“I am a bloke”: Nicola Ciccone launches “Beautiful Madness”, a folk album entirely in English

Nicola Ciccone will launch by the end of the summer his 16^e Album in career, Beautiful Madnessa second project entirely in English.

To give life to this new opus. Similarly, the singer-songwriter, who celebrated his 25-year career in 2024, revisited his writing notebooks, mostly blackened in the language of Shakespeare, as well as his musical roots, such as folk, country and blues.

“Roots that could surprise some in Quebec. Furthermore, ” he said in an interview with the QMI agency, although it remained close to the musical style that made it known in the early 2000s, a universe close to text and French-speaking pop.

Photo Agence QMI, JOEL LEMAY

«[Cet album]it is also a way to offer people another of my musical colors, another part of my artistic universe, my artistic personality, “continued the singer to whom we have to I love you very short et Hi beautiful.

“I am a bloke. Therefore, I grew up in English. Consequently, I listened to music in English. For example, adolescent, and I wrote songs that were close to my musical roots, what I was listening to, finally, “he said, citing, among others, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley.

“These are the first singers I heard. Nevertheless, who gave me the taste for writing and making music,” he added, without however denying his French influences, such as Jacques Brel and Jean Ferrat.

Photo Agence QMI, JOEL LEMAY

With his new pieces – some have been written in several years, as Song for the Everyday Man (2004-2008), I Will Win (2011) or Love is Ugly (2018) – Nicola CICCONE tackles her perception of life through the prism of love, friendship and hope, recalling that nothing is perfect.

“It is an album filled with paradoxes, where I marry the beauty with madness. Then I try to channel madness to transform it into beauty. […] The room Johnny Walker Blues Combines two of my loves: the love of whiskey and the love of a girl. Julius Beauty tells the separation of “i am bloke”: nicola ciccone a musician. his child and She Lives Aloneit talks about a woman who is trapped a little of her loneliness, “he said.

It is also after writing the title play on the album. in 2023, that the universe of this sixteenth opus has truly set in motion.

“I found that Beautiful Madnessit also summed up what the job I do represent. Because they are beautiful follies. These are beautiful favorites, visions. It only exists in our head, at the beginning. It is very abstract. […] But as we advance, it turns into an album, “he said.

Photo Agence QMI, JOEL LEMAY

“i am bloke”: nicola ciccone

“I don’t believe in inspiration”

A follower of Pagaie, running or bicycle board, Nicola Ciccone certainly needs to move to feed her creativity. He notably had the idea of ​​the refrain of Beautiful Madness by jogging. and that of Crazy Over You On his bicycle. But beyond these creative veins. which came to him in motion, Nicola Ciccone does not see inspiration as a divine spark.

“I don’t really believe in inspiration. I believe in work, ”he said in an interview.

“It is sure that the movement inspires me. But once you have a vein or a flash, after that, it’s the work table. It is cedulate Hours in your day when you are going to sit with your paper. your pencil, then you scribble a text, “he continued.

Raynald Le-Blanc / The Newspaper of Montreal

Over the past 25 years, Nicola Ciccone has recorded more than 200 songs in French. He also won several Félix. including that of the Popular song of the year in 2004 for I love you very shortas well as that of the male interpreter of the year in 2007.

Beautiful Madnessson 16^e Album – But his first in English since 2008 – will appear among the record stores on September 5.

His new tour will start later this fall.

To find out more and know the dates of the next shows, consult Nicolacicone.com.