Q: Welcome back, CIARAN! It’s fantastic to have you with us again. Since our last conversation, a lot has happened in your musical journey. To kick things off, could you share some highlights or pivotal moments that have shaped your artistic path since our last interview?
A: Oh my, so much has happened in the last year. At the end of last year I finally dropped my mixtape ‘Intertwine.’ ‘Drip’ got over 120,000 streams and almost made it to the charts! Because of that I started working on ‘Intertwine : Act II’ but then lost everything to a lawsuit filed by my distributor and my former manager. Almost all of my music was removed from streaming. Until the end of August when I won the court case and had all my music reinstated! So after the lawsuit was filed I began working on my debut album. I wanted to share my story in a piece of music, and through this I developed the persona CiCi. CiCi is the bad B version of myself, someone who doesn’t care what anyone thinks and lives my life how I want to not how anyone else wants me to.
Q: Can you describe the musical style of CIARAN in three words?
A: Fun, Dramatic. Sexy!
Q: How do you stay connected with your fans, and what role do they play in shaping your musical journey?
A: I stay connected with the fans by allowing them to see the process of how I make music. I plan on hopefully going on tour at the end of this year and always dropping new music for them to enjoy!
Q: You have just released your new album, ‘CICI’. Is there a story behind it?
A: The story of CICI is the story of me. It explores themes of identity and learning how to love yourself no strings attached. It was born through a time at the beginning of this year when I thought that I would have to stop making music entirely. But I didn’t, depsite the fact I had no team anymore, no budget, I pulled through and I made an incredible album. It shows all aspects of my music taste and my musical abilities, it’s got a bit of UK drill, hip-hop, pop, dancehall, afrobeats, r&b. There truly is something for everyone on this album.
Q: What is your favorite track from the album and why?
A: I love them all equally, my favourite changes all the time. Somedays it’s ‘Ghost’ because I was rapping DOWN, somedays it’s ‘Mi Amor’ because of how fun that song is. Other days it’s ‘Anymore’ because it’s all about self love. Even ‘Man of My Dreams’ is another fav because it’s so meaningful to me.
Q: Can you walk us through the creative process of producing the album, “CICI”?
A: CICI started off as ‘Intertwine : Act II’ and eventually morphed into it’s own unique project. It involved unpacking a lot of trauma both past and present and it was an incredible journey. I wrote so much music for this album and it allowed me to genuinely love myself and enjoy being around myself again. It truly was a magical experience creating this album and I worked with some incredible people for it (that I cannot wait to share with you all!)
Q: What has been the most memorable concert or performance for CIARAN so far?
A: Although I’m still yet to make my on-stage debut, I’m hoping to play some shows in London before the end of year which I’m really excited for!
Q: Reflecting on your body of work, each song holding its unique significance, could you share a particular track that stands out to you personally? What makes that specific tune special, and why does it hold a place of pride in your musical journey?
A: I think for me personally it’d have to be ‘Deep’ or ‘Man of my Dreams’. ‘Deep’ because it details the story of how my former manager attempted to sabotage my career and almost succeeded because now I’m back and better than ever! And it also has one of my favourite rap verses on the album. ‘Deep’ also lays everything on the table and attempts to rewrite the narrative that was pushed against me, exclaiming that I left everything on the table and you still tried to take advantage of me.
And ‘Man of my Dreams’ because it is one of the most beautifully produced songs instrumentally and the message that it carries is just as beautiful. ‘Man of my Dreams’ is the final track on the album and carries a special place in my heart because while the title would suggest I’m asking somebody else to be the man of my dreams, it’s about coming to terms with myself about the fact that I don’t need anybody else to be happy because I am the man of my dreams and nobody else. I thought of it as a beautiful way to end a life-changing album for me.
Q: Exploring the diverse creative processes within the music industry is always fascinating. Could you provide insight into CIARAN’s unique approach to crafting music? From the initial spark of an idea to the finished song, how do you navigate the creative journey and bring its musical concepts to life?
A: My process into creating music changes all the time, sometimes I will come up with a title for a song first and then build my music around it. Sometimes I will create a beat for a song and write around that. Other times I will be sent a beat and told to write around that, or sometimes I will come up with an idea for a song and write around that. My time scales for making music is also unique because sometimes I will be sat on songs for months such as songs I have like ‘Mi Amor’ which I originally made for ‘Intertwine’ back in May last year before releasing it over a year later. While other times I will write, produce and record a song entirely in a day such as songs like ‘Dirty’ and ‘Ghost’ which were actually both made on the same day.
Q: As we wrap up our conversation, looking ahead, what aspirations or dreams do you have for CIARAN, and what message would you like to share with your fans as they continue to accompany you on this musical journey?
A: Thank you so much for having me back! It’s been an incredible journey over the last year and I’m so grateful for everyone who has supported me. Over the next year you can expect (and this is an exclusive!) CICI : ACT II !! An almost entirely new album that carries on my story that I was exploring in Act I. I’ve also just started rehearsals for tour which have been so much fun, and maybe even a couple music videos for the album! It’s been an incredible year and I can’t wait to see where my journey takes me!
