If you haven’t heard of Irish singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist, Cian Ducrot, it’s only a matter of time before his unique brand of heartfelt, sincere pop is heard everywhere. His two most recent singles ‘I’ll Be Waiting‘ and ‘All For You‘ spent a combined six months in the top 40, he’s worked and performed with some of your faves including SZA, Ed Sheeran, Ella Henderson and most recently he appeared as a guest on stage with Jonas Brothers.
In this interview, we discuss Cian’s new single ‘Part of Me,’ written about the heartbreaking loss of his best friend, his current rise to fame from humble beginnings, life on tour, and working with some of the most notable names in music today. Following the release of his highly anticipated debut album ‘Victory,’ Cian will be embarking on a world tour which has already sold out in Australia, America and Ireland and is well on its way to being sold out in the UK and Europe.
Hi Cian, thanks for taking some time to chat with us. It seems like you’ve been touring non-stop for a while now, how’s that been going and how are you feeling today?
Hi! Thanks for having me, it’s been incredible and exhausting but it’s what I love to do most! Today I feel great, thank you!
You’re in the middle of an amazing rise to prominence at the moment, from busking and sofa surfing to sold-out shows and working with the likes of Ella Henderson, SZA and Ed Sheeran. Was this rise a shock to you, or something you’d been expecting?
It’s obviously something I always hoped for and dreamt of but like anything insane it’s pretty shocking also when it happens and ends up really feeling like you’re living in a dream.
Is there anyone you haven’t worked with that you’d like to? Or anyone you’ve worked with already and would like to collaborate with again?
There are a few dream collaborations I’ve had for a while, Eminem, Pharrell Williams, Calvin Harris, Jack Harlow, Ed Sheeran of course and I would work with SZA again in a heartbeat! She’s incredible!
If you had to pick between songwriting, producing and singing, do you have one that you lean toward more than the others?
I think the only I could never sacrifice is singing and performing, without that I’m not myself so I think that’s the one I’d have to choose if forced lol
The new single ‘Part of Me’ is so heart wrenching and you can hear the emotion in your voice when you sing it, how did you handle performing it live for the first time?
Ooof performing it was so hard so many times, I think before the song is out in the world it’s still yours so it’s way more personal and heavy and I also performed it in my hometown where I had so many memories making it even more difficult. But I just embrace it and the audience is always super supportive and understanding
You wrote the song for your best friend who took his own life which is such an incredibly difficult thing to speak about for a lot of people, do you feel like writing the song helped you with the grieving process?
I’m not really sure tbh, I don’t think I’ll ever really process it as it’s such a shocking devastating thing to happen but I guess part of writing it may have helped me put some of it into words.
Were you able to play the song for anyone that was close to the both of you, what was the reaction?
Yeah, I have a few best friends who have heard it and it always brings us to tears when we’re together. Somehow the song bonds us even more.
Having gone through this experience and come out the other side, what would you say to someone in your position, who’d just lost a friend in this way?
I wouldn’t say there is an ‘other side’ tbh, I would just say it’s heartbreaking and always will be but life does go on and it just reminds you how important friendships are and how short life can be and how fragile it is. Every single day is a gift it really is and spending it with friends and loved ones as much as you can is so important.
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Words: Cleopatra Bailey
Photography: Holly Whittaker