CIAN

Hi Cian thanks for taking the time to talk to us about your album and tour. You’ve had quite a year between releasing a number-one album, flash mob performances, singing with orchestras choirs touring, with Ed Sheeran and even opening for The Killers here in Belfast. If you had to, just pick one moment to frame in your memory forever, out of the past year, what would it be and why?

I think it would probably be the first few minutes or hours I spent hanging out with Ed Sheeran. Just because it was so surreal to be in that position and it’s things like that still to this day that don’t feel real. I mean that entire tour with him was just an unbelievable experience. I think that moment, those first few like minutes where I was like, this is Ed Sheeran sitting in my dressing room talking to me. This guy that I have just idolised and worshipped and been such a fan of my entire life basically inspired my entire career. I think that moment or at the moment I found out I had a UK number one album when I was on the plane and it touched down in Cornwall for the Boardmasters Festival. I had never felt that sort of emotion and pride of anything before really. So I think yeah maybe those two moments were two moments where I’m just like this is not actually happening.

You’ve touched briefly there on some of your inspirations, obviously, being partly from Ed Sheeran. You’ve been very open about your childhood and the abusive childhood you had at the hands of your father and how that inspired your music and the victory album, do you feel that writing producing and playing that album has kind of been your therapy?

I think so in many ways because getting the stories in there is so important, it feels so nice to write about it and to kind of remove that barrier and that stigma between myself and like fans or audience you know but also because it just feels really special to be able to see the fans connect with my music, with my stories that are so personal. I feel like I am telling them “You don’t feel alone, you know.” You’re performing for all these people and you see people singing the song back to you and you’re like, I guess you guys must relate to this in some way and whatever way that is it makes you feel really connected and that makes you feel sort of less alone in your story and what you’ve gone through.

I think that’s the purpose of music for the fans and also for the artists, but we just get to connect and it’s a really special thing and it’s definitely extremely therapeutic.

Expanding on the answer you gave there what advice would you give to anybody going through going or having gone through similar experiences, you have in your childhood?

I think the most important is therapy and doing a lot of that, just to make sure it affects you as little as possible in a negative way. Surround yourself with people who love you like family members or good friends and do things that you love and that you enjoy and know when to take time out if and when you need it. Don’t be afraid if you feel like you can’t go to school for a day or something just because you need the space or you’ve been to therapy and you’re struggling, it’s important to take that time and to just recover properly. Then to try to have some escapes, things that you love to do that help you escape and think about something else. And you know, music is always extremely helpful but I think most importantly don’t let it define you, you know? Don’t let it overtake your personality or who you are, allow yourself to be whoever you want to be and don’t allow yourself to be defined by things. You want to be defined by and become whoever you want to be, you know, and I think that’s what I want to do inspire with this album, is like no matter what year you’re going through or have been through, you can still be Whatever person it is you want and whatever your dreams are you can achieve them!

Reader question from Tony, “ Now that you’ve become well-known and famous within the music industry and your story is out there has your father tried to make contact and if he did how do you think you would react? He’s never tried to make any contact, not that I know of anyway. I haven’t received any attempt of contact from him, if he has I don’t know he’s tried. I don’t how I’d react, to be honest, no idea. I guess it’s obviously going to get to him eventually, you know with more and more people knowing my story and stuff but I tend to pretty much keep his identity unknown and I don’t know how he’ll react if he finds out, but I guess that’s not really something I have to think or worry about, you know. I don’t wish to ever speak of his name, I never wish like harm on him or anything, you know, that’s not who I am, maybe he’s learnt to live with it, I don’t know, I mean, I can’t speak for him.

Another reader question this time from Cathal who wants to know what is the key secret to happiness?

I think it’s doing more of what you love doing, more things that you love and you enjoy like I truly believe that that’s it. Spending time with your friends and I think it’s important to actually question what makes me happy or what gives you endorphins or that you feel you enjoy doing. I remember a time in my life when I was like not feeling so good, I was in boarding school and I was struggling a little bit and those things were all going on in my life. I remember just kind of feeling down and I didn’t know why I was feeling down and I remember my brain just immediately jumped to the conclusion that I wasn’t doing any of things I loved anymore. I had stopped skateboarding which is like my favourite thing in the world to do. I stopped making music and writing music, which was my other favourite thing in the world to do. I was obviously gonna be feeling miserable, I’m not doing anything that I love, and I’m not spending time with my friends properly. I’d say for me, that the key to happiness, if there is a secret key to happiness, or at least to beginning to open up that world, it’s to do what you love and the things that make you happy. Otherwise, you’re not gonna be happy, you know. Don’t sit in a job that you’re miserably or don’t spend your days doing nothing sitting in watching TV or whatever, find the things that you actually like. That you enjoy and put the effort into doing them.

