you know, it had been dampened and just a little bit unfortunately overshadowed by the circumstances. But then going out and seeing what it means to people, it just brings it all back and it gives a sort of new excitement with it. Up until recently, we were playing the full album every night and really enjoying it. So, you know, it was a tough period, but it was cool to be able to do that eventually.

Henry Shifrin: I saw you in 2021 night two at the O2 Brixton, and then I also saw you at The Sinclair this past October. Two very different venues, and today you’re playing a third, very different place. Every time I leave the show, I’m like “He has the most energy, the crowd is so into it!” How do you keep up that vibe when you’re performing for large crowds?

DM: I don't know, “eat your vegetables” sort of vibe? I'm trying to stay healthy, because you’ve got to keep it up. I always have the most energy. Sometimes when you've been out on tour for a while, you start to get run down. You have a cold going on and you're just like, “I don’t know if I can give this all tonight?” But I always find a way to do something kind of weird and I just get people on board. You just get used to it and always just got to read the room. I think it helps when people turn up with the energy as well. You know, when people are ready the minute you come on stage. I started the tour in Montreal the other night and it felt like we had a really good show on the band's side. But if we didn't have people just sort of singing along and going for it to start, it's much harder to keep up. It's a bit of a reciprocal thing with the crowd. And the heat today will be a factor, you know. It’s going to be slightly different, like there might completely be our crowd. We don't know exactly what we're going to get. So you’ve just got to roll with the punches and read the room and just hope it works out. But yeah, I've had a bit of practice with it now, so we’ll see.

AS: I wanted to ask you a question about your song, “British Bombs,” because I really appreciated the themes that you brought up and talked about, Western imperialism and these Western powers intervening in these conflicts around the world. You specifically mentioned the Yemeni conflict that hasn’t gotten a lot of mainstream coverage. What inspired you to write this protest song in the spirit of other London groups like The Clash?

DM: It was kind of an immediate reaction because, what I hadn't realized about the Yemeni conflict was that, at the time when I wrote it, which must be almost five years ago now, was how Britain was still selling arms to Saudi Arabia in that period of time. I just think that whole industry is immoral. So I don't know, it was one of those ones that came out at that time in the heat of the moment of learning about all of this. It's standard procedure for me, sometimes, when we get that flash moment of inspiration, this little ball of fire just comes out and you just say your piece about it. I love it. But yeah, it was a really important thing for me to talk about because it's easy to overlook when it's like, “Oh, we’re not at war.” Part of what inspired it really was a conversation with a friend of mine who was like, “Britain has never not been at war in our whole lifetime.” And we just don't see enough about it. But we’ve always got our fingers in some kind of pie and involved in war. There are times where you forget it. And so “British Bombs” is a reminder of that.

AS: Recently with your album Zeros, you've got a lot of professional reviews comparing you to David Bowie, and some have even dubbed you “this generation's David Bowie.” So how do you handle the expectations that come with getting compared to such an iconic artist? And is there a specific era or aspect of Bowie's long career that you feel like you’ve gravitated towards?

DM: My general way of dealing with these things is just by making fun of them, really. I grew up in a lot of ways listening to Bowie. He’s a big influence and the last record had this glammy influence there that was definitely like a retro futurism to it. It is very Bowie. But I just try and I think with the next release people maybe will probably keep comparing me to Bowie but it's not going to sound like that. I think that's part of the spirit of Bowie, you know, keeping things moving. And that's why I was always into that stuff. The new record sounds a lot more modern, I think. And the production is something that, maybe people start comparing me to some other guy?

AS: I love that. We're definitely looking forward to your next release, whenever that may come.

Q&A with Declan McKenna at Boston Calling 

A last-minute replacement for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs after the group dropped out due to illness, the Dropkick Murphys felt perfectly comfortable playing in front of a massive hometown crowd. Their performance felt so seamless, and their energy bouncing off the crowd fit so well, you wouldn’t have guessed that they were not originally scheduled to play.

The Dropkick Murphys opened with “The Boys Are Back,” starting off the set with a rapid fire, power chord-heavy song reminiscent of their fellow ‘90s punks Green Day and Rancid. Signer Ken Casey brought the energy right away, skittering across the stage and even into the crowd to connect with the sea of thousands of bouncing fans and remind them that he was just as excited to see them as they were to see him.

The Quincy-based act made sure to curry the local crowd’s favor by playing two songs rooted in Massachusetts culture with “Queen of Suffolk County” and “The State of Massachusetts.” The lyrical contents may not paint Massachusetts residents in the best light, but many of the older fans in the audience could easily identify someone in their old neighborhoods who matched the descriptions of the street toughs and violent drunkards in the lyrics.

