Interview with Chantal Acda – The Whale, a book written together

After more than a decade of touring, acclaimed collaborations, and albums that have shaped her artistic journey, Chantal Acda is back with a new work. The Whale (Starman Records, September 19, 2025) is a choral album, born from the deep connection with her longtime band: Alan Gevaert (dEUS), Eric Thielemans, Niels van Heertum, and Gaëtan Vandewoude.

Rougher and more direct than her previous releases, The Whale is the result of a collective writing process, where every voice and every experience found its place. “It’s like a book we all wrote together,” Acda says.

We spoke with her about movement, silence, and the way music can become a sensory experience.

““The Whale” as a choral work

You’ve said that The Whale is like “a book you all wrote together.” If you were to leaf through it like a novel, what chapter could never be skipped?

“That is a hard question to answer because all chapters need each other. But I would say Move Ourselves. A song about how everything is in motion, moving around us and within us. How we adapt and adjust. The silence when the movement stops for a second so we can breathe.”

Your voice has always been fragile yet decisive, often immersed in airy arrangements. In The Whale, how much space is left for silence, and what does it tell?

“When I don't sing, the other instruments do and sometimes the way they were played tell even more than my voice and lyrics. But I do love silence. I really do. The album that really understands that is for example Mark Hollis (his solo work). There is so much quality in silence. So much depth to find in there.”

If The Whale was to transcend the confines of the album and become a sensory experience (visual art, performance, installation), how would you imagine it?

“Wonderful question. I would say a dancer under water. Freedom, dance, sensuality, fear, ease, soothing.”

The single “Hit The Verge”

Anticipating the release, Hit The Verge (August 22) captures the feeling of being inside a car while rain trickles down the windows: chaos shut outside, a fragile cocoon of calm inside.

A soundtrack suspended between uneasiness and hope, reminding us that even in the middle of the storm, clear skies are waiting ahead.

CHANTAL ACDA THE WHALE

Uscita: September, 19th 2025 – Starman Records Tracklist: The Whale · Safety · Heads · Hit the Verge · Togetherness · Move Ourselves · Rivers · Make It Work

Line-up: Chantal Acda (voce, saz, chitarra) Alan Gevaert – basso Eric Thielemans – percussioni Niels van Heertum – eufonio, tastiere Gaëtan Vandewoude – chitarra

Italian Concert:  

31/01/26 – Diavolo Rosso (Asti)

01/02/26 – Circolo Gagarin (Busto Arsizio)

(Altre date in arrivo)