Púca in New York
On Ireland, Kate Bush, and becoming more fully himself.
Púca is one of those people you can’t help but adore. Jordan and I first saw him perform at Treefort in Idaho in 2024 and were immediately obsessed. He has a stage presence that’s bold, true, and unmistakably queer—a stunning voice, an iconic beard, big Disney prince eyes—and he dances so well I guarantee you’ll develop a crush by the second song, like we did. (It happens.)
An Irish musician and songwriter who makes music as Púca, he lives and works on a farm in rural Ireland when he’s not touring—which feels shocking when you see him onstage, and then makes total sense once you spend time with him. I originally found him through CMAT and The Very Sexy CMAT Band, in which he plays piano, and we finally hung out properly this New Year’s Day. We walked around the city in the freezing cold, took the ferry, waited in line at FAO Schwarz to see the piano from Big, and ended the day with a double date at Three Decker Diner in Greenpoint.
We talked about sobriety, Irishness, masculinity, Kate Bush, beards, and what happens when you start becoming more fully yourself.
Who’s your number one?
Kate Bush, definitely. It’s an interesting time to be a Kate Bush fan because of Stranger Things, but she’s still number one for me.
Do you have a favorite Kate Bush song?
I do — “And Dream of Sheep.” It’s from The Ninth Wave section of Hounds of Love. It’s about being lost at sea, waiting to be rescued. The live version she did in 2014 means a lot to me. She filmed it in a water tank and got hypothermia doing take after take, and you can hear that in her voice. It makes the performance feel so real and vulnerable.
What was young Púca like?
I was into Irish dancing and all of that. I learned instruments too — fiddle, whistle. Irish dancing is really hard. I wasn’t terrible at sports, but I wasn’t great either.
When did things start to click for you?
I’d been a very good kid, and then at eighteen I was just like, let’s go. I came out of the closet like a bobsled.
You’re sober now. What has surprised you most?
That it doesn’t fix everything. I’ve had to rebuild some friendships that were formed around partying, and they’re people I love, so you have to figure out totally different ways to hang out.
Someone said to me once — he doesn’t mourn the fact that I don’t drink anymore, but he was like, “You were so good at it.” And I was. I could drink anyone under the table. I thought that was kind of awesome, but I felt terrible for days after, and then I’d drink again just to blunt that feeling.
How long have you had your beard?
Five or six years, I’d say. I had a very baby face and was always getting read as younger than I was, and as a gay guy you kind of want to feel grown up.
We first met in Idaho… What was that tour like?
It was strange. The first time, we landed in Denver, drove to Idaho, and then went to L.A. It was a very odd introduction to touring America.
Check out the music video for his single And I Gleam Along A Knife Edge and follow along on Instagram.
One Hour Photo Creative Production: Carly Kane
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