The middle section of their setlist included many songs that were direct or indirect tributes to their influences growing up. “Cadillac Cadillac” felt like their unique spin on The Clash’s rendition of the rockabilly ditty “Brand New Cadillac.” Following that were two songs originally written but left unfinished by folk icon Woody Guthrie, whose political activism and pro-union stances resonated with the Dropkick Murphys. The first song was “Gotta Get to Peekskill,” a new track inspired by Woody Guthrie’s experiences at the 1949 Peekskill Riots, when white supremacists attacked Guthrie and civil rights activist Paul Robeson. The band took glee in reminding the audience to fight against fascism like their icon Woody did. The second track, “Two 6’s Upside Down,” is a revenge ballad similar in content to the country standard “Hey Joe,” accompanied by a more acoustic, folk-punk sound. The bass drum was even adorned with a picture of Woody.

The band closed out their hour-long set with their two most streamed songs: the first, “Rose Tattoo,” was inspired by bassist Ken Casey Jr.’s own tattoo in honor of his grandfather, and memorializes all things near and dear to the Dropkick Murphys’ heart, from family to the Boston Bruins. The lyrics in this case were changed to the Boston Celtics to support the team’s playoff push. The second and final song of their set was “I’m Shipping Up to Boston,” immortalized by its use in the 2006 film The Departed and its use in Boston sports arenas. A song that also used lyrics to an unfinished Woody song, the band encouraged the crowd to shout along with pride about their hometown as various images of Boston landmarks played on the video screen behind them. The Dropkick Murphys’ set proved a reminder that, even though this is a festival that attracts attendees from both near and far, this is still Boston, their proud rough-and-tumble home that they are happy to share with the wider world.

The Dropkick Murphys feel right at home at Boston Calling

When Taylor Hawkins tragically passed in 2022, the Foo Fighters were left in the lurch after losing such an integral member of their band on multiple levels. After months of deliberation and some heartfelt tribute concerts, Dave Grohl and company announced that the Foo Fighters would continue to tour and write new material. To replace Hawkins, renowned session musician Josh Freese was recruited as the band’s new official drummer, with that night’s headlining show being his second live show as an official member.

As soon as their shadowy visages appeared on stage, the decibel levels immediately shot up before the stage lights came on and they started the set with “Rescued,” the lead single from their upcoming album, But Here We Are. Freese felt right at home with the rest of the band, his technical prowess allowing him to slot right in. His muscle tank top read “Fingers Crossed for the New Guy,” as a self-deprecating way to disarm the audience and express understanding about the size of the hole he is tasked with filling.

One of the magical things about listening to the Foo Fighters is that they’ve found the perfect formula to combine their disparate influences into their own alternative style that has universal appeal. “Son of Mine” is a hard rocker that channels the first wave of British heavy metal, including a nod to Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid” snuck into the bridge. The crowd-pleasing power ballad “Learn to Fly” centers an anthemic chorus around quieter, grungy guitar licks that bring the audience back to Dave’s days in Nirvana.

Because of the tragedy’s recency, many of the band’s songs carried different weight, such as “Times Like These.” Dave offered a statement about how, with each passing year, the song takes on a new meaning. He then started the song by himself, as if giving space for everyone to remember Taylor and acknowledge the sorrow without needing to directly say anything just yet. This opening softness also ensured that the remainder of the song hit even harder once the full band joined in. The band also performed another single off their upcoming album, “Under You,” which served as an affirmation for the band to continue knowing that Taylor will always be with them in spirit.

Before the concert started, we encountered many diehard Foo Fighters fans who happily recounted all the times they had seen the band live. This dedication was apparent during their big hits such as “The Pretender,” where the audience recreated the “Who are you?” chant of the song a capella. The dedicated fans also got a treat with “Breakout,” a hard rocking track that Dave dedicated to the fans who had been with them since the ‘90s. That’s not to say that newer or more casual fans were left out. As he did with “Times Like These,” Dave started playing their hit “My Hero” by himself, this time slower than the studio version. The tempo and crowd energy picked right back up when the full band joined back in

The two hour set brought about many heartwarming surprises. Throughout the show, Dave emphasized the importance of family, referring to the band and audience as family at different points. However, during their set, they took moments to make that family emphasis more literal. Dave’s daughter, Violet Grohl, appeared on stage to perform vocal harmonies with her father for “Shame Shame” and “Rope.” The rest of the band then briefly vacated the stage, leading into the emotional climax of the night. Dave performed “Cold Day in the Sun,” a song originally written and sung by Taylor Hawkins, and dedicated it to Taylor and his family. On the previous tour date, Dave was unable to finish the song before breaking into tears, but this time he was able to complete the song in full. In another touching tribute to Taylor’s family, Dave invited Taylor’s son, Shane Hawkins, to play the drums on the fast and thrashing “I’ll Stick Around,” introducing Shane as “One of my favorite drummers in the world.”

