Cian Ducrot Opens up on Sincerity and Disbelief

Written by Diana Solis

Graphic by Rebekah Witt

Photos by Holly Whittaker

“You have to kid yourself into believing” is what Cian Ducrot told himself. Despite the constant challenges brought upon him, none of them have been strong enough to push down the Irish singer-songwriter—so much so that he set the record of becoming the first debut album to reach No.1 on the UK BBC Official Charts. Victory, Ducrot’s debut album, is meant to take in the soulful lyrics in a more modern pop wave. Tracks like “I’ll Be Waiting” and “Heaven” are personal touches that Ducrot has left on his listeners, leaning into vulnerability amidst the emotional melodies. These personal tales aren’t the easiest to share; however, Ducrot effortlessly shares tender lyrics in a tune that listeners find themselves wanting more. It offers comfort to personal occurrences that can cause emotional wreckage.

Cian Ducrot sat down with journalists, including Kinda Cool, to discuss the record in a °1824 press conference. Fresh off a phenomenal three weeks of promotion and watching the album grow in charts, Ducrot still found himself in disbelief. “I always dreamt for so long of having a number one album. There were many years where I didn’t actually think it could happen. Part of me doubted that I could even make an album,” he said. For Ducrot, he has found himself reminiscing and thinking a lot about what this album has come to be. Ducrot mentioned finding himself running away from where he was from, sounds that he felt familiar with, and more, “I spent a lot of time avoiding where I was from and the way that made my music. When you make music, you’re constantly compared to other people. At first, you think comparison is a good thing, and then a bad thing. Eventually, you come back around and realize that it’s impossible to avoid comparison.”

For Cian Ducrot, this album is something completely new. From new creative processes, such as working with a collaborator, he mentioned he really enjoyed the production aspect of the album. It was something new and offered less pressure than having to work alone. Ducrot even got to spend time in Paris, ready to create melodies and gentle lyrics. Although he did find himself in a block at times, being stuck in a complete rut, he sat down at the piano and simply began to play. Random tunes or chord progressions turned into something more. A sentence or two became a story. It was a small progression, with hints of inspiration from talents, such as Ed Sheeran and Shawn Mendes. Ducrot even goes as far as to mention, “Those are two that really marked me at different times of my career when I was trying to figure out how to get from nowhere to somewhere.”

As for what’s next for Ducrot, he still finds himself in this dream “I don’t really like the mundane, I like the craziness.” He mentions that he has to keep reminding himself that this isn’t all a phase. Goals are set. Milestones are written. For him, the possibility of getting to play iconic venues, such as Madison Square Garden in New York, or doing a headlining show at Croke Park back in Ireland is on his bucket list.

Ducrot was an absolute pleasure to get to know. His No.1 debut album Victory is now streaming on all platforms via Polydor Records. Cian Ducrot has just set off on his world tour, hitting North American stops such as Chicago and Brooklyn this September through October. He’ll be crossing the ocean back to Europe in mid-October to end off his tour in his home country, Ireland.