Brighton based outfit CIEL (pronounced ‘She-Elle’) craft a unique blend of moody indie rock, shoegaze, goth, post-punk/new wave and triphop weaving together ethereal melodies with a dark, driving energy. Fronted by Dutch-born singer and songwriter Michelle Hindriks, the band evolved into a duo in the studio with the addition of drummer Tim Spencer. CIEL’s sound is both atmospheric and urgent—heavy guitars, pulsing basslines, and driving rhythms providing the backdrop for Hindriks’ haunting yet intimate vocals. Think of a sound that sits somewhere between the hazy allure of Slowdive, the urgency of Wolf Alice, and the brooding cool of The Cure—ethereal yet punchy, nostalgic yet fresh, and leaving room for wonky sound experiments through the use of vintage synths and samples.
Visual art has as much a place in the world of CIEL too, where paintings and images can show you a different place and make you wonder about the environment, the characters, what is their story? Such as the work of Tilo Baumgartel; sometimes beautiful and strangely dreamlike, sometimes dark and nightmarish, but always mysterious.
Since forming, CIEL has carved out a distinctive space in the UK alternative scene, earning acclaim for their immersive sound and introspective lyricism. Their music explores themes of self-discovery, identity, and human connection, capturing both the melancholy and euphoria of modern life.
Michelle says: “My songwriting tends to be quite introspective. This soothes me as a person, as I am a big over thinker, and analyse situations and why people act the way they act thoroughly. I think this aspect of me naturally reflects in my lyrics. The new album covers themes of human interaction and finding a balance between looking after someone else and still looking after your own needs – maybe about the journey of finding your own boundaries with this. Some of the songs on the album are super direct and really personal. In the songs I’m often questioning myself: how can you show empathy and be there for someone without having it completely consume yourself?”
The first single ‘Call Me Silent’ for example is about autism. As a kid Michelle got diagnosed with being on the spectrum, but through misconceptions about autism (the cliché of non-communicative boys being obsessed with trains) she never really gave this much thought until she met a lot of autistic women in Brighton. She recognised herself in them and so started to learn more about autism in women, which gave a lot of insights about herself. The song is specifically about how one needs the right environment and group dynamic to really be and show yourself – and people who have the patience to give that space. It’s about the feeling of not fitting in, but finally finding a community here in Brighton where you can actually be yourself and flourish. The song is about this personal transition.
Through this transition it became clear that even when you’re on the spectrum and being more introverted, it doesn’t mean you can’t make loud distorted music with striking images to express yourself. It goes to show introverted people like to party too and play live too, (even though they might just need some more time to recover from the impulses). It enhances the art and shows another side of how a human being can be which is a fruitful source of creativity.
The creativity also shows in the collaboration between Michelle and Tim that goes beyond CIEL as for a year and a half they also run a recording studio together in Brighton. It’s an affordable space for the community in Brighton to (learn to) record music. From the studio they also run a workshop program for minorities in the music industry. And so indeed the studio has built a bit of a community around it with a lot of local artists rehearsing there.
Having toured extensively and gained strong support from platforms such as BBC Radio 6 Music, BBC Radio 1, Clash, and DIY, the band continues to push their sound forward. After two EPs and having toured the EU with Blood Red Shoes, in December 2024, CIEL joined The Jesus and Mary Chain on their full UK tour, further cementing their place as one of Brighton’s most exciting rising acts.
CIEL have now announced a headline hometown gig at Patterns in Brighton on Wednesday 5th November. The event has been organised by Love Thy Neighbour promoters. It’s the first date of their ‘Call Me Silent’ tour, in support of their debut album of the same name which can be pre-ordered HERE, and this will see the band performing across the UK, The Netherlands and France. Tour tickets go on sale Friday 9th May at 9am. Brighton gig tickets will become available from then via Seetickets HERE and Love Thy Neighbour HERE.
‘Call Me Silent’ album tracklist:
Side A:
‘Call Me Silent’
‘Won’t Obey’
‘Thinking Of You’
‘Hear Me Out’
‘Will I Ever Feel Again’
‘Stay Along/Sail On’
Side B:
‘Hold Onto You’
‘Swallowing Your Pride’
‘In Your Heart Again’
‘Talking On The Phone’
‘Cruel’