As the night reached its conclusion, the band closed their set with some more tributes and fan-favorites. “Best of You” was another hugely popular single that got everyone in the crowd singing along. Two additional tributes for Taylor Hawkins and his family came in the form of punk-inspired “Monkey Wrench” and the slower and calmer “Aurora,” the latter of which was Taylor’s favorite Foo Fighters song according to Dave. The set concluded with their most popular song, “Everlong,” where Dave emphasized the family themes between the band and their fans. He reminded them that this was not a goodbye, but an “until next time.” The Foo Fighters are still in the process of healing from the trauma of Taylor’s death and his presence will always be missed, but with their headlighting set, they proved how strong their connections are within the band itself and with its fans. With more performances as strong as this one, they will continue to proudly honor Taylor’s legacy.



Triumph for the Foo Fighters one year after tragedy

After steadily releasing multiple EPs over the years and receiving endorsements from the likes of Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low and Mark Hoppus of Blink-182, Meet Me @ The Altar (MM@TA) has finally shared their debut album 

 with the public. The group consists of Edith Victoria on vocals, Téa Campbell on guitar and bass, and Ada Juarez on drums. As an all-female, all-POC trio in a scene that has primarily been dominated by abusive, cis, white men who have often preyed upon female fans, I was excited to hear what unique perspective they would bring to the genre. However, MM@TA instead offers a rehash of the sounds and lyrics popularized by their early 2000s influences, like Avril Lavigne, P!nk, and early Paramore, without providing much in the way of unique twists to elevate their songs above said influences.

The opening track and first single off the album, “Say It (To My Face),” starts with a fast breakbeat reminiscent of The Powerpuff Girls theme song while directing their ire towards anonymous internet trolls on the internet. Sarcastic clapbacks at uppity critics have long been a staple of the pop-punk genre, but without sounding too much 

, MM@TA’s target feels too irrelevant and vague to be worth this bile. At least the magazine writers targeted by the likes of 

 had the power to blunt an upstart band’s progress with a scathing review in a pre-social media internet. Lines mocking the lack of power held by these miscellaneous internet trolls, such as “Still stuck in your mothers basement / Talk trash but you’re like a million miles away” feel like punching down on an imaginary group of people who don’t hold much influence on the band’s rise to stardom, dampening any potential cathartic release from sticking it to the haters.

These bereft lyrics are a recurring theme of the album, as there are not many moments that caused me to ponder in a meaningful way. “T.M.I.” deals with thoughts of low self-esteem and the fear of sharing those thoughts but doesn’t move beyond listing these intrusive ideas. It wants to address anxieties that are pretty ubiquitous in theory but is too selfish to offer a sense of togetherness or a way forward. Katy Perry said everything this song says in 

 and did a far better job at relating to viewers than MM@TA did in a 2 minute, 46 second-long song.

The one time I did find myself expending energy thinking about the lyrics was on the song “Kool,” but not for a good reason. MM@TA states that the song is meant to be a gushing tribute to the target of their infatuations, but when I first heard the song, I initially thought it was a sarcastic ode to someone with an inflated ego. “I bet / You love the way you look when you look in the mirror / Don’t you? / Me too” felt much more believable as a mocking insult than a line of mutual adoration, especially within the context of a pop-punk song. It wasn’t until the second verse and hearing lines about “Cooking me dinner / low light / Just you and I,” that I could see that this was meant to be about someone they feel positively about.

The song “Kool” also brings me to my second major issue with the album, which relates to the way Edith Victoria uses her voice. I must state up front that Victoria is a more than capable vocalist, so this is not about her ability to hold a tune. Rather, the vocal accents and runs that are inserted into the songs do not highlight her vocal strengths. For instance, the wavy delivery of the chorus “You’re so coOoOoOoOoOoOoOol,” goes on far too long and quickly becomes grating on the ears. The second time the chorus comes around, it is accompanied with an ascending harmony that, while intended to show off Victoria’s vocal range, only adds a mildly painful, high-pitched flourish on top of the annoying bouncy main vocal part.

The standout song from the album has to be “A Few Tomorrows,” which adds acoustic backing and gives Victoria a chance to showcase the strengths of her voice as she waits to be reunited with her lover. It takes the best elements from 

 to show some vulnerability hiding behind a tough and patient exterior. However, this shining moment soon gets washed out by a series of bratty songs about kicking an ex-lover to the curb, which don’t carry enough wit to stand out compared to the plethora of breakup songs in the genre.

To paraphrase famed music critic Robert Christgau, good rock and roll music should provide 

, and that’s where my issue lies with this album. MM@TA is a competent outfit that strives to create an authentic sound that stays true to the genre, but refuses to budge from the artistic decisions made by their influences of fifteen or twenty years ago. The final product we receive is an album that plays it safe in a genre that was defined almost half a century prior by danger and edge. The likes of Avril Lavigne and Paramore, who have been cited by MM@TA as influences on this album, had a clean, poppy sound, but also provided danger in contrast to their pop contemporaries like Britney Spears or Fergie. MM@TA’s pop contemporaries on the other hand, like Olivia Rodrigo, have found more unique ways to play on those same influences and provide far more menace and unease. If MM@TA wants to continue to play it safe, then they’re welcome to ignore this feedback from another “internet troll” like myself, but I sincerely hope their next effort proves to be more adventurous than this debut.