Here at GNI we’re loving your tour video diaries on your socials and we were wondering just how much control and input you have into your socials or now that you’re famous, do you have someone doing all your editing and everything for you? Everything that goes on socials is going through me, either posted by me or posted for me, but it will always be something that I’ve created to post or whatever is being said. I would say it’s like 98% me you know and anything really personal is always me, anything like that like the victory diaries and then like all that kind of stuff, you know. I have my best friend who’s my videographer and editor. So we do all that stuff like hand in hand, and he takes care of, obviously filming most stuff and editing it. I always review it all you know, it’s kind of just like fun things that we do together. So yeah, I would say that primarily most of the content and most of what you see is done by me and then sometimes it’s a mirrored across the social media platforms by other other teams and stuff. If I post a story or one thing here they might repost the same thing for me across other socials so that I don’t have to do it myself across other things because I just wouldn’t think about doing that. The majority of the stuff is mine and personal and you know, if something was posted like without me knowing like I would get very annoyed you know.

As someone who’s worked in the management side of the entertainment industry myself. I’m always curious when I’m doing interviews about people’s riders and their pre and post show rituals. So firstly, what is your rider?

Berries, granola, oat milk, coconut yoghurt crackers, lentil crisps, bananas, fruit, and ginger shots, sparkling water, non-alcoholic gin and tonic with elderflower tonic water, tomato juice, a lot of healthy snacks, very healthy snacks basically.

And in terms of your pre and posture rituals, do you have any? I know you joked on your socials that you like to go for a 10k run before the show but are there actually any pre and \ or post show rituals that you have that you must do for every show?

I like to get a run in during the day if I can but I wouldn’t say that’s like a ritual. That just helps me feel good in the day and while I’m touring because it can be quite like can be quite tough on the body and stuff. I don’t really have any rituals that I know of / realise, I think building up like that as a pre-show rituals often just make you more anxious than anything and I know from like just being with Ed and stuff he doesn’t have any and he just like rocks out on stage from wherever or whatever he’s doing, that was something that I really loved. I’m not a nervous person, so I basically don’t want to create an environment where I could become nervous, or anything. I’m just doing whatever to be honest, just chilling out the dressing room hanging out friends family, like whoever’s there. Like the band we’re just doing whatever listening to some jazz and some music messing around playing around. Post show I tend to have a bowl of granola, just because I’m often kind of hungry but it’s like too late to have dinner and there’s usually some nice granola there so that’s like usually what I’ll do. I love a good bowl of granola but most of the time it’s a cup of granola because we usually don’t have any bowls.

I am not sure if you’re aware but there have been comparisons to your music and sound to likes of Dermot Kennedy and James Arthur. What are your thoughts on those comparisons? And what would you say to the people that are making those comparisons?

I don’t have any sort of thoughts on that, I mean, I think both of those artists are crazy and have amazing voices, amazing songs, so happy days, you know. I’ll take those comparisons any day, really? I don’t, I don’t mind at all and I think people like to make comparisons to sort of understand something. I think people kind of need to like relate something to something else to understand what it is. I mean I’m totally cool with comparisons whether they be positive or negative way. I don’t mind the honesty and I think like you know, to be compared to two other really great singer-songwriters and artists who’ve got amazing voices and amazing songs is something I definitely won’t complain about.

A reader question from Courtney. You’ve been writing producing and playing your own music. What is your creative process and what can you not do without during that process?

I think a piano is something that I always really need, I love writing at the piano, especially at the moment. It’s just something that I get drawn to writing at the piano and so I think that’s something that I really need during that process. Then obviously recording equipment is very important when I have it. If I can have it just to be available, to do it instantly, to get demos recorded down and stuff, but then the process is always different, you know. I could be writing in the back of a bus or in a van, or a while I’m making a sandwich or in a studio or on a scooter flying across London. Like, it’s just always different where, where and when I’m writing.

