In 2009 Northern Ireland singer/songwriter Ciaran made the decision to split from his band and take the path of a solo artist to give himself the freedom to write, record and perform his own songs in whichever format he chose, solo or with a band. He soon found himself working on shows and tours with many artists including Paul McCartney, The Script, Gotye, Powderfinger and James Morrison amongst others whilst co-writing with various artists including Paul Oakenfold, Groove Armada and William Orbit.
2010 ended with a Grammy nomination for Madonna’s worldwide hit single ‘Celebration’ which he co-wrote with Madonna and Oakenfold.
His songs have also appeared in TV programs from a USA Newsweek series to Australia’s ‘Home and Away’ and ‘Neighbours’.
In 2011 he wrote, recorded and co-produced all of the original songs for the ‘Irish music-based comedy drama’ movie ‘Killing Bono’ starring Ben Barnes and released through Paramount Pictures with a Sony Music soundtrack album.
His other film work includes recording, co-producing and performing the songs in Philip Ridley’s award winning dark fantasy movie ‘Heartless’ starring Jim Sturgess and with a Universal soundtrack album. He also wrote and performed two songs for ‘Love and Suicide’, the first American movie shot entirely on location in Cuba.
In May this year the BBC flew Ciaran into Belfast from Australia especially to perform two songs solo with The Ulster Orchestra in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the legendary Ulster Hall for TV and radio broadcast.
In 2009, whilst on tour in Australia with Paolo Nuttini, through mutual friends he met INXS band member and co-writer of all of their classic songs Andrew Farriss and they struck up an immediate friendship and following his return home to Ireland they kept in regular touch and in 2011 Andrew invited Ciaran over to Sydney to do some songwriting together. Over the course of just two weeks they’d written a few new songs and he was also introduced to the rest of the band. A few weeks later, back in Belfast, he had a call asking if he’d like to try out as the bands new singer and so exactly a year ago he moved with his wife and son to Sydney and joined INXS and in that time has toured extensively with them in South America, Europe and Australia. In October and November 2012 INXS play an arenas tour of Australia with Matchbox Twenty.
Ciaran said at the time of joining he was overwhelmed to be working with the band, “especially when I look up and see that my writing partner is one of the greatest songwriters of our time.”
And of Ciaran’s arrival Andrew was quoted in Billboard saying “it was very organic. It wasn’t high pressure or anything. I just enjoyed the guy’s company and really enjoyed his voice and listening to his songs, his music. Later on I realized the collaboration, artistically and especially songwriting, could be something that would be really, really good for (INXS). So far that’s been true.”
