CIEL

“Their gothed-up grunge sounds even heftier in person” DIY Magazine

“Shoegaze textures with some gorgeous pop flourishes, CIEL have already attracted word-of-mouth hype” Clash

“A lush combination of soul-baring melancholy and elusive beauty” Under The Radar

“Shoegaze meets noir rock meets dream pop” Gigwise

“Wonderfully reassuring shoegazey dream pop” Dork

“Dream-pop poignancy” Beats Per Minute

“Now Hear This” The Independent

"That’s a big sounding single from them. That’s one of those butterfly from the cocoon moments where you hear a band starting to really take flight” Steve Lamacq (BBC 6 Music)

“I really like it. I really like that juxtaposition of pop sensibility and that sweet melody with hard guitar music. I think it’s really really strong” Felix White (The Maccabees)

 "Sounding really super hot, the guitar sounds on this are a match made in heaven" Jack Saunders (BBC Radio 1)

Brighton indie maestros CIEL release their ‘Make It Better’ EP, out today (July 7th) via revered indie label Jazz Life (Blood Red Shoes, Tigercub, Circe).

Spawning euphoric lead track ‘Somebody’ and its bristling follow-up ‘So Scared’, the group’s latest extended release draws wide inspiration from the unique creative landscapes of the band members’ respective home countries, delving deeper into their grittier song cannon, elevated beautifully by the soft, icy and emotive melodies of frontwoman Michelle Hindriks.

Having already landed an A-List spot on BBC 6 Music (alongside Hot Chip, The National & Yeah Yeah Yeahs) as well as BBC Radio 1 (Jack Saunders) exposure, the trio have also ticked off high profile press support (DIY, Clash, Dork, CRACK Magazine, Consequence of Sound, Gigwise, Rough Trade, The Independent, The New Cue, Under The Radar), with their vivid blend of fuzzy indie rock, goth and shoegaze showcasing them to a whole new audience.

Speaking ahead of their EP’s arrival, Hindriks explained: "The songs on ‘Make It Better’ were written and recorded in a very short amount of time - over the course of only a few weeks. We all really like to work like that, it keeps ideas fresh and you’re truly capturing a small moment in time. We’re not the kind of band that can work on a song for ages, we just wanna make stuff that sounds cool to us and move on to the next thing. It’s within our personalities to work that way. Yet, I think the work on this EP is some of our most honest and genuine material - by not overthinking the creative process we came out with some really pure songs that stay true to the core ideas."

Lauded for their exhilarating live shows, CIEL have already acquired celebrated slots at the likes of The Great Escape, Green Man and Eurosonic, as well as their own London headline show at The Lexington earlier this summer. The group are now gearing up for an extensive list of international shows including a European tour with Blood Red Shoes kicking off in September, followed by a full UK run alongside Pale Blue Eyes.

Produced and mixed by Steven Ansell, CIEL’s ‘Make It Better’ (EP) is out now via Jazz Life and available on all digital platforms.