But are you a lyrics man first or melody first? It’s always different. I think, you know, it’s like Iit’s kind of a mixture. I think of a lyric which will often kick off the start of a song usually but it changes all the time. It’s in the vibe, the piano and the the sort of instrumentation, like the mood first and that’ll often trigger a lyric or a melody or I’ll have lyrics already saved up that I want to use or something that I want to sing about and then that’ll kind of just come out. I just kind of get into a flow state and just like improvise basically and then if it’s a good improv, then I’ll turn it into a song. And like I’ll spend a lot of time then trying to get the lyrics, right, and go on deeper into that.

A readers question from James. How many instruments do you play? And what are they?

And is there an instrument you cannot play but would love to learn?

I guess I play quite a lot of instruments. I wouldn’t say I play them all very well but like through my life, I’ve played piano, guitar, base drums, saxophone and flute. I’ve been on percussion, keyboards, ukulele just about and then a few other things that I could, you know, wrangle my way around like a clarinet or something, but I wouldn’t say that I play it very well. An instrument that I’ve never played that I’d love to learn to play, I wish I could play like violin or something, properly! I played violin when I was a kid for like a few weeks or months, but I was like four years old, and that’s something I wish I could play like a string instrument, that would be just so cool.

A reader question from Rachel. What has been your biggest splurge since hitting the big time? And what is the best freebie you have been given? Probably my car or my London apartment. Those are probably the two biggest splurges, just because I love cars and I love driving, that was always my absolute dream.

What did you go for?

I drive a Porsche, that was kind of something that was always like a dream of mine as a kid because my stepdad saved up his entire life to buy himself a Porsche. And I remember that was a huge, huge deal for him and it’s sort of like a collector’s item that he has. He took me out and it once or twice and I just remember feeling like this is the best thing ever and from then all I ever wanted was to have my own. The other biggest splurge would be the London apartment that I live in, not necessarily willingly but like I live in London and rent is extremely expensive, so you kind of don’t really have a choice. Home is really important to me, it’s somewhere that I don’t spend a lot of time at but, when I do it needs to really be somewhere that I love and that I feel comfortable, especially because I’ve got to live there, but London isn’t necessarily my home. You know my home, my family are not there and stuff. I’ve definitely had splurges that cost way less. What is it? I have bought Gucci shoes and never wore them once, you buy so many stupid things and you’re like, why am I buying this? What do I do with this now? I use my car every day, so I’m cool with that splurge.

And what was the best freebie you’ve been given? Best freebie I’ve been given hmmm, I haven’t thought about that one. In this business you’re constantly getting freebies to share and I think actually the best freebie probably ever been given is this gonna be a super nerdy one but, it’s probably like my in-ear monitors that I use on stage because they’re very expensive like crazy expensive. So like getting those as a freebie was the best thing ever especially as I got them quite early on in my career and I was so stoked. I’m just trying to think of things that I’ve gotten recently…..I got suitcases and I love a good suitcase because obviously, I travel pretty much every day.

I’m really looking forward to going to one of your sold-out shows at the Ulster Hall in Belfast. What can fans expect from the show?

You can expect a great time. You can expect a lot of energy, a lot of talking, hopefully, some laughing, some crying. Yes, it’s gonna be a really elevated show. We’ve been working really hard to make it as good as possible for the fans and for the audience. The venues are really, really awesome to be performing in because they’re big, but they still have a sense of intimacy, it’s just gonna be Cian Ducrot at my finest, you know.

One last question and we have five random Irish related quick fire questions. What’s next after the tour and finishing the promo for the album and singles? Is there another album in the works or is that on the back burner until you’re finished, all of this promo and touring?

I’m writing again but, sort of on my own at the moment, just when I can, when I have time, I definitely want to put some more music out there as soon as I can. I just love putting music out, I’m chasing, you know, more songs that I love. I’m just constantly trying to write better songs. There’s gonna definitely be a second album at some point soon, it’s just not ready yet but there are plenty more tunes to come.

Now for your five Irish quickfire questions….. Favourite flavour of Tayto?

Original cheese and onion everytime!

Potato bread or soda bread?

Oh, soda bread, brown bread is what we call it down home, pretty sure.

Whiskey or Guinness?

Whisky!

Boyzone or Westlife?

Boyzone!

GAA or rugby? (Very topical at the time of the interview)

Rugby. Probably rugby.

Cian Decrut Album Victory is available from all the usual outlets and streaming services. He plays 3Olympia Theatre Dublin on 5th & 6th December 2023 and The Ulster Hall Belfast on 7th & 8th December 2023. He has just released St Annes Park, Dublin 7th June 2024 and Musgrave Park, Cork 28th June 2024. Tickets are available from all usual official outlets.