Cindy-Louise communicates her innermost sentiments with Impressive debut album ‘Humanity’

SummerRaine April 14, 2021

3 minutes read

After releasing the power packed single & music video for ‘Make it out here alive’ in February this year, Netherlands-based singer / songwriter Cindy-Louise delights us once again with the full package – her anticipated debut album titled ‘Humanity’.

Humanity, was officially released in South Africa on 19 March 2021 and is unique in that it covers a central theme – human nature and the emotions people experience: love, sadness, happiness, rebellion, stress, disappointment, and change. It also offers an intriguing blend of genres, including indie rock, pop, jazz, classical and electro pop. What further sets this album apart is the fact that Cindy-Louise has no peer in terms of sound.

Alongside the release of Humanity, Cindy-Louise also released the second single off the album. Loving me in every way – a pop ballad about being on the receiving end of unconditional love.

“After moving to the Netherlands, I was feeling quite alone,” she explains. “My husband and parents were in South Africa. I was sitting in the lounge one day and thinking about the love I had received from them all my life. Their love is 100% unconditional and I know that I can always count on them. This song is an expression of my gratitude; it is saying ‘thank you’ for always motivating me, for giving up your dreams to put me first, for making me laugh, for holding me when I cry and for loving me through it all. It is the most personal song I have ever written.”

Loving me in every way is also accompanied by a music video. Directed by Monika Vaskorova and shot in Amsterdam. “Monika chose the most beautiful location and despite a lot of open space, we kept it simple yet intimate. The lighting in the video is particularly captivating.”

See the video below below

“My sound is just as unique as my musical structure and methods,” ~ Cindy-Louise.

The inspiration for ‘Humanity’ was to put all her feelings into one playlist and to portray what she was feeling through her songs.

“I use music to speak my truth, and with this album I want to let people know that they are not alone. The title, specifically, was inspired by my desire for people to find their humanity within my music, to really relate to and discover the true meaning of the word.”

All the songs on the album were written by the singer-songwriter herself. “I wrote about fifteen songs, ten of which I decided to include on the album. The writing process took around six months, and we recorded the songs in three sessions.”

Cindy-Louise worked closely with Clinton Nicholas Watts (chief mixer) and Andre Remesses Scheepers (arrangement and additional instrumentation).

“I was unable to return to South Africa for the recording sessions, so it was done at Hal 5 Studio with Frank De Jong. I then sent the files to Andre and Clint. It was an unusual project and, despite the various obstacles we faced, it was super fun to do. The entire album took about nine months to complete.”

As with most creative endeavours, the project was not without its challenges.

“Doing ten songs at once was very difficult. My head was spinning all the time,” says the singer. “There was so much going on at once. Of course, I also wanted to stay true to my vision. Luckily, I had an amazing team who supported my every step.”

About Cindy-Louise

Cindy-Louise moved to the Netherlands after university. She completed a Bachelor of Music in 2018 – with the hopes of continuing her studies in the art of opera. Instead, she found herself dabbling with styles, genres, emotions, and vocal techniques, ultimately embracing indie rock.

She officially launched her music career in 2019. She says that she draws inspiration from everything around her and, having found her voice, she often addresses social and/or emotional issues through her music with the aim of creating awareness.

While her future plans are not set in stone – she plans to continue experimenting with and releasing new music and is curious to learn what her voice is capable of, one thing is certain: this versatile singer-songwriter with her unique sound is taking the local industry by storm!