Ireland’s Cian Ducrot is on something of a hot streak as of late.
His new single, hurt so bad, is flying high on every New Music Friday playlist you could think of and he’s spent the last few months absolutely killing this whole ‘social media’ thing. (Just don’t call him a TikToker.)
Cian Ducrot! How are you coping with all of the lockdown shenanigans?
‘I’m pretty good. I’m lucky that this hasn’t really affected me in terms of how I create music. It’s nice to be able to have good people around during this time and to get to work with nice people – it’s really bringing everyone together.
‘I’ve been pretty much writing and producing every day – this entire experience has been quite inspiring, actually. It’s given me time to write about what’s important which has been a really good vibe.
What sort of music did you grow up listening to?
‘Classical music, mainly! Then I moved on to some rock and metal. I used to play drums and my brother would play the electric guitar. We’d play some Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, Avenged Sevenfold, Tenacious D, and all that sort of stuff. I gradually got into pop music around the time I discovered Michael Jackson. Then I would listen to anything that would make me feel the same way as Michael Jackson (which was not a lot of stuff).
Let’s go right back to the beginning. You moved to England in your teens – why?
‘I moved when I was 18 to study at the Royal Academy of Music: it was always a massive dream of mine to study there. Then I moved to London just after I turned 20 – about 2 years ago now – and that proved to be super important to my music and my career.
You’ve never been tempted to go back to Ireland?
‘I went home for a bit when I dropped out of college, and I was just like “what am I doing here?”. I never really wanted to go home – it was just to save some money to get somewhere else. As Jeremy Zucker said in one of his songs, “I’m too old for my hometown” – once I’d settled in the UK, I don’t feel myself at home anymore. I do sometimes miss the countryside but that’s about it.
What’s the story behind your last single, anyone but her?
‘I wrote that while I was in my room in lockdown. I’d posted a photo on Instagram saying that if anyone needed to talk about anything, they could message me, and we could try and work through it together.
‘I became friendly with this girl through it and just chatting about life and what she was struggling with at the time. A big part of her story was her dream (and why she couldn’t do it anymore) and her move to New York – I feel like anyone who listens to the song will understand what the story was. When I heard her story, it really moved me. Like, I cried.
‘It was such an honour to be able to take her story and put it into a song. It will always be such a special song for me.
Is anyone but her going to be part of a larger project?
‘Yeah! There is a mixtape, Started In College, coming out on July 10th. It’ll be super cool to have my songs out in a body of work like that. Then, we move onto the next phase: there is plenty of new music to come. People always ask me to tell them what’s coming next, and I think that no matter what’s happening in my career, the answer will always be ‘more music’. I just love telling stories and putting out music, so I don’t want to be taking big breaks or hitting pause – music is just going to keep coming!
Are you excited to get back out touring again?
‘I am, yeah. I think it’ll be a super interesting time for new artists to develop in, but one that’ll present us with a lot of great opportunities as well. I just can’t wait to get back on stage. I’m excited to get back to America – I love Los Angeles – and to go back out to Asia again. Travelling is just the best thing ever and to be able to do that with music is amazing.
You have built quite a following on TikTok – do you feel that the platform allows you to show different sides to yourself?
‘Just because I use TikTok, it doesn’t make me a TikToker, in the same way that being on Instagram doesn’t make you an Instagrammer. I am just Cian, a musician, and I just chose to share my personality online. TikTok is just a new platform, and it’s very big right now because it’s so new and exciting.
‘The same way that Shawn Mendes wasn’t a ‘Viner’ – he was just a musician who was on Vine. That’s the way I think about it. I just love posting on it and think it’s an unbelievable app for creating a community. It is very raw and you can more or less do whatever you want on there – it’s a safe space.
What have you been listening to recently?
‘I’ve been listening to a lot of Jeremy Zucker’s new album, as well as the new The 1975 album. I have taken time to get into stuff I never really got into before, too, such as Mac Miller and Anderson. Paak.
And finally – If you curated a festival, who would be your headliners?
‘If he were still alive, definitely Michael Jackson. Who else? Justin Timberlake; John Mayer; Ed Sheeran if he just played +; The 1975; Jeremy Zucker; Lauv; and Coldplay would definitely be there. Then maybe Lady Gaga, Finneas, and Billie Eilish – they’ve all changed the pop sphere. I think that’s a pretty decent line up!