INTERVIEW
The singer had to delay her UK and Ireland tour dates until November after dealing with a painful tooth infection.
CMAT has given fans a preview of what to expect from her upcoming Euro-Country UK and Ireland tour after being forced to postpone the original dates. Watch our video interview above.
The singer was initially set to begin the tour in support of her latest album earlier this month, but she had to push the shows back due to a tooth infection that required surgery.
Speaking to NME on the red carpet at the 2025 Mercury Prize, the singer-songwriter shared her pitch for the now sold-out tour. “The best music of all time played by the best-looking people of all time, who are really funny and fun and entertaining,” she said when asked what fans could expect.
CMAT also gave an update on her recovery, admitting that it hadn’t been easy. “I had to get another little surgery there four days ago,” she said. “It was crazy. My mouth was full of stitches and sedatives. I’m not allowed to drink any alcohol, or my liver might turn into an acorn.”
Her ongoing recovery meant she couldn’t perform at the 2025 Mercury Prize on October 16, where Euro-Country was shortlisted. The nomination marks her second in a row, following her 2024 nod for Crazymad, For Me.
When announcing the postponed dates earlier this month, CMAT told fans: “I am told the recovery period for my surgery is two weeks to allow me to heal, with a following short period to allow me to get back to full health […] If there was anything I could do I would do it, but I currently can’t even open my mouth wide enough to laugh let alone sing.”
She added with her signature humor: “I also can’t even chew any food for the foreseeable future, so if anybody can send ice cream and or soup recommendations, they would be hugely appreciated.”
NME gave Euro-Country a glowing five-star review, writing: “Modernity has failed us, but that won’t stop Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson. That’s the CMAT way in 2025: approach with absolute confidence, total honesty is the only option, and you might as well have a laugh and shake your bits while you’re at it.
‘Euro-Country has the courage and the consistency to land high on the fast-approaching end-of-year lists, and to make CMAT the icon she’s been giving all this time.”
Sam Fender took home the 2025 Mercury Prize for his third album People Watching. During his acceptance speech, he thanked his “very good friends” Fontaines D.C. and CMAT, saying he felt he was in “great company” among the nominees.
Speaking backstage afterward, Fender said: “We didn’t think we were going to win anything so I’m still in shock. It’s an absolute honour and it’s amazing it’s happened up here, for the first time outside of London. I think it’s a really important thing that’s happened right now in the music industry – I think it’s great.”
