About The Whale

HUMO ★ ★ ★ ½ ‘Er staat volstrekt niks ondermaats op ‘The Whale’

DE STANDAARD ★ ★ ★ ‘Chantal Acda’s nieuwe stap kan tellen. Fijne plaat.’

NEUWSBLAD/ GVA ★ ★ ★★ ‘ Nuances zijn even verslavend als grote uithalen’

OOR ‘Het draait hier om Togetherness. Zelfdzaam hoog niveau’

DAMUSIC ‘Daar, in de diepte valt er donkerte, maar vooral ook veel schoonheid en rust te rapen.’

LUMINOUS DASH ‘Waarin kwaliteit de rode draad is’

ROLLING STONE “On her new album, the Dutch songwriter once again displays an impressive range of styles.”

ECLIPSED MAGAZINE “Dutch singer Chantal Acda presents her most mature album to date with The Whale, which is quite something considering her long career! It is above all the interplay between Acda's beautiful voice and the delicate arrangements that make exciting compositions like Hit The Verge such an experience.”

BEATBLOGGER “For years, Chantal Acda has been rushing from one highlight to the next.”

INIEPERCUI ‘a thoughful beauty’

TOMTOMROCK ★ ★ ★ ★ ‘a highly accomplished work and one of the brightest gems in a discography of absolute value.’

FREEZONE MAGAZINE ‘ The Whale is a treasure chest filled with beauty andenchantment, evident right from the title track that opens the album’

MOW MAGAZINE ‘ Give Chantal Acda four minutes of your time, and you won’t regret it’

MUSIC LETTER ‘With the Whale, Chantal Acda opens up to a collective dimension that enriches her artistic output’

CZMOS MAGAZINE ‘The Whale is a choral album born from the deep connection from her longtime band’

Biography

Chantal Acda is a Dutch-born, Belgium-based singer-songwriter known for her deeply emotional songs, fragile voice, and genre-crossing sound that moves between indie folk, ambient, and contemporary jazz. Over the past two decades, she has quietly built a reputation as one of Europe’s most distinctive and collaborative musical voices.

Born in 1978 in Helmond (The Netherlands) and later settling in Antwerp, Acda first gained recognition through several bands and projects, including Sleepingdog, Isbells, Marble Sounds, and Distance, Light & Sky. These diverse collaborations shaped her musical language and led her to explore a more personal artistic path.

Her solo debut Let Your Hands Be My Guide (2013), produced by pianist and composer Nils Frahm, marked the beginning of a series of acclaimed releases. The album featured collaborations with musicians such as Peter Broderick and Gyða Valtýsdóttir and introduced listeners to Acda’s intimate songwriting and atmospheric arrangements. Subsequent albums including The Sparkle in Our Flaws, Bounce Back, and Saturday Moon further expanded her sonic palette, blending subtle orchestration with introspective storytelling.

Throughout her career, Acda has collaborated with an impressive range of artists from both the indie and jazz worlds. Projects with musicians such as Bill Frisell, Colin Stetson, Thomas Morgan, and Shahzad Ismaily highlight her openness to musical exploration and improvisation.

In recent years, Acda has continued to evolve her approach to songwriting and collaboration. Working closely with her long-time touring band, she embraces a more collective creative process, allowing the stories and musical instincts of the ensemble to shape the music. The result is a body of work that feels both intimate and expansive—songs that balance vulnerability with a quiet sense of strength.

With her unmistakable voice and a deep commitment to musical connection, Chantal Acda continues to create songs that resonate far beyond borders, inviting listeners into a world of reflection, honesty, and shared emotion.