by Louise Doyle

A LETTERKENNY woman who directed the latest video for rising sensation CMAT has spoken of the importance of being a voice for creative influence.

Eilis Doherty is the artistic directing talent behind the third studio album, ‘Euro Country’, by the Irish singer who is taking the world by storm with her music, which has been described as “generational reckoning”.

The country-pop musician from Meath, whose real name Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, released her third record in August, describing it as “really personal” and as an “exploration of Ireland being a victim of capitalism”.

The video for ‘When A Good Man Cries’ was filmed in Newtowncunningham and features CMAT wearing an eye-catching dress featuring the face of a smiling Daniel O’Donnell, designed by Donegal twins Brodie and Mirren McFeely, aka Cúpla Designs.

A resident director at Tiny Ark since 2019, Eilis has created work for AirBnb, Anthropic, Jameson, Hennessy, Tourism Ireland, Volkswagen, and is carving a name for herself as one of the country’s most exciting directors whose confident and daring work has taken her all across Europe and North America.

A frequent collaborator with the Mercury-nominated CMAT, the 31-year-old, based in Dublin, has received multiple awards from The Institute of Creative Advertising and Design (ICAD) and The Emerging Director Awards (EDA).

Speaking to the Donegal News this week, Eilis recalled how lockdown led her to discovering CMAT.

“I was working from home during lockdown.

”I really wanted to do music videos and I was researching on Instagram for new musicians to work with on music videos. I saw her performing a song recorded during Covid.

“I thought she was so funny, and I messaged her.

“After that, I did three music videos for her first album. I didn’t work with her at all on her second album. I love the songs on that album and I had messaged her manager, whom I know quite well, and said I’d love to direct a music video for the third album.

“They then got in touch with me last November to ask me to creative direct the album because it’s theme is of the Celtic Tiger and they knew that I would get it.”

When Eilis received a call from CMAT’s manager just three weeks before filming ‘When A Good Man Cries’ asking her to direct it, it was an offer she couldn’t refuse, although a location change would be on the cards.

“I had just listened to the song, and I couldn’t step away from it. I just love a challenge.

“We did the video all in one day. The band came to Donegal the night before, and we shot the video in one day at two locations. The biggest thing was making sure we got her, her band and all her crew up here. It was filmed in Newtowncunningham on a friend’s family farm. I had planned to shoot it in Glendowan, with Derryveagh Mountains in the background, but a yellow storm came in a few days beforehand so we had to find another location.

“CMAT is great, she’s up for everything.

“We work really well together, and she will tell me if she doesn’t like something. She’s so good on camera. She just nails it, first time, every time. She’s a superstar, I feel very lucky to work with her. She has loads of energy.

“She’s incredible. I remember saying to someone five years ago that she is going to be big. She spent a lot of time when she was younger absorbing pop culture. Her mind is such a bubble of influence. She’s really one of a kind, and exceptionally talented.”

Behind the fun, however, Eilis said music videos have an important message.

“Videos are so important now as a way of how things are communicated. You can see this in the rise of Tik Tok. For me, videos make music better. We had Sky TV when I was growing up because daddy was obsessed with golf. I remember at seven years of age being obsessed with how visuals and audio combined in a video on MTV. A song has to be good but a video absolutely enhances its message.”

Eilis urged anyone hoping to pursue a career in creative arts to follow their dream.

“My sisters did engineering, whereas my journey was more construed and difficult but at the end of the day I wouldn’t be happy if I wasn’t doing what I love.

“I’d urge people to research colleges and not to be afraid to reach out to someone on Instagram in this field for some help and guidance.

“We need lots of people for writing and directing, and we need more people from Donegal. I’d urge people to keep doing as much as they can, and I promise they will find their voice.

“The most important thing is to do what you want.”

CMAT wearing a dress featuring the face of Daniel O’Donnell.

Watch the video here: