CIEL

I first heard CIEL when the video for “Swallowing Your Pride” was released a couple of weeks ago. It’s always a welcome surprise to discover a band with a deep catalogue that feels like it was made specifically for this site. I featured “Swallowing Your Pride” on the Friday Setlist and I’ve been steadily digging into the band’s music since.

CIEL is the Brighton-based duo of Michelle Hindriks from the Netherlands¹ and Tim Spencer. “Swallowing Your Pride” is the second single released in the run up to their debut album Call Me Silent, to be released on October 24 via V2 Records. Between it and the title track (released in March), the band seems to be moving a few steps away from the grunge-pop of their earlier releases, pairing shimmering synths with Hindriks’ quietly commanding vocals, and a persistent sense of tension. These tracks hint at a more art-pop direction CIEL might be embracing as they move toward their debut full-length.

Both “Swallowing Your Pride” and “Call Me Silent” lean into atmospheric textures and subtle hooks, but still carry the DNA of their earlier, grungier sound. There’s a restlessness on these tracks, a sense that CIEL are pulling from the best of their influences while carving out something distinctly their own. In interviews, the band has referenced Cate Le Bon and Blonde Redhead as influences, and that comes through clearly.

Their 2023 EP Rather Be Alone is a confident and addictive 4-song set. The lead track “Circles”, with its fuzzed-out guitars and bittersweet chorus, captures the essence of their grunge-pop roots and lends the record its title. The accompanying video, all hazy light and introspective close-ups, underlines the band’s knack for pairing visual and sonic moods.

Since their 2022 debut, CIEL have steadily built a catalogue that rewards deep listening. Early tracks are more direct and melodic, but the new singles reveal a band unafraid to experiment and evolve. If “Swallowing Your Pride” and “Call Me Silent” are any indication, the album will be a first sustained look at the band’s vision of synthy, grungy art-pop.