Irish singer Cian Ducrot is happy to share his stories with the world and we’re all ears.
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Growing up with his flautist mother made it easy for Cian Ducrot to pursue music. From joining drama club at school to landing roles in musicals, he would eventually go on to receive a full scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music in London. All seemed to be going according to plan when a few years into his study and training to master the flute, a trip to Los Angeles would shift his path to pursuing pop music.
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He began writing songs and producing, resulting in Started in College, his first mixtape, which covered his personal journey of falling in and out of love and the raw emotions that came with it. His technical music skills graciously enhance his music and he uses this knowledge to better his storytelling. “I really wanted that depth,” he says. “Consciously, and also maybe subconsciously, it has made me think of music in a really broad way. I’m trying to think of it not necessarily like a genre, but more of what it makes me feel, what the sound should sound like, basing production on what the song is about and what it needs, not necessarily sticking to a style, just learning to let the music be what it needs to be. I think that’s just given me that kind of approach.”
The stories, of course, have always been personal, “The only way I manage to write a song about something and feel connected to it is if I’m being really honest and vulnerable,” he shares. “I think that’s probably the biggest part—I try to just put exactly what that feeling is, why I’m feeling that, and my perspective on those feelings into music.” It’s a language he speaks fluently, especially when regular conversations leave him shy. “I think maybe I lack conversations in real life, maybe I’m not so open or I don’t share how I’m feeling, but it always comes to music.”
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IN HIS OWN TIME
Having broken through charts and social media with the singles All for You and I’ll Be Waiting, it’s clear that people resonate with his vulnerability. Every release slowly built momentum and anticipation for what he’ll do next, which is why Cian Ducrot took a careful pace in creating a self-assured debut album.
“I’m glad that I’ve written and put out so much music to get up to this point, because it allowed me to really feel right.” Cian wrote around 17 songs for Victory, which is a small number compared to the hundreds of songs artists normally choose from when making an album. “Some of [the songs] were old, which I had always wanted to [bring to the album] and then I knew exactly what I wanted to write, so I just wrote one of each song. I’ve got a song on there for my mum, for my brother, for my stepdad; songs about all different parts and experiences in my life. I guess I was lucky that when I did write them, I liked them and they went into the album.”
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The sound, on the other hand, promises something new. “I think it’s gonna be pretty unexpected,” he shares with a laugh. “One of my favorite things about it is I feel like there’s a lot of different types of songs on the album. I’m really happy about it because I’ve never wanted to pigeonhole myself into one style or one kind of sonic. So yeah, there’s a lot of influences on there, a lot of different sounds, types of music, so that’s probably one thing I’m pretty excited for people to hear and go, ‘Oh!’”
“If you listen to it from start to finish, I think you get a really good idea of who I am as a person.” In the years leading up to this milestone release, the Irish singer believes that now is as good a time as any. “I feel like I got to this moment where I really knew exactly what I wanted to put into the album and the stories of my life that I wanted to start to be more open about and just make something that is as much me as possible in every way–stylistically, genre-wise, production-wise, the songs, the lyrics, and the whole concept and creative behind the whole album.”
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MAKING CONNECTIONS
Internet comment sections are places people tend to avoid, but one scroll through any of Cian Ducrot’s videos will show you a tremendous outpour of stories and anecdotes, both finding comfort and release among a community of their own. “I think we feel very connected and I get to really feel that when I’m performing on stage to fans who also relate to these songs and have found a connection to them in their own lives. We get this sort of healing together and I think there’s something really special about that,” he says. “To hear their stories and how it’s helped them in their lives, I think it’s really quite special.”
Now, he’s halfway across the world promoting his music and Cian reiterates that it doesn’t feel any less surreal. “It’s definitely something that I’ve thought about and looked forward to for a long time. You look into a crowd of people who are singing your song, and take that in and think ‘Wow, it’s even reaching over here.’ [Filipino fans] are some of the best fans in the world, and I think that’s really amazing and the fact that they’re so lovely and respectful. I just always enjoy my interactions with all the fans and the fact that they get to connect to the music on such a profound level is really what allows me to connect so much with them. I’m incredibly lucky.”
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With a tour, an album, and more on the way, Cian Ducrot reminds himself to remember the core of all these experiences. “There’s something really special about sharing music and people listening to it and then connecting with it and it helping people. It’s always been my dream for people to be able to connect to the music and for it to be able to help them in some way. That’s all I can ask for, really.”
Victory is now available to stream on all digital streaming platforms.
Creative Director and Photographer: Ara May Tanagon
Interview and Story: Andrea Lam
Stylist: Quayn Pedroso
Grooming: Ayra Salvador
Assisted by: Fatima Esmero
Managing Director ENZO VALDEZ
Head of International LUIGI MALLARI
International Marketing Manager JANINE FENEQUITO
International Marketing Executive JOHN BALBIN
Head of UMUSIC ANGELO RAMIREZ DE CARTAGENA and JOE GARCIA
Special thanks to:
UMG Philippines
Universal Music Southeast Asia Regional
Universal Music UK
Polydor
Listen to Cian Ducrot.