Cian Jay releases his incredibly thoughtful indie rap EP ‘Granite’, produced by Zack Teale who also worked with Cian on his debut single ‘Summer is Dead’, his biggest track to date.The album is a concept piece that takes you through the full process of loss in its complete truth, it is out 27th August on all streaming platforms.
‘Grime’ the first song Cian made for the EP is an emotional song where Cian showcases what he is able to do, from the exciting melodies and flow to the expressive lyrics that depicts a story of loss in death, friendship and love. The denial to acceptance that Cian goes through in this track is both beautiful and heartbreaking.
When talking about this track Cian says, “It’s about me trying to apply spirituality to my day to day life, and thinking about my grandad’s death 2 years later. ‘Wasn’t so spiritual but now I’m feeling spiritual for you’ is the line that breaks my heart. He was a very religious man, an Irish Catholic. An amazing role-model when I was a kid. It’s a song for him.”
‘PCP’ is darker than usual as it touches on the anger that a person goes through whilst dealing with loss, where they find themselves going down the hole of unprocessed sadness that starts off with being sad, and then turns into a rage that encourages violence to yourself and to others.
When talking about the track he says, “Imagining the experience of finding your weed laced with PCP, and the dark trippy hole it may bring you down. Exposing your anxieties and fears along the way and making you stare at them face-to-face, eye-to-eye. This part represents the anger stage of the stages of denial, and Midnight Grey’s verse serves as a kind of ‘bad omen’ – affirming/validating your anger and encouraging you to act out violently. This is, of course, proven to be a bad idea by the end of the album.”
‘Dust’ is from a poem that Cian wrote when he originally came up with the concept of this album, it feels like a track where he completely bares his soul he touches on subjects of toxic masculinity that overshadows the underlying subject of male mental health. This track is a beautiful ode to the lessons that his grandfather taught him, where he subtly encourages men to be vulnerable as emotions are for humans they are not for a specific gender.
Granite in Cian’s own words – “It’s about loss. The loss of a loved one, or a loss of self. The deterotiation of ‘Granite’ (new life) to ‘Dust’ (no life). It goes through the stages of grief. A lot of heartache went into this. Losing my grandfather and the big reality of ‘death’ setting in – This album was made to ruminate on all this, trying to come to terms with some kind of peace on the way. To work through these emotions and come out with some kind of clarity at the end. I find talking very helpful; I’m a big oversharer. But this was different. It was very therapeutic. All was recorded within Zack Teale‘s shed. It was a gentle, yet a kind of ‘powerhouse’ for creativity – A safe haven even.”
Cian Jay is an independent singer, songwriter and producer from the UK. Debuting in 2019, Cian has gained a small but dedicated following through social media and his real life advertising of his music.