Catharsis and Clarity: The Sober Evolution of Chelsea Wolfe.
On February 9, the gothic and multifaceted pianist, producer, singer-songwriter, guitarist and vocalist Chelsea Wolfereleased his seventh studio album. She Reaches Out to She Reaches Out to She It is full of sound alchemy, visual inspirations and a creative process surrounded by spirituality.
Wolfe shares how the album started with more rock-leaning roots, however took a turn towards an unexpected sound. The free time induced by the pandemic provided an opportunity to experiment, as well as the incorporation of the producer Dave Sitek. This resulted in a new electronic sensibility, with a studio full of analogue and modular synthesizers shaping the album’s transformative sound.
From the beginning, it was more rock, actually. There were only a couple of moments on the demos that leaned more towards electronic trip hop. But we had a lot of time to work on it during the pandemic time.
And then when the world started opening up again, I knew I really wanted to bring a producer into the process. And we choose Dave Sitek. It was in her studio where the song began to have a much more electronic sound. That was just his general sensibility. His studio is full of analog and modular synthesizers. “She was excited by the possibilities and transformations the songs were undergoing in her studio.”
The artist from the United States reveals her teenage fascination with electronic genres. Although she experimented with them in previous works, this album marks the first intentional incorporation of these influences, creating a unique soundscape.
“When I was growing up, in my teens and early 20s, I listened to a lot of trip hop like Tricky, Mass Attack, Portishead and Björk. So I feel like I’ve experimented with those sounds over the years in my music. But this was the first time I was more directly inspired and influenced by that type of music. So yeah, I was excited about it.”
The thematic core of the album revolves around the concept of being between the old and the new. Wolfe expand on the song “The Liminal” expressing the idea of embracing the past and future simultaneously, a feeling that is reflected in his visuals.
The visual components of the album and its videos align perfectly with its sonic narrative, offering a complete and immersive experience.
“It’s funny because I feel like a lot of the lyrics are kind of cryptic, but at the same time, they’re very direct. In the song ‘Whispers in the Echo Chamber’say: ‘Bathing in the blood of what used to be, become my own fantasy.’ For me, this is about letting go of an old version of yourself and stepping into your authenticity safely.
That also feels very direct, like letting go of someone or something, cutting the tie between the two. There was a lot of that on this record, getting out of the old and into the new. but the song ‘The Liminal’ It stands out to me because, again, it very much encapsulates the concept that this album is about being between the old and the new.
Like you’ve definitely moved on from something or someone, but you haven’t fully stepped into this new version of yourself yet. You’re starting to figure it out and you’re welcoming all the possibilities and, you know, again, the mysteries that are waiting for you. So I think that song stands out to me, lyrically because of that, just leaving time and space in between. “I am the future, I am the past, like really embracing the past and the future in this present moment.”
He shares that the visual elements of his album are inspired by a Japanese film from the 80s.. Themes of mystery and transformation resonated deeply, inspiring Wolfe to add images to the disk. Collaborators like George Kattah and Christopher Leckie contributed various influences, enriching the visual world that complements the sonic journey of the album.
“From the beginning, I had a kind of visual board with a lot of words, colors, textures and inspirations. Much of that was inspired by a 1980s anime film called Angel’s Egg. A friend sent it to me at a time when he was starting to form ideas around the visual world of this album. That really helped me start to shape all my various ideas into something more focused. And once I invited the collaborators George Kattahwho made the music videos in Colombia, and the graphic designer Christopher Leckiedifferent influences came in and translated my ideas in their own way, which was also very cool.”
Wolfe opens up about significant changes in her life during the pandemic, including his decision to embrace sobriety. The lyrics naturally reflect themes of clarity, self-acceptance and healing, transforming the album in a cathartic exploration of personal growth. So, She Reaches Out to She Reaches Out to She It became an inner healing process for her.
“In January 2021, I stopped drinking alcohol, which really started to change my life in many ways. And so I started to incorporate that naturally into the lyrics.
These concepts of clarity, self-acceptance, and the things I was going through as a new sober person emerged while I was writing the songs, it was like they were starting to manifest in my life, like they were showing me the way forward. So this record gave way to healing quite naturally because I had to make a lot of changes in my life and let go of things, whether it was toxic habits or relationships that were really hurting me and things like that.
I think writing music is always kind of a healing and cathartic process, and it helps you understand the world and your own life in a really cool way. But this one felt more intentional I think, because I was being so aware of everything. She was sober in a conscious way.
I wanted to understand why I was drinking and what I was covering up with alcohol and confront those things head on. And that’s part of why I ended up making so many changes in my life, because I was really facing a lot of my demons.”
Within all this internal catharsis, it is also natural for Wolfe talk about spirituality, its most witchy side. He comments on the influence of his grandmother and the authors Pam Grossman and Sarah Faith Gottesdiener. She hopes that by sharing her spiritual journey, others will find curiosity and meaning in their own exploration of witchcraft.
I learned a little about this area from my grandmother and also from my own studies. And there are so many wonderful authors and teachers out there like Pam Grossman and Sarah Faith Gottesdiener. There is definitely a community of witches. But like you said, I feel like there’s also a lot of variety of different cultures and different perspectives and things like that. So obviously, my experience is very personal to my own life. And I wouldn’t try to impose that on anyone else. “I’m just sharing where I come from.”
When asked about her specific rituals for this album, she talks about Britten LaRue.
“One of the most interesting rituals I did was a ritual taught to me by a woman named Britten LaRue. It was about approaching this album as her own being, separating it from myself. Because sometimes as creative people, we can connect so deeply with our work that it makes it a little painful if someone doesn’t like it or something, or if they’re too connected to ourselves. So she suggested that she do this ritual to enter a certain state of mind, what some witches call a summoning circle, like creating a sacred space and entering a meditative state of mind.
He was listening to the music and could feel that it was his own being and that it had its own energy. And I don’t know, sometimes it’s hard to describe rituals because it’s something spiritual and it can be esoteric and mystical. But it was really beautiful. And then it was like this thing where I could go back to this album being and ask it questions like when I was working on the cover, connecting with the energy of this album being.”
Reflecting on past experiences in Mexico and anticipating a future one tour, Wolfe expresses gratitude for the receptive audience. Despite the nuances dark in his music, he finds solace in the connection formed with people that embrace darkness and comfort simultaneously.
“We are trying to do a tour where we can return to Mexico, for sure. The last time we went, it was lovely. We were walking around town and they stopped me a few times. I don’t know how people recognized me, but they did. And just talking to people on the street and then at the show. Everyone seemed really cool and genuinely connected to this music that I make. That’s a little dark but comforting, like you said. I feel like that’s kind of the essence of it. And I feel like there are a lot of people out there who embrace darkness and comfort at the same time.”
While Chelsea Wolfe navigate the realms of sound, images and spirituality in She Reaches Out to She Reaches Out to She, listeners are invited to a transformative experience. From the intentional evolution of sound to powerful narratives of sobriety and healing, the artistic craftsmanship of Wolfe transcends traditional boundaries. As you look forward to future tours and artistic endeavors, it is inevitable to anticipate the continued evolution of the multifaceted creative journey that is Chelsea Wolfe.
