The Band
MESSIDOR is the band of singer-songwriter Ward Daenen, harvesting music with multi-instrumentalists Maarten Moesen and Bert Hornikx. The band's name was waiting at the door: Messidor is the tenth month of a former French calendar, a lost harvest month in other words, and the street in Brussels where Ward lives.
The Music
With 'When Things Go Missing', the Brussels indie-pop band Messidor released its debut album in January 2023. Singer-guitarist Ward Daenen has spent years patiently polishing his songs, and it shows.
Music Journalist Dirk Steenhaut talks about a mature piece of work full of musing indie-pop that is sometimes slightly jazzy and for which the slogan 'Quiet is the new loud' seems to have been coined: “The sepia-coloured songs are full of surprising discoveries and twists and consequently are hard to pigeonhole.
However, the warm sound forces you to listen anyway, just like the subtle musical arrangements by brothers-in-arms Maarten Moesen and Bert Hornikx.” When Things Go Missing is a collection of eight tracks, including the singles ‘Valuable’, ‘More Than a Minute’ and one song in French and is well received by critics in Belgium and The Netherlands. In between new love and break-up record, the lyrics on the album tell a story about relationships and how time leaves its mark on them. For fans of, say, Villagers, Kings of Convenience or Nits, although Messidor claims its own sound.
The Album
Since 2020, Ward has played concerts—both solo and with his band—in Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent, and beyond. In the spring of 2021, the foundations of their debut album were laid at Finster, Joris Caluwaerts’ studio in Antwerp, followed by overdub sessions in Bert and Maarten’s home studios.
Between other musical projects, Bert and Maarten spent a year and a half refining, mixing, and mastering When Things Go Missing, which will be released on Bert’s label, Klankzalf. “This collection of eight songs marks a new beginning,” says Ward. “A new day, with the looming threat of a new void.”
That tension gives When Things Go Missing its drive, making the songs feel both warm and melancholic. A steady melodic and rhythmic thread keeps them grounded, though they occasionally drift into unexpected territory. You might call it indie folk with electronic textures, evoking The Blue Nile and Bon Iver, while also carrying echoes of Villagers. Across eight tracks, the album sketches an eclectic melodic landscape, much like The Nits once playfully balanced experimentation with pure songcraft.
Warm onthaal voor 'When Things Go Missing'
De Standaard: “Het rijpen heeft lang geduurd, want Daenens songs klinken sober maar voldragen, warm en intiem.” ★★★★
Dekrentenuitdepop: "Een album dat ik na de eerste keer horen al niet meer wilde missen en dat sindsdien alleen maar mooier is geworden."
Written in Music: "Een prachtdebuut". ★★★★ en een half
Nieuweplaat.nl: "Heerlijke gitaarmuziek die tussen loom en melancholische inhangt, met hier en daar een vleugje folk". 7.5/10
De Steenhautse Courant: “De zanger-gitarist heeft jaren geduldig aan zijn songs geschaafd, en dat hóór je: When Things Go Missing is een voldragen werkstuk vol mijmerende indiepop die soms lichtjes jazzy aandoet en waarvoor ooit de slogan ‘Quiet is the new loud’ lijkt te zijn bedacht.” Over het releaseconcert in De Markten: “Eén ding was meteen duidelijk: als het aandachtig luisterende publiek een graadmeter mocht zijn, had Messidor zijn entree niet gemist.‘ Wordt dus zeker vervolgd."
Luminous Dash: "Messidor tovert op zijn debuutalbum een warm klankenpalet bij elkaar dat intens mooi binnenkomt. Elke song is prachtig opgebouwd, met oog voor details en variatie." Lees ook de concertrecensie
Recording Session at Studio Finster, Antwerp
Mastering at Jerboa
