Ciaran McMeeken reveals details for debut album
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Creating a genuine genre-spanning effort for his first full-length album, Ciaran McMeeken is releasing his self-titled debut on August 4th.
Diverging from Ciaran’s classic singer-songwriter sound, this collection of 12 tracks is a result of over 30 months of collaborative writing both in New Zealand and Europe.
Recorded at Auckland's Roundhead Studios, with the assistance of his long-time collaborator, acclaimed producer Greg Haver (Manic Street Preachers, Jason Kerrison, Pluto), the album was recorded with a full live band with horns, strings, and a baby grand piano all making special guest features on the record.
His first full-length release, the album follows his first EP The Valley, which Ciaran independently released in 2014, and 2015’s Screaming Man, which features the standout single City (over 1.5 million streams on Spotify). What followed the release of Screaming Man was well over a year’s worth of writing to complete the new album, developing the sound with a far more collaborative approach than previously.
Taking part of the inaugural APRA-NZ On Air's Song Hubs programme, Ciaran kickstarted writing his album by rubbing shoulders with the best songwriters in the business, including MoZella (Charlie Puth, Ellie Goulding, Miley Cyrus, One Direction). Working together on a song that is Ciaran’s current single That Feeling, a bright warm song with a solid pop hook, all about falling in love set the tone for his first full-length offering.
Genuine and positive, the themes of the album are all encompassing of Ciaran’s experience as an artist so far – exploring the emotions of falling in and out of love on tracks like Do You Mind? and Don't Lie To Me, the search for one's self and purpose with Spanish Steps, the reassurance of unshakable family and friends on My Kin, the freedom and exhilaration of being young and free on Which Way Shall We Go?, and the ‘don’t mess with me’ attitude reflected in Al Capone.
Ciaran will be showcasing the new album on a four-date New Zealand tour in August, sharing the stage with the same band he recorded the album with, as well as supporting Andy Grammar’s only New Zealand show in Auckland later in the year.
Ciaran McMeeken
Friday August 4th: The Savoy, Dunedin (with Tom Maxwell) - Tickets via Eventfinda
Saturday August 5th: Sherwood, Queenstown (with Tom Maxwell) - Tickets via Eventfinda
Sunday August 6th: Meow, Wellington (with Graeme James) - Tickets via Eventfinda
Thursday August 10th: The Tuning Fork, Auckland (with Alae) - Tickets via Ticketmaster
Andy Grammer with special guest Ciaran McMeeken
Wednesday October 18th: The Powerstation, Auckland
Tickets via Ticketmaster