IN CONVERSATION WITH CHELSEA WOLFE

interview by JANA LETONJA

Acclaimed musician, songwriter, and multidisciplinary artist Chelsea Wolfe returns with two striking new songs, The Dark and Death Is Not the End, offering the first glimpse into her forthcoming ninth studio album and marking her first new music since 2024’s She Reaches Out to She Reaches Out to She. Known for crafting immersive worlds where folk, doom metal, industrial textures, and ethereal songwriting coexist, Chelsea continues to expand her artistic universe, this time through new music, a creative partnership with fragrance house Heretic Parfum⁠, and an ambitious 43-date tour across North America and Europe.

The Dark and Death Is Not the End feel connected yet distinct. What made these the right songs to introduce this new era?

I feel like they introduce where I’m at right now. They’re both about acceptance, in a way.. Acceptance about getting older, accepting what is lost, while embracing new experiences, embracing the idea of death and what is beyond death. 

You’ve described your work as a process of transformation. What personal or artistic transformations informed these new songs?

The past few years, I’ve been spending time with my grandmother who I didn’t see for over 20 years, so I last knew her when I was a teenager, and now I’m in my 40s, so it’s really been interesting getting to know her again as an adult, and learning from her. It’s been a blessing to spend time with an elder matriarch, and we actually have so much in common. 

Was there a defining moment when you realized the direction of this upcoming album was different from She Reaches Out to She Reaches Out to She?

I was having songwriting sessions with Jenn Decilveo, and the first couple of songs we wrote together felt like they musically belonged more to She Reaches Out. While I liked them, I also knew deep down it wasn’t the right direction for what I wanted to do next. I shared that with Jenn, and unlike other producers I’ve worked with before who might have wanted to use my music to fulfill a vision they had, she asked me directly what kind of record did I want to make. I checked in with myself and felt in my heart that I wanted real instruments, great players, and I wanted to focus on writing great songs and have that be at the core of things. 

The visual language surrounding these releases has been intentionally mysterious. What role does mystery play in your creative process? 

I love to create space for mystery. Just like casting a spell, you need to set the space before creating, to make a container of sorts. It can be as simple as booking a studio for a certain amount of hours and inviting the right people to be there with you, but then you must open up what wants to appear.  

You’ve always built immersive worlds around your music. How important is visual storytelling compared to the music itself?

In a way, when I release music I come out of hibernation. When I’m working in the studio or at home, I don’t really document much of it. I don’t really invite anyone in to document it either because I find it distracting to think about being watched. But then, once the music is finished, I become willing to be more seen, and I try to express what the music feels like to me by creating visuals. It’s like turning inside out.

You’ve collaborated with artists across vastly different genres throughout your career. What do you look for in a collaborator?

It depends on the collaboration. Sometimes I simply have the desire to play and try something new because it’s fun for me to put my voice in a new context, like when I made a song with the band HEALTH last year. For the new album, when it came to trying to find the right songwriting collaborator, I loved that Jenn was not only very talented, but she liked to get work done. When I’m in the studio, I want to create. I want to make things happen. There is an amount of socializing that happens naturally of course, but when I have the privilege to be in a studio, I want to work. So between us that was a good match. 

The GHOSTS fragrance collaboration is a unique extension of your artistic world. What interested you about translating your creative language into scent?

When Heretic reached out to me and described the GHOSTS scent line and inspirations, it reminded me so much of my own inspirations for my new music that it just felt aligned. The fragrances themselves were fully created by Heretic, but I love them and think they’re strange and lovely, and it was a pleasure to form a visual world for GHOSTS with them. 

Did working on the Heretic Parfum project influence the music in any way, or was it the other way around?

My new album was finished by the time I worked with Heretic, but the timing was perfect to introduce some hints of new music within their campaign, just before I released The Dark and Death is Not the End. The energy of spectral realms and reaching into the beyond was a great match. 

Your work exists at the intersection of beauty and darkness. Why do you think people are drawn to that balance?

It’s so primal. Light and dark, life and death, waking and dreaming. I’ve been captivated by that contrast my whole life as well. 

You’re about to embark on a massive tour through the end of 2026. What are you most excited about bringing to the live show this time?

I’m looking forward to playing new songs, of course, but also my bandmate Ben Chisholm who is the music director for the live show has worked out some new versions of older songs that’s making them feel really exciting to play. Some chord changes and mysterious moments throughout the set. 

A secret pre-order sold out in under 30 minutes. How does it feel to see such a devoted community engaging with your work in this way?

It truly means a lot. I’ve been at this for a long time and am approaching things in a little bit of a different way right now, so it was really special to feel that support. 

As listeners step into this new chapter, what do you hope they discover beyond The Dark and Death Is Not the End?

So many of us are drawn to this glistening, unnameable thing that is the dark. I look forward to exploring it more together. 

TEAM CREDITS:

photography MAGDALENA WOSINSKA