Singer-songwriter Charlotte Wessels (ex-Delain) has shared her new single “The Crying Room” along with a music video featuring footage of the song’s first-ever live performance.
“The Crying Room” is the next harbinger of Wessels’s first traditional full-length, full-band solo album, “The Obsession,” set to be released Sept. 20, 2024, via Napalm Records. Pre-order it here.
“When we were gearing up for the very first performance under my own name after COVID, my tour manager asked if I wanted my own dressing room. Knowing full well that I’d be an anxious mess, I told her I didn’t need a private room—just somewhere I could have a well-earned meltdown without ruining everyone’s vibe. And that, my friends, is how ‘The Crying Room’ was born,” Wessels said. “It’s a song about the fear of failure, about needing to catch your breath before diving headfirst into something new. Everyone loves to tell stories about courage and heroism, but let’s be real: I want to hear more stories about people who are absolutely terrified … and do the thing anyway—it’s a central theme on the album, and ‘The Crying Room’ is an invitation to do just that.”
While still writing and producing the songs in her Six Feet Under basement home studio and sharing their first incarnations with her patrons, Wessels now takes the songs from her new album to the next level with a band of her fellow ex-Delain cohorts Timo Somers (guitars, additional arrangements), Otto Schimmelpenninck van der Oije (bass) and Joey Marin de Boer (drums), as well as Sophia Vernikov (piano/hammond), contributing to the new, heavier sound. The album also features arrangements by Vikram Shankar (Silent Skies, Pain of Salvation), cello by Elianne Anemaat, was mixed by Guido Aalbers (Muse, Coldplay, The Gathering) and was mastered by Andy VanDette (Porcupine Tree, VOLA, Dream Theater).
“On the one hand, this album tells a very personal story—through its unintended theme of fear, obsessive thoughts and the escapes from them—and at the same time it represents the joy of finding the song’s true forms with everyone involved in the making of this record. That’s why I chose ‘The Obsession’ as a title,” Wessels said. “It refers to my personal challenges with OCD that inspired many of the songs—but I’ve also started referring to the band as The Obsession—because there were moments in the studio with them that truly reminded me of why I’m obsessed with making music in the first place.”
With thousands of monthly listeners on Spotify and a loyal fan base on Patreon, Wessels already has made a mark with her earlier solo endeavors, “Tales from Six Feet Under” (2021) and “Tales from Six Feet Under Vol II” (2022). These compilations showcased her ability to blend various musical styles and deeply personal lyrics.
Themes of fear, obsessive thoughts and escapism run rampant on “The Obsession,” presenting dark and heavy on songs such as “The Exorcism,” “The Crying Room” and “Ode to the West Wind” (featuring Alissa White-Gluz of Arch Enemy). In addition, there are songs that offer a more upbeat approach to the subject, such as “Dopamine” (featuring Simone Simons of Epica), which deals with SSRI-induced numbness, and “Praise,” which sings the gospel of needing external validation in order to feel anything. The reimagining of fan-favorite “Soft Revolution” won’t leave a dry eye in the room, while “Soulstice” and “Serpentine” present an unprecedented dark sensuality. Each song itself functions like an exorcism, an attempt to cast out a little of the fear it deals with.
“I’m extremely grateful and proud to add Simone Simons and Alissa White-Gluz to the lineup of this album,” Wessels said. They are creative powerhouses that I have so much love and respect for. Whenever we get to work together is an absolute treat and they really elevated the songs with their performances.”
“The Obsession” track list:
1. Chasing Sunsets
2. Dopamine
3. The Exorcism
4. Soulstice
5. The Crying Room
6. Ode to the West Wind
7. Serpentine
8. Praise
9. All You Are
10. Vigor and Valor
11. Breathe;
12. Soft Revolution (2024)
“The Obsession” will be available in the following formats:
- Gatefold 2-Vinyl SPLATTER + 2 bonus tracks (“Backup Plan” + “Breathe; Extended“), D-Side Etched – ltd. to 200 copies worldwide *Napalm Records Mailorder Only*
- Gatefold 2-Vinyl RECYCLED BLACK + 2 bonus tracks (“Backup Plan” + “Breathe; Extended“), D-Side Etched
- Gatefold 2-Vinyl INKSPOT + 2 bonus tracks (“Backup Plan” + “Breathe; Extended“), D-Side Etched *Patreon Exclusive*
- Digisleeve + Shirt Bundle
- Digisleeve
- Digital Album
Supported by her former Delain bandmates, Wessels set to bring “The Obsession” to the stage this year. The journey begins with a release show on October 4, 2024, at Utrecht’s TivoliVredenburg, followed by a special guest appearance with labelmates Kamelot and Ad Infinitum in Drachten on Oct. 11, 2024.
After these shows, Wessels will join Vola on its Friend of a Phantom EU Tour 2024, kicking off on Nov. 1.
Tour dates:
Festivals 2024
14.09.24 NL – Rotterdam / Baroeg Open Air
04.10.24 NL – Utrecht / TivoliVredenburg – Ronda (Album Release Show)
11.10.24 NL – Drachten / Poppoadium Iduna (with Kamelot & Ad Infinitum)
Festivals 2025
27.-09.07.25 FI – Helsinki / Tuska
06.-09.08.25 ES – Villena / Leyendas del Rock
15. -17.08.25 NL – Eindhoven / Dynamo Metal Fest
Supporting Vola
01.11.24 DK – Århus / Voxhall
02.11.24 SE – Gothenburg / Pustervik
03.11.24 NO – Oslo / Vulkan Arena
08.11.24 SE – Stockholm / Fryshuset Klubben
10.11.24 DE – Berlin / Columbia Theater
11.11.24 PL – Krakow / Hype Park
13.11.24 CZ – Prague / Meetfactory
14.11.24 AT – Vienna / Flex
15.11.24 DE – Munich / Backstage Halle
16.11.24 CH – Zurich / Komplex
17.11.24 IT – Milan / Live Club
19.11.24 DE – Cologne / Kantine
21.11.24 FR – Paris / Petit Bain
22.11.24 UK – London / Heaven
23.11.24 UK – Nottingham / Rescue Rooms
24.11.24 UK – Glasgow / G2
25.11.24 UK – Manchester / Club Academy
26.11.24 UK – Bristol / SWX
27.11.24 LU – Esch-Sur-Alzette / Rockhal
28.11.24 NL – Eindhoven / Effenaar
29.11.24 DE – Hamburg / Markthalle
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