Carel Brouwers is our latest Artist of the Month

David Bowie and Bryan Ferry are among the key influences on Dutch singer-songwriter Carel Brouwers from Hoorn. Music has been a constant in his life since his teenage years, when he first started playing in bands - something he has continued ever since.

Between 2010 and 2013, Brouwers fronted the Dutch neo-glam rock band DOG, performing across the Netherlands and appearing on national radio and television. Although the band gained attention, internal tensions eventually led to its breakup in 2013, after which Brouwers continued as a solo artist.

In 2014 he released his debut album Attic of My Mind, which received a positive critical response. Without substantial promotion, however, the album remained largely under the radar commercially. In the years that followed, Brouwers released two more LPs, an EP, and several singles, including a duet with producer Benno Lagerwey.

In early 2026, Brouwers launched the first single from his upcoming concept album Theopneustoi (“divinely inspired”): The Shape She Takes. Alongside his musical career, Brouwers works as a teacher of Classical Languages, and the new album draws heavily on his fascination with Greek mythology. The songs are written as modern hymns to the Greek gods and goddesses - figures he describes as “endlessly entertaining because we still recognize so much of ourselves in them.”

The first single received enthusiastic reviews from several indie music blogs, as did its follow-up, Love Alone - a song about Zeus, portrayed as a ruler who would rather escape his responsibilities and pursue women. On May 1st, Brouwers released the third single, Headache, exploring the complicated triangular relationship between humanity, King Alcohol (Dionysus), and Love (Aphrodite).

The full album, Theopneustoi, is scheduled for release in the autumn of 2026.

What motivates you to make new music the most?

“For me, making music is the best kind of therapy. Not in a dramatic sense - I simply feel happiest when I’m creating something. I’ve never been very good at doing nothing. I don’t watch television, I rarely take holidays, and I prefer spending my free time making, writing or developing ideas.”

Writing music can be exhausting at times - even painful - but it’s always deeply rewarding. I love every stage of the process: recording demos, listening back to them, shaping arrangements, refining details. It’s craftsmanship as much as inspiration, and although it often requires hard work, it ultimately gives me energy rather than draining it.”

Which song or album could you never miss in your own playlist?

“That’s a difficult question, because my taste in music is all over the place. Some days I listen exclusively to classical music; on others, I only want to hear rock ’n roll. And there are evenings when I can spend hours listening to Billie Holiday or Frank Sinatra.

But if I had to choose just one album, it would probably be Station to Station by David Bowie. To me, it’s a perfect record: adventurous, elegant, emotionally detached and deeply moving at the same time. What amazes me most is how modern it still sounds. Even nearly fifty years later, it feels timeless - as if it could just as easily have been released today.”

Which recent collaboration or project has been particularly inspiring for you?

“That’s an easy one: my latest project, Theopneustoi.

It all started with the GForce M-Tron MkII Mellotron VST. What fascinated me most were the built-in Chamberlin and Mellotron rhythm boxes and the possibility of reshaping them with effects and varispeed. I especially loved using varispeed to alter both pitch and tempo simultaneously, creating dreamy, atmospheric rhythms full of character and tape-like warmth. Those rhythms became the foundation of the songs.

From there, I invited musicians to contribute completely freely. I would hand them a track and simply let them interpret it in their own way. I handled the keyboards and vocals myself, while they created parts for drums, bass and guitar. That freedom led to some incredible moments - almost every musician came up with ideas better than the ones I originally had in mind, which was exactly the point.

My role then became one of shaping and refining: editing, arranging and mixing everything into a coherent whole. It turned into one of the most inspiring creative processes I’ve ever experienced, and it’s definitely a method I want to use again on future albums.”

Carel Brouwers is our latest Artist of the Month, thanks to his strong performance across our playlists. He also caught our attention because of his perseverance and dedication to growing his audience and expanding the reach of his music, even while being in the middle of a house move. Despite everything going on, he continues to find the time to create and share his music with new listeners. For that reason, we are proud to call him our Artist of the Month.

Listen to his latest release below: