Cian Ducrot has all of the pieces in place to make a striking breakthrough. With his wide ranging talent and organically expanding following, the multi-instrumentalist has a gift for writing songs which bring empowerment from pained emotions. It’s a trait which is quickly connecting.
A recent single, ‘fucked up all the time’, has already hit a million streams, and he’s just surpassed 500,000 followers at TikTok. Cian’s escalating profile continues to grow, as he shares his new single ‘anyone but her’.
The track finds Cian telling the true story of a young woman who moved to New York in an attempt to escape her troubled family life back home, but instead spirals downwards
into addiction.He was inspired to write the song after a fan shared her story. Writing, producing and playing all of the instruments that feature on the track, he focuses on vocal melodies supported by understated instrumentation and allows the narrative to take centre stage.
“When I heard the story it broke my heart and I couldn’t stop crying. I feel like the song wrote itself so quickly because the story was already there and it was so powerful and emotional. I felt like I had to share it because it was the most real thing I had heard in a long time”
Based in London but raised in Cork, Ireland, Cian had always demonstrated that he had both the talent and the graft to make a career in music a realistic goal. During his teen years he developed his songwriting talents as a way to express his life experiences and, with the help of a friend, could often make £400 from busking in just a few hours.
After spending many months writing between Los Angeles, London and Ireland, Cian made the tough decision to drop out of his studies at London's prestigious Royal Academy of Music to focus solely on his artist career.
It was a risk, and one which didn’t look like paying off. He was broke, alone and friends and family alike would tell him that it was the worst decision he could’ve made. Overwhelmed by the experience, he cathartically poured his situation into the song that would become ‘fucked up all the time’. The instant reaction on social media proved a hint of optimism for his future.
We had the chance to have a chat with Cian on the new release and more!
Please introduce yourself and tell us something interesting about you!
"hey, my name is Cian Ducrot and I love blue cheese".
Where are you from?
"i'm half Irish, half french and I grew up in Cork in the south of Ireland".
When did you realise you wanted to pursue your music career?
"i never really thought of anything else so I don't remember a time where it wasn't what I wanted to do!"
Musically, who is your biggest inspiration?
"i always have to say Michael Jackson as he was the first pop star whos music and message I fell in love with".
Who are you listening to right now / Who’s on your playlist?
"i actually never make playlists but I have been listening to Jeremy Zucker's new album and The 1975's new album on loop for the last few weeks!"
Your most recent single ‘anyone but her’ was released at the back end of last month. How has the response been so far?
"the response has been amazing but if I'm being honest I haven't paid much attention to it as with everything else going on in the world right now my mind was elsewhere once the song came out!"
Tell us a little about the track!
"it's a very moving story that a fan shared with me about a personal experience she went through. ill let the song tell the story when it comes to the rest!"
You’ve had great success with another recent track ‘fucked up all the time’ - hitting 1 million streams. How did you react to the news of that?
"if I'm being honest I've come to a place where I don't really put much importance on those things because it doesn't let me focus on whats important . I love the music I make and I am over the moon weather its hear 1000 or 1 million times".
You’ve surpassed half a million followers on popular app TikTok. What’s your favourite thing about using social media and what’s your favourite one to use at the minute?
"i love interacting with my fans in real time and being able to talk about important shit. tiktok is definitely the realest form at the moment. its raw and its real and for me its been a place where I can be myself and interact with millions of people".
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given by someone else in the industry?
"assume nobody want to work with you if they're not biting your hand off. just do your thing and people will hop on board if they really want to!"
What can we expect from you next?
"a LOT of music!!"
There’s much more to come from Cian , with his pop-focused songwriting exploring revealing issues of love, loss, masculinity and frustration. The key, he says, is to write with brutal honesty. His stories then go out into the wider world, helping others to overcome their own challenges.
Listen to 'anyone but her' HERE
Instagram: @cianducrot