Cian Nugent (born 1989) is an Irish guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, and producer. He has played both as a solo artist and with the backing band ''The Cosmos'' as Cian Nugent & The Cosmos. He has also collaborated with musicians Steven Gunn, Conor O'Brien and Aoife Nessa Frances. He has released albums on the labels

Woodsist Woodsist is an American independent record label founded in 2006 by Jeremy Earl of the band Woods and based in Stone Ridge, New York. Artists * Alex Bleeker and the Freaks * Art Museums * The Babies * Blank Dogs * Blues Control * The Chri ...

Matador A bullfighter (or matador) is a performer in the activity of bullfighting. ''Torero'' () or ''toureiro'' (), both from Latin ''taurarius'', are the Spanish and Portuguese words for bullfighter and describe all the performers in the activit ...

, and

VHF Very high frequency (VHF) is the ITU designation for the range of radio frequency electromagnetic waves (radio waves) from 30 to 300 megahertz (MHz), with corresponding wavelengths of ten meters to one meter. Frequencies immediately below VHF ...

. His music has been described by

Kitty Empire Kitty Empire is the pen name of a British writer and music critic, currently writing for ''The Observer''. Early life Empire says that she was born in Montreal, Quebec in 1970 and brought up in Canada, Italy and Egypt before arriving in Britai ...

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the w ...

as "''pushing at the seam where psychedelia, country and the Takoma school of folk ragas meet."''

Career

(2007–2010) ''Cian Nugent'' and ''Childhood, Christian Lies and Slaughter''

After releasing his self-titled debut EP, ''Cian Nugent'', in 2007, the track ''When the Snow Melts And Floats Downstream'' was featured on the

Tompkins Square Tompkins Square Park is a public park in the Alphabet City portion of East Village, Manhattan, New York City. The square-shaped park, bounded on the north by East 10th Street, on the east by Avenue B, on the south by East 7th Street, and on ...

compilation '' Imaginational Anthem Volume 3''. This led to Nugent's first US tour, which was promoted by

Tompkins Square Records Tompkins Square Records is an independent record label producing archival releases of gospel, blues, jazz, and country music. History In 2005, Josh Rosenthal launched Tompkins Square Records in New York City after working 15 years in a variety of ...

. The tour included performances at

Cake Shop A bakery is an establishment that produces and sells flour-based food baked in an oven such as bread, cookies, cakes, donuts, pastries, and pies. Some retail bakeries are also categorized as cafés, serving coffee and tea to customers who wish ...

, New York, NY,

Bookmill The Bookmill (sometimes Book Mill) is an independent bookstore in Montague, Massachusetts. The 1834 grist mill it occupies is listed as the Alvah Stone Mill on the National Register of Historic Places. The store's motto is "Books you don't nee ...

, Montague, MA, and The BCA Centre, Burlington, VT. In 2008 the live EP ''Childhood, Christian Lies & Slaughter'' was released by Belgian label audioMER. The EP was featured on

NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

, who wrote: ''"Inspired by acoustic guitar legends like John Fahey, Nugent plays instrumental folk pieces heavy with nostalgia for early 20th-century American music."''

Forced Exposure ''Forced Exposure'' was an independent music magazine founded by Jimmy Johnson and Katie The Kleening Lady (Goldman) (zine). It was published sporadically out of Boston from 1982 to 1993, edited by Jimmy Johnson and Byron Coley. It was printed on ...

wrote of the EP: ''"Nugent's originals (plus a cover of

Buell Kazee Buell Kazee (August 29, 1900 - August 31, 1976) was an American country and folk singer. He is considered one of the most successful folk musicians of the 1920s and experienced a career comeback during the American folk music revival of the 1960 ...

's Anthology Of American Folk Music staple "The Wagoner's Lad") are well-served in this recording of Nugent's fourth-ever live concert."''

(2011–2012) ''Doubles''

Nugent's debut album ''Doubles'', was released in 2011 by

VHF Records VHF Records is an American record label, known for their extensive work with several major experimental artists. The label is based in the Washington, DC suburb of Fairfax, Va., and it initially focused on indie and experimental bands from that reg ...

. The album was met with positive reviews from music critics, with

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...

opining ''"The perfectly ebullient passages are a mix of

Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (6 April 1971) was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor, later of French (from 1934) and American (from 1945) citizenship. He is widely considered one of the most important and influential 20th-century clas ...

, hard bop, and unrepentant pop."''

Entertainment.ie ''Entertainment.ie'' is an Irish web company based in Dublin. The company provides news and reviews of programs and films for TV and the cinema. It also provides information on upcoming comedy, comedies, festivals, theater shows and music in Ir ...

said of the album: ''"This is a warm and engaging listen for anyone who appreciates guitar played well."'' Writing for

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

, music journalist Ned Raggett stated ''"The various moves from unaccompanied to group effort not only help in making the contrast between the two songs more clear, they introduce a feeling of direct joy."'' In September 2012, Nugent played alongside

Damo Suzuki , better known as Damo Suzuki (ダモ鈴木), is a Japanese musician who has been living in Germany since the early 1970s and is best known as the former lead singer of the krautrock group Can. Biography As a teenager, Suzuki spent the late 196 ...

at the Incubate festival, Netherlands.

(2013–2015) ''Born with the Caul'' and ''Higher Purchase''

Nugent's second album ''Born with the Caul'' was released in 2013 by No Quarter Records. Lead single ''Grass Above My Head'' was played on

BBC 6 Music BBC Radio 6 Music is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC, specialising primarily in alternative music. BBC 6 Music was the first national music radio station to be launched by the BBC in 32 years. It is available onl ...

Tom Ravenscroft Thomas James Dalglish Ravenscroft (born 6 February 1980) is a British radio presenter and disc jockey. He currently hosts a BBC Radio 6 Music show featuring new and unsigned music. He is the son of DJ John Peel. Career Working initially in TV ...

and

Andrew Weatherall Andrew James Weatherall (6 April 1963 – 17 February 2020) was an English musician, DJ, songwriter, producer and remixer. His career took him from being one of the key DJs in the acid house movement of the late 1980s to being a remixer of trac ...

. Writing in

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

Ben Ratliff Ben Ratliff (born 1968 in New York City) is an American journalist, music critic and author. Ratliff is the son of an English mother and an American father, growing up in London and in Rockland County, New York. From 1996 to 2016, he wrote abo ...

reviewed the album positively, stating: ''"Cian Nugent has made a genre-bending acoustic and electric second album."'' In a 4 star review for

The Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is considered a newspaper ...

, critic Chris Jobes wrote: ''"Nugent's command of mood and tension and his mastery of his instrument, are a marvel."''

The Irish Independent The ''Irish Independent'' is an Republic of Ireland, Irish daily newspaper and online publication which is owned by Independent News & Media (INM), a subsidiary of Mediahuis. The newspaper version often includes glossy magazines. Traditional ...

wrote of the album:''"Those who give it time for its magic to percolate will be richly rewarded with compositions that display a rare skill and a daring sensibility."'' In August 2013,

Matador Records Matador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of mainly indie rock, but also punk rock, experimental rock, alternative rock, and electronic acts. History Matador was created in 1989 by Chris Lombardi in his New York City apart ...

released the single 'Hire Purchase' as part of their ''Going Home Alone 7" series''. In February and March 2014, Nugent opened for

Angel Olsen Angel Olsen (born Angelina Maria Carroll; January 22, 1987) is an American singer-songwriter and musician from St. Louis, Missouri who lives in Asheville, North Carolina. To date, Olsen has released six studio albums: ''Half Way Home'' (2012), ...

on her tour of the US, appearing at the

Great American Music Hall The Great American Music Hall is a concert hall in San Francisco, California. It is located on O'Farrell Street in the Tenderloin neighborhood on the same block as the Mitchell Brothers O'Farrell Theatre. It is known for its decorative balconies ...

, San Francisco, and

(Le) Poisson Rouge (Le) Poisson Rouge (often referred to as LPR) is a music venue and multimedia art cabaret in New York City founded in 2008 by Justin Kantor and David Handler on the former site of the Village Gate at 158 Bleecker Street. The performance space was ...

, New York. In May 2014 he performed a

Tiny Desk Concert Tiny Desk Concerts is a video series of live concerts hosted by NPR Music at the desk of ''All Songs Considered'' host Bob Boilen in Washington, D.C. The first Tiny Desk Concert came about in 2008 after Boilen and NPR Music editor Stephen Thom ...

for

(2016–2019) ''Night Fiction''

Nugent's third album, ''Night Fiction'', was released by

in 2016.

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...

assigns the album a score of 73 based on 9 reviews, indicitating ''"Generally favorable reviews"''.

, giving it 7.3/10, stated ''"This is patient music at its best."'' Actor

Cillian Murphy Cillian Murphy (; born 25 May 1976) is an Irish actor. Originally the lead singer, guitarist, and lyricist of the rock band The Sons of Mr. Green Genes, he turned down a record deal in the late 1990s and began acting on stage and in short and ...

played the track ''First Run'' from the album while presenting a show on

. In March 2016, Nugent went on a tour of the US and Canada with Canadian indie rock band

Nap Eyes Nap Eyes is a Canadian indie rock band from Halifax, Nova Scotia.

, including appearances at

SXSW South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Te ...

, in Austin, Texas, and the 2016 Vancouver Folk Music Festival.

(2020–present) ''Live at Cafe Oto'' and ''Do I Care''

In 2020, he released the live album ''Live at Cafe Oto'', which was recorded at

Cafe Oto Cafe Oto is a venue for free jazz, experimental and free improvisation performances located in the Dalston district of London, United Kingdom. Founded in 2008 Cafe Oto (''sound'' or ''noise'' in Japanese) is located in the heart of Dalston and p ...

in London. The album was published through Rough Trade Publishing. A collaboration with Conor O'Brien on the track ''Do I Care'' was featured on the compilation album ''In The Echo: Field Recordings from Earlsfort Terrace'', released in September 2021 by Ergodos Records.

Discography

Albums

*''Doubles'', 2011,

*''Born with the Caul'', 2013, No Quarter *''Night Fiction'', 2016,

*''She Brings Me Back To The Land Of The Living'', 2023, No Quarter

Live albums

*''Live at Cafe Oto'', 2020, self-released

EPs

*''Cian Nugent'', 2007, self-released,

Live EPs

*''Childhood, Christian Lies, and Slaughter'', 2008, Incunabulum, audioMER

Singles

*''Grass Above My Head / My War Blues'', 2012,

*''Hire Purchase'', 2013,

Compilation Appearances

*''Imaginational Anthem Volume 3'',

, 2007 *''In The Echo: Field Recordings from Earlsfort Terrace'', Ergodos Records, 2021

References

External links

Cian Nugent on WoodsistCian Nugent on AllMusic
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nugent, Cian 1989 births Living people Irish musicians