| Cindy Lee | |
| Origin: | Calgary, Alberta, Canada |
| Genre: | Hypnagogic pop, noise pop, Brill Building, no wave, noise |
| Years Active: | –present |
| Associated Acts: | Women, Androgynous Mind |
| Current Members: | Patrick Flegel |
| Past Members: | Morgan Cook |
Cindy Lee is the drag queen hypnagogic pop project of Canadian musician Patrick Flegel, former guitarist and lead singer of Women.
Cindy Lee is most noted for their 2020 album What's Tonight to Eternity?, which was longlisted for the 2020 Polaris Music Prize,[1] and for 2024's critically acclaimed double album Diamond Jubilee, which was also shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize in the same year.[2]
Following the breakup of Women in 2010, Flegel collaborated with Morgan Cook in the band Androgynous Mind, releasing the EP Nightstalker in 2012.[3] From there, the project evolved into Cindy Lee, which sees Flegel recording music primarily alone but continuing to perform with a rotating roster of supporting musicians.
The demo cassette Tatlashea was released by Canadian label Isolated Now Waves on Boxing Day 2012.[4] In 2015 Flegel self-released (via their CCQSK label) the full-length albums Act of Tenderness[5] and Malenkost,[6] both of which were later reissued and received wider distribution in the US and Europe. The compilation cassette Model Express was released by CCQSK in 2018 and pressed to vinyl by W.25th in 2020.
What's Tonight to Eternity? was released in February 2020. Its lead single, "Heavy Metal", was a posthumous tribute to Flegel's former Women bandmate Chris Reimer.[7] Cat O' Nine Tails followed in March 2020.[8]
In 2024, the project released the double album Diamond Jubilee.[9] It received widespread critical acclaim, including the highest score given out by Pitchfork in four years.[10] A tour in support of the album began on April 6, but was canceled on May 4 as the project was set to play Chicago.[11] The album was a shortlisted finalist for the 2024 Polaris Music Prize.[12] Thus far, the album has been officially released digitally via two official channels only: Flegel's own Realistik Studios website[13] – listeners were invited to send payment for a digital copy of the album – and their YouTube channel, via which the album can be streamed in full for free, without ads.
Flegel collaborated with Freak Heat Waves on their 2023 single In A Moment Divine. Flegel also performed as a live member of Freak Heat Waves in 2015 as well as during their 2023/2024 co-headlining North American tours. Steven Lind from Freak Heat Waves also collaborated with Flegel on Diamond Jubilee, co-writing Baby Blue as well as performing production and mixing duties on the record and contributing various instrumentation throughout the record.
In 2024, Flegel collaborated with Deerhunter drummer Moses Archuleta on his second studio album, Cemetery Classics, released under the moniker Moon Diagrams.[14]