SXSW Interview: Cian Nugent

Dublin guitarist Cian Nugent uses formidable technique to paint expressive instrumental soundscapes. 2013 breakthrough Born with the Caul blends fingerpicked folk and psychedelic rock into a sonic storm. New album Night Fiction, showcased tonight (Wednesday) inside at Sidewinder, 9pm, spotlights voice and lyrics lyrics as much as shred.

Austin Chronicle: Your work has been mostly instrumental up until now. When and why did you decide to add vocals and lyrics to your music for Night Fiction? Were you nervous about singing in front of people after so long communicating through your instrument?

Cian Nugent [via email]: Singing and writing songs is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. It was just a matter of figuring out how I wanted to do it, which ended up taking quite some time. Being from Ireland, I wanted to sing in my own accent and not put on a voice, which took a while to get used to and not hate how it sounded. Once I got over the initial discomfort, I found I loved singing and really enjoyed making this record. I learned a lot and am excited to make another one and build on it.

AC: Having previously used instrumentals to express yourself, how difficult – or easy – was it to write lyrics? Where did you look to find inspiration?

CN: I’ve been writing songs for quite a few years now, but hadn’t recorded any until this album. So I had a bit of a habit developed, which helped. I tried to write about things that were real to me – experiences, observations of friends, etc. I write down a lot of things in my phone when I’m walking around and often get good lyrics from that. I actually recorded the vocals for “First Run” while reading them off my phone – which was hard, ’coz I was getting texts at the time! Hahah!

AC: Has accompanying your vocals changed the way you play? If so, how?

CN: I’ve definitely pulled back on the “guitar as the voice” thing and given some space to the vocals. I like to think of them as intertwining to give a singular narrative as well as blending with the other instruments.

AC: Which song or songs are you most proud of/pleased with on Night Fiction?

CN: I’m not sure I have a favourite, but I kinda think the first song, “Lost Your Way,” brings together all the different elements pretty well.

AC: There has been a renaissance of young guitar players over the last several years. Obviously, outside of fingerpicking, a folk influence, and a dedication to attaining a certain level of skill, most of them don’t sound much alike. Still, it’s interesting that so many young pickers are gaining recognition at once, especially when mainstream pop music leans heavily toward the electronic. How do you feel about this explosions of guitarists? Do you have a favorite among your peers?

CN: There’s a lot of great guitar players around these days, and I feel lucky to call a number of them friends. Ryley Walker, Steve Gunn, Angel Olsen, Richard Dawson, Matt Baldwin, Jessica Pratt, and William Tyler are all big inspirations and I always enjoy picking up some tricks from them. Stealing a chord, a progression, tuning, or a picking pattern can set you off on a path for a new song and I love that excitement.

AC: Unlike a lot of the guitarists referenced above, you play as much electric guitar as acoustic, if not more. How does your playing style differ from acoustic to electric? Do you prefer one over the other? What determines which you use?

CN: I love playing both, but they do different things, like night and day. When I play acoustic, I use a thumb pick, and when I play electric I use my finger tips, so it’s a slightly different approach. You have a little more dynamic range with electric, so I like to play super soft sometimes and dig in more at other times. I haven’t got any system for deciding which I use – just whatever feels right.

AC: What determines whether or not you play a song solo or with a band?

CN: I enjoy playing solo and with the band. They’re very different experiences. I like how focused you can get playing solo, but you can’t beat the energy of playing with other people. I tend to write a song with an arrangement in mind, so I find it tends to be obvious from the get go.

AC: Do you enjoy playing festivals? What are you looking forward to doing or seeing while you’re in Austin?

CN: Of course, I love getting to see lots of great bands and hanging out with so many great people. I’m excited to see lots of wicked bands, get blasted with friends, and eat cactus tacos. I had a blast the last time I was at SXSW. A highlight was going to a house show with Ryley Walker that Parquet Courts put on and that Eagulls and Tyvek also played. Ryley won the shotgunning beer competition, and then we got really lost walking home pissed for hours.