Mensenkinderen and This Beautiful Mess have worked together before. So when it appeared that they both wanted to release new work in 2025, a joint album presentation party was obvious. Double celebration, because both Utrecht and Dordrecht will be visited!
Where This Beautiful Mess opts for wide-ranging melancholy, Mensenkinderen opts for wood-rope nostalgia. On paper they seem like two extremes, but the bands find each other in the search for depth in melody and lyrics. Music that lifts you above yourself for a moment. Music you want to experience live. Are you coming?
Mensenkinderen
Mensenkinderen seeks the wonder and beauty in the everyday with an irresistible urge to celebrate life. Imperfections are not brushed away, for the beautiful things often seem to happen precisely at the frayed edges.
The compelling melodies and fragile arrangements of Mensenkinderen resonate with the dreaminess of The Innocence Mission, the layering of Sufjan Stevens and the nostalgic homespun of Loney Dear. But in the native language of singer and lyricist Bas van Nienes, it comes extra close to the listener.
There is play with the head in the clouds and the feet in the clay. With plenty of room for little stories, (childhood) memories and concoctions. And yes, a slight yearning for nostalgia. Everything was certainly not better in the old days, but the ravages of time give a lot of things depth and value for today.
Human Children makes music for spring in the colors of autumn. The sound and almost childlike feeling of hope. An overturned bin of lego. A stack of broken comic books. The smell of a tent after the vacations. Arm patches on your favorite sweater. An odd pair of socks. Let yourself be taken to a place where it's good and you don't have to do anything for a while. And who knows, you may have found a friend for life in Human Children.
This Beautiful Mess
Falling On Deaf Ears, the debut album by This Beautiful Mess, was released in 2000 in Europe by Sally Forth Records/ Sony Entertainment and in the USA, Canada and Japan by Deep Elm. The band won an Essent Award, toured with Ozark Henry (B) and Glorybox (DK) and received a 3FM award for their single 'Clean'. 2003's second album 'Temper The Wind To The Shorn Lamb' helped This Beautiful Mess reach bigger stages. The band played at the Lowlands festival, Noorderslag, Marktrock (B), Eurosonic and Crossing Border, among others.
