Een Heel Leven CD

For 15 years now, Stoomboot has been drifting through the corridors of Flemish culture, with a half-smile and a tear, watching the world go by. Early in his career, that gaze turned inward: a romantic young man searching for love. On Stoomboot (2014), he became a storyteller; a poet singing about women he couldn't have. He collaborated with Kommil Foo and was even nominated for a MIA Award.With Storm (2016), the melancholic journey continued. But something changed: he met the love of his life. His world grew. On Zwarte doos (2018), the longing for love turned into living with it. The outside world slowly seeped into his songs - reflections of the Brussels attacks, Trump's first presidency, and the chaos of the times.Meanwhile, Niels Boutsen (that's the man behind the boat) graduated as a historian and started teaching. There, the idea for Omdat we naar de zee stromen (2020) took shape: a concept album about time and how it ticks differently for everyone. For his students. For his wife, who was battling burnout. For his grandparents, whom he rarely visited. Stoomboot wanted to go beyond music, creating a stage performance around the same theme, including storytelling, songs, and live charcoal art by Wide Vercnocke, drawn right there on stage.Before he knew it, the ten-year anniversary of Stoomboot was approaching. Time to look back, the best way he knows how: with a guitar and a story. 10 jaar Stoomboot (2021) was recorded live at Ancienne Belgique in Brussels. Over that decade, he also wandered off the main path a few times, paying tribute to the French chanson that inspired him (Mr. Bateau, 2019), blending poetry and jazz in Zandland (2019), releasing Ze leest zo mooi verkeer (2022) with Raymond van het Groenewoud, and touring with his wife in Het is zoeken (2024), a tender and funny show about early parenthood.After ten years on stage, Niels found himself wondering: "What now?"Another record? Absolutely.He picked up the phone and called Tuur Florizoone (accordion) and Christophe Devisscher, two musicians he'd admired for years, watching them light up stages all over the country. "Want to make something together?" he asked. They did.The result is Een heel leven (2026), another concept album, this time about the unpredictable paths life takes. The title says it all: a musical stroll through what Niels's life could have been, but never was. Sometimes the choices that don't feel like choices end up shaping everything. The album was recorded live in the studio. Just three musicians in a room, telling a story. Put it on, and they're right there with you.