You won the Glastonbury talent contest when you were aged 16. Did you ever expect that success that early?

Declan: Not at all really… I just kind of did it. I didn’t expect anything to come out of it and yeah, I won… They have get me a slot at Glastonbury which is really, really good. And now I play that twice which is amazing. I never expected that aged 16 and then 17 to be playing there again, like it’s amazing!

How did it come you took part?

 I took part online for the competition in January and then they like rattled it down out of 6,000 entries to eight people performing and other bands in April which is where I won. And they got a slot at Glastonbury which was in June last year, so…it’s nice.

 How did you get into music?

 Declan: Umm… my family’s really into music. My friends at school are all really into music. I think my family as the first reason I got into music. My dad and my brother play guitar. They also do different things, my mum sings and plays piano and stuff. So we’re kind of all into music. And I’m the youngest of six kids…

 But you’re the successful one?!

 (laughs) We’re all successful in our own ways… But yeah, it’s just kind of being brought up that way and always loving performing, I used to do acting and stuff as well. I just always loved music.

 And music is what your heart is into the most?

 Yeah, I think it’s just something I just enjoy more than anything else. It’s just so much fun. Everything you can do it can be quite hectic in times like nowadays. But it’s loads of fun and I really, really love it.

 What does music mean to you?

 Declan: It means a lot of things. I think the thing about music is it’s so diverse, there’s so much you can take from it. It can be something as simple as just “this sounds nice” or someone’s story of their heart being broken or something awful happening or it can be like really, really happy. I think that’s so great about it. It can mean whatever you’re feeling at the time you make a song or you listen to a song. And I think that’s really cool about it. I think it’s just mental to do something I enjoy and to be able to travel as well which is amazing.

 You’re just 17 years old – is that an advantage or even a disadvantage in music business?

 Declan: It depends… I think it’s cool being young obviously. A lot of radio stations and stuff look for new artists. But I guess sort of a lot of people can be like patronising and stuff like that. And it can kind of be a bit frustrating in times you’re trying to get your point across with some things. I think overall it’s just good like I’m having the time of my life I would have NEVER really expected to be able to perform, visit new places and you know, make songs that people want to listen to by the age of 17. So on the haul it’s a really, really great thing and I’ve had so many opportunities I probably can’t complain. (laughs)

 Your music is quite diversified. Are you still on the way to find your own style or is it just fun to be able to switch the different types of music?

 Declan: I think at the minute I just have no intention of trying to stick to one sound. When you’re just 17 it’s like probably in a couple of years I want to do something completely different so… I might not just go and say “I want to make a whole album that just sounds like this”. As well as the album that I’m making and the singles I’ve released are kind of gone over quite a long time so I haven’t really in this process had time to decide what the sound is and make sure that the song works in a certain way with it. I’m just being quite free in what I’m doing and make whatever I feel like making. And I feel like for the first album that’s probably a good thing. For me it feels good.

 How does it feel to reach so many people with the things you do?

 Declan: I mean it’s crazy. It’s like, you know being able to go out to San Diego and play to 300 people who bought tickets to your own show or things like that. To come to Amsterdam and now Hamburg, just to see places and to see people that want to know your music or know your music. That’s just amazing that people that live so far away from me that don’t even know me personally just know me through my music. It’s a really amazing thing and again, it’s something you couldn’t even expect to happen at 17. I think it’s awesome. As well as social media people you can reach so many people around the world. That’s great! (laughs)

 Do you already have a favourite place?

 Declan: I really like Atlanta in America. I got to spent quite a bit time there in Georgia. And it’s just really, really beautiful. It’s where I filmed one of my music videos and the scenery there is just amazing. Really cool place, really good history… It’s where Martin Luther King is from and stuff like that. I haven’t really had time to look around here, maybe it’s…

 It’s not Atlanta. Not even the half of it. But I hope it’s nice playing a festival in the most important and well-known red-light district of Europe.

 Declan: Wow, that’s cool! (laughs)

 Is there an album in the making and when may we expect it?

 Declan: Yes there is! Early next year I’m planning around March or April. But I’m still finishing up, it’s very close. I don’t really know when specifically but I’m very excited for it.

 Which German words do you know?

 Declan: (very shy smiling) Guten Tag. (way more confident) Dankeschön! Orangensaft! Here you go. These are the words my cousins who are pretty fluid in German taught me a bit but I can’t really speak German at all. I feel really bad when I go to countries and I can’t speak the language and everyone speaks to me in English and I’m kind of “oh, I’m sorry”.

 But it was very good! The pronunciation was pretty perfect.

 Declan: Oh, that’s good! (laughs)

 What should / shouldn’t you do at a festival?

 Declan: Have loads of fun. (laughs) I think the main thing you need to do when you go to a festival is like just relax, have a good time and not worry too much about seeing every band you planned to see because that is never going to happen. You just got to enjoy every moment you have there, rather than stressing over what you’re doing and who you’re with. That’s all the stuff for the should do’s. Don’t worry too much over what you’re doing, just enjoy it. Festivals are loads of fun and no matter what you’re doing you go there having a good time. And just don’t do drugs! (laughs)

 Have you ever been to Brazil?

 Declan: I have not! I would love to. My brother just went on a trip around South America and Brazil was one of the countries he actually didn’t get to. But I’d really like to. Obviously when you’re having a song called “Brazil” it would be quite nice. But I’ve never really been to South America or anything. I’d love to experience that. I just like going to new places and seeing how around the world things can be really, really different. Yeah, I think it would be loads of fun.

 You have very heavy song themes. Why are you sort of braver than other artists that are way older but just sing about love and the weather?

 Declan: Umm… I think I’ve never really experienced too much in a way of I don’t know heartbreak or whatever. So I kind of just look elsewhere, look for things I’m passionate about, look for things that I think affect me or people around me or affect the world, that are bad or good even. And I just kind of try and maybe make people think about things that I’m writing and not being too obvious with what I’m writing. Mostly I just like to have fun when I’m writing a song. So I kind of just look for things that would make an interesting song and would make a song I would want to listen to. I don’t know it’s hard to tell. I kind of just do it. (laughs)

 But you write it completely by yourself?

 Declan: Yeah. Other then there is going to be one song on the current album which I’m quite excited about. But the rest is all written by myself.

 We’re huge fans of mix tapes and playlists. Tell us your favourite songs for…

…love song?

 Declan: Oh, there are so many. Just a random one: “Two Doors Down” by the Mystery Jets, I think that’s a good love song.

 …nightly car drive?

 Declan: Umm… Maybe “Fourth Of July” by Sufjan Stevens. It’s very chilled, it’s like the whole album is amazing and it’s just very relaxed. So for night driving it’s just nice to travel along to it…

 …beach music?

 Declan: Oh what’s that song I listen to loads recently? (thinks) I can’t think of the name.

 Don’t say Beach Boys!

 Declan: I was about to say Beach Boys. Okay, I’ll do something other than the Beach Boys. (laughs) “Superfood” by Superfood, the guy’s doing my sound at the minute is the singer from Superfood, he’s like a friend of mine and they got a really cool song called “Superfood” and it’s kind of beachy I guess… (laughs)

 First record ever bought?

 Declan: I think was “Electric Ladyland” by Jimi Hendrix. It’s a very good record.

 Music genre that shouldn’t exist?

 Declan: Singer/songwriter! Not because I don’t like singer/songwriters, because it isn’t a genre! I always get called a singer/songwriter but it’s not a genre of music! It just means you’ve written a song. (laughs)

Interview conducted by Maria

  https://soundcloud.com/deccoooo