Charlotte Wessels

Charlotte Wessels
Wessels performing at Rockharz Open Air 2015 in Ballenstedt, Germany.
Background information
Birth name Johanna Charlotte Wessels
Born (1987-05-13) 13 May 1987
Origin Zwolle, Netherlands
Genres Gothic metal, jazz, symphonic metal
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter
Instruments Vocals, clarinet
Years active 2004 – present
Associated acts Delain, To Elysium, Infernorama, Knight Area, Nemesea, Serenity, Sharon den Adel, Kamelot, Phantasma

Johanna Charlotte Wessels (born 13 May 1987) is a Dutch singer-songwriter who was born in Zwolle, Netherlands. Best known as the lead vocalist for the Dutch symphonic metal band Delain. She is also in the symphonic rock musical group called Phantasma.

Background

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]

Career

To Elysium

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]

2004-Present: Delain

Wessels with Delain (2016)
Wessels with Delain (2016)

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 which she thought it was going to be a one time thing. In 2005 they signed a deal with Roadrunner Records.[2][3] She is the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the band.[3]

Phantasma

Wessels along with Georg Neuhauser from Serenity, and Oliver Philipps from Everon have created a symphonic rock musical called Phantasma. They got signed to Napalm Records and is a concept album of Neuhauser. Wessels is not only singing in the album but also wrote her debut novella called "The Deviant Hearts" especially for it. [4]

Influences

Wessels performing at the 2010 Wacken Open Air

When asked in 2014 who her influences are, Wessels said

When asked in a Loudwire interview who she gets inspired by vocally she mentions Australian singer Sia Furler, she admires Sia's voice and also her song-writing.[2][5]

On 15 January 2018, Charlotte Wessels said on her Instagram that Dolores O'Riordan's voice was one of her main inspirations to start singing.[6]

Personal life

She is a cousin of Dutch hardcore DJ DaY-már. She is a fan of the horror film genre, which has inspired some of her songwriting.[2] Wessels has an art history degree and also has a master's degree in gender studies.[7] She is a vegetarian.[8] She considers herself a feminist[9] 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."[10]

In September 2017, Charlotte revealed that she married her partner of twelve years.[11]

Discography

Delain

Albums

Live Albums

Singles

Phantasma

  • The Deviant Hearts (2015)

Guest appearances

  • "Embrace the Night" - DaY-már (2006)
  • "Serenade of Flames" - Serenity (2010)
  • "Please Come Home" - Knight Area (2011)
  • "High Enough" - Nemesea (2011)
  • "Under Grey Skies" - Kamelot (2015)
  • "Beautiful Apocalypse" - Kamelot (2015)
  • "Aquarium" - Dark Sarah (2016)

References

  1. ↑ Delain Interview (Part 1) - YouTube
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Interview Charlotte Wessels of Delain". Cryptic Rock. May 30, 2014. Archived from the original on June 11, 2015. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Facebook page". Retrieved June 5, 2015.
  4. ↑ Phantasma Feat. Delain, Serenity, Everon Members: 'Enter Dreamscape' Lyric Video - Blabbermouth.net
  5. ↑ "Delain Singer Charlotte Wessels Talks New Album 'The Human Contradiction' + More". Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  6. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/Bd_Gml9BDG3/?taken-by=charlottewessels
  7. ↑ "Delain interview 2012". Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  8. ↑ Sabrina; Guillaume (January 14, 2015). "Interview with Charlotte Wessels (DELAIN)". metalchestofwonders.com. Paris, France. Archived from the original on January 2, 2018. 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.
  9. ↑ Westland, Raymond (April 11, 2014). "Charlotte Wessels Of Delain Talks To ThisIsNotAScene (Part 2)". ThisIsNotAScene. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
  10. ↑ Colgan, Chris (March 25, 2014). "Interview: Delain's Charlotte Wessels says new album is a fresh start". metalinsider.net. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  11. ↑ "Charlotte Wessels de Delain contrae matrimonio". El Cuartel del Metal (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  12. ↑ Interview with Charlotte Wessels
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