Ciara Mary-Anne Thompson, best known by her stage name CMAT, is quickly rising up the ranks in the music world as an Irish singer-songwriter. Her first album, If My Wife Knew I’d Be Dead, had a phenomenal run. Within a week, it shot to number one in the Irish charts. This achievement soon went global, dazzling audiences in the UK, Europe, Australia, and America.
Following up that killer debut, CMAT rolled out her second record, “Crazymad, for Me.” This album is rife with intrigue, including a massive duet featuring the indie pop superstar John Grant. With this album she received widespread critical accolades, including nominations for the venerable Ivor Novello Award and the Mercury Prize.
CMAT is now preparing to unveil her eagerly awaited third album, “Euro-Country.” This recent album is a testament to her versatility as an artist. The album includes songs sung in both English and Irish, featuring tracks like “Billy Byrne from Ballybrack” and “Tree Six Foive.” The title track is described as “a collage, a mood board” that reflects on the financial crisis that impacted Ireland in 2008, a significant event that occurred when CMAT was just 12 years old.
The wreckage from the financial crisis, foreclosure, and housing instability continue to force their weighty influence on her life and work. CRISIS has spoken publicly on the mental health impact of the crisis, as well as its effect on young men. She stated,
“But I dug deep, did research and the amount of male suicides that happened in Ireland at that time was astronomical… I think it was a kind of chain reaction as a result of the economic downturn.”
Her passion for solving racial and social justice issues goes well beyond music. CMAT has been outspoken about a range of social issues from trans rights and body shaming to the effects of capitalism. Forty years later, she let loose on the state of her world, declaring that
“No one is dealing with capitalism as a force for bad… where the richest people in the world are so much richer than they used to be five years ago.”
CMAT’s candidness with her own struggles only adds to what makes her so refreshing as an artist. In the process of making “Euro-Country,” she opened up about having auditory hallucinations. Even with these challenges, she remains honest about her journey through online hate and body positivity. As a size 14 woman pursuing a degree in the fashion industry, she has challenged the notion of what it means to be plus-size. She remarked,
“Prior to moving over to the UK I would never have thought I was plus size.”
When it comes to receiving public criticism online, CMAT is all about eating that fuel.
“If someone on the internet calls me a big fat ugly bitch, I’m like ‘yeah, whatever,’ I don’t fucking care.”
CMAT is causing quite a stir in the national press! She cited Barclays’ sponsorship links to defense firms that supply Israel as reasons for pulling out of the Latitude Festival and other gigs. This decision, at least in part, reflects her long demonstrated willingness to stand up for what’s right, even when doing so jeopardizes her own political future.
Amidst her ascent to fame, CMAT wants to see more transparency among her peers. CMAT is fiercely independent and with independence comes authenticity. She shared her own frustration with artists for not wanting to speak out against the damages of capitalism and what society expected of her.
“Where’s all the fucking artists? Where’s all the fucking hippies?”
During this age of social media, she criticizes the manner in which online activity can worsen the impact of mental health challenges.
“If you think of social media as like a video game, you rack up the spoils really high when you decide to go for a group of people who are already at risk.”
CMAT’s radical artistic expression is inextricably linked to her longing for a better world. Her recent work seeks to both inspire and challenge listeners to think critically about current events, all while keeping things funky and fresh. The title track “Euro-Country,” then, is an examination of individual and shared heritages that accrued through economic depression.