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Charlotte Wessels | |
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 Wessels performing at the 2019 Tuska Open Air Metal Festival | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Johanna Charlotte Wessels |
| Born | 13 May 1987 |
| Origin | Zwolle, Netherlands |
| Genres | Symphonic metal, gothic metal, jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Formerly of |
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Johanna Charlotte Wessels (born 13 May 1987) is a Dutch singer and songwriter. She is best known as the former lead vocalist for the symphonic metal band Delain.
Wessels has been trained in both jazz singing and classical singing. She was first trained in jazz, but later, her instructor suggested classical singing to her. However, Wessels has stated that she found classical training to be very restrictive, and so she likes to do something "in between the classical and the jazz stuff, and if you look at classical music with high vocal lines, then you kind of get to gothic very soon!" [1]
She joined a gothic metal band named To Elysium around the age of fifteen or sixteen. She mentions in an interview that her parents had to sign a contract because she was still underage. [2]
Wessels became involved with Delain in 2004 when she met Martijn Westerholt formerly of Within Temptation. Since the band was meant to be a studio project only, Westerholt asked if she could write some lyrics and vocalize. She thought it was going to be a one-time thing. In 2005 they signed a deal with Roadrunner Records. [2] [3] She was the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the band. [3]
She departed the band in February 2021, with Delain reforming as a solo musical project of Martijn Westerholt as well as announcing that she would be launching a solo career. [4] In Wessels' statement on her departure, she wished the other departing members and the fans well:
"I hope that Delain remains a positive force in everyone's lives. We Are The Others, always will be, and none of this changes that." [5]
In May 2021 during an interview, she reflected on her departure from Delain in February, stating that she was grateful that she got to work with the other musicians in the band. [6]
Wessels, along with Georg Neuhauser from Serenity and Oliver Philipps from Everon, formed a symphonic rock group named Phantasma. They were signed to Napalm Records and released a concept album titled The Deviant Hearts. Wessels not only sings on the album, but also wrote her debut novella called The Deviant Hearts especially for it. The novella is included with the album's physical release. [7]
In August 2020, Wessels released the single, "Lizzie" which features Alissa White-Gluz as part of a collaboration. [8]
Following her departure from Delain, Wessels had released a solo single, "Soft Revolution" via her Patreon which was Song of the Month in January 2021. [9] [10] On 14 May 2021, Wessels released a cover of Gerard McMahon's "Cry Little Sister", a song featured in the 1987 film The Lost Boys . [11] On 30 June 2021, she released a music video of the single, "Superhuman". [12]
On 1 June 2021, Wessels announced the title of her first studio album, Tales from Six Feet Under, a collection of multiple genres ranging from indie pop to synth-infused rock. It was released on 17 September 2021. [13] All of the songs were made in her home studio, where she wrote, produced, and performed all the instruments on the record. [14] [15] Following the release of her solo album, she released her new song "Tonight" on 25 November 2021. [16]
On 28 June 2022, Wessels announced her second studio album, titled Tales from Six Feet Under, Vol. II, which was released on 7 October 2022. [17] Wessels also appeared on the EP The Alchemy Project by the Dutch symphonic metal band Epica, on the song "Sirens – Of Blood and Water", alongside Amalie Bruun. A music video for this song was released on 11 November 2022. [18]
Wessels announced her third studio album, The Obsession, which was released on 20 September 2024, and at the same time, announced the album's first single, "The Exorcism", which was released on 16 May 2024. [19] [20] Wessels released four other singles to promote the album: "Chasing Sunsets", [21] "Dopamine", [22] "The Crying Room" [23] and "Ode to the West Wind". [24]
When asked in 2014 who her influences are, Wessels said
My parents had quite good taste in music so I had some of the classic rock influences; Pink Floyd, Deep Purple, Genesis, Led Zeppelin, and Kate Bush. My brother really got me into metal, those were really the high days of Metallica. Actually, Toxicity by System of a Down is still one of my favorite records ever. Right now, I am really into the alternative rock scene, Radiohead is my favorite band ever. I adore Muse and Nick Cave. Then there is the corner of the great female songwriters like Tori Amos, Björk. That pretty much covers it. I can go on for hours but I think these are the few directions which have influenced me most. [2]
When asked in a Loudwire interview who she gets inspired by vocally she mentions Australian singer Sia, she admires Sia's voice and also her songwriting. [2] [25]
Wessels stated on her Instagram in 2018 that Dolores O'Riordan's voice was one of her main inspirations to start singing.[ citation needed ]
She is a cousin of Dutch hardcore DJ DaY-már. [ citation needed ] Wessels has an art history degree and also has a master's degree in gender studies. [26] She is a vegan. [27] She considers herself a feminist [28] and she doesn't like the female-fronted metal term: "It's just really weird that the gender of one person in the band defines what kind of music you make! I think that it's one of the things that really indicates that the bias is still there." [29]
On 26 August 2017, Charlotte revealed that she married her partner for twelve years . [30]
Studio albums:
| DelainStudio albums:
EPs & Live albums:
| PhantasmaStudio albums:
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Delain is a Dutch symphonic metal band formed in 2002 by former Within Temptation keyboardist Martijn Westerholt, intending for the band to be solely a project. Singer Charlotte Wessels was invited to join in 2005. The name of the band comes from the Kingdom of Delain in Stephen King's novel, The Eyes of the Dragon. In February 2021, the members parted ways while Westerholt stated he would continue the band as a solo project. In June 2021, Westerholt announced that there would be a new lineup involving former and new members, with Diana Leah later being announced as the new lead vocalist in August 2022.
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I've been aiming on having a complete vegan diet for a long time but I still cheat every now and then. Some things are very hard to get rid of even if there are plenty of good alternatives. I still cheat with cheese [...] Before going to the whole vegan thing, everybody told me : it's so hard, you're not going to be able to keep up. Actually, for 98% it's so easy.
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