Declan Welsh & The Decadent West are a band from Glasgow with a focus on intelligent, relatable lyrics, catchy hooks and an electric live show. A prolific writer, Welsh and his band (Duncan McBride, Guitar, Ben Corlett, Bass and Murray Noble, Drums) have already released 4 EPs and 1 Album to critical acclaim, receiving a Scottish Album of The Year Award nomination for their debut Cheaply Bought Expensively Sold, as well as BBC Introducing Track of the Week for its opener No Fun.
Being championed by the likes of Jack Saunders, Billy Bragg and Arielle Free, the past few years has seen them tour relentlessly to promote CBES, with the band already racking up appearances at Glastonbury, Isle of Wight and TRNSMT Festival (UK), Reeperbahn Festival (Germany), Bet Lahem Live (Palestine), Oberkampf Festival (France) and many more. This, combined with sold out headline shows and support shows with the likes of Twin Atlantic, Echo and The Bunnymen, Squeeze and The Proclaimers have seen DWDW garner a reputation as “The Future of Scottish Rock Music” (Courier), with Jack Saunders of Radio 1 commenting that “No one knows how to whip up a mosh pit like DWDW. I know - I’ve been in the centre of one!”
With over 3m streams on debut album anthem ‘Absurd’ alone, and radio play from Radio 1, Radio Scotland, Radio X and more, DWDW remained prolific during lockdown, where they released 3 EPs. In the absence of touring, this has allowed them to retain their connection with fans, while expanding their catalogue of sing along, festival ready anthems. Songs from these EPs and their debut full length have been featured in media extensively, from ‘Times’ use in Tennent’s ‘Dedicated to You’ television campaign, to ‘Do What You Want’s use in Teatum Jones’ opening of London Fashion Week, with DWDW collaborating with creatives in all fields.
Insightful, introspective and intelligent songwriting has defined the post CBES chapter of DWDW’s output, and it is this ability as a songwriter that attracted the attention of Mercury Award winning producer Gianluca Buccaletti (Arlo Parks, Big Piig, Easy Life). With Luca, the band recorded their 2nd album and have described it as “The best thing we’ve ever done”. Speaking of their recent sessions, Luca said - “I’ve been waiting a long time to work with a band like DWDW”.
Following a string of sold out UK shows in late 2022, including their biggest ever headline gig at the iconic Barrowland Ballroom in Glasgow (1900 capacity), the band unveiled ‘Mercy’, the first glimpse of the LA recording sessions, tying off what had been their best year as a band to date.
