Nicola Ciccone: Influences

Francophone pop ace Nicola Ciccone’s heart belongs to the larger-than-life icons whose anthems spark his sweet emotions. The intensity and romance of Guns N’ Roses, the pulse-racing choruses of a U2 anthem, the ache and sigh of an R.E.M. lullaby: They are his touchstones, though his tunes are equally indebted to the suave, swoon-inducing cuts of legendary non-Anglo crooners like Jacques Brel and Umberto Tozzi.