Charismatic Dutch singer-songwriter Charlotte Wessels (ex-Delain) returns with a captivating new single, “Chasing Sunsets”. The track, which is at once melancholic and upbeat, highlights her inimitable voice and memorable hooks, complemented by a mesmerizing music video.

Taken from her first traditional full-length solo album, The Obsession, set to be released on September 20, 2024 via Napalm Records, this album is promising a storytelling exploration of fear and liberation. Featuring guest appearances by Simone Simons of Epica and Alissa White-Gluz of Arch Enemy, it blends catchy elements with progressive and heavier soundscapes, marking the most significant step in Wessels’ solo career.

Wessels and her band will bring this story to the stage for a release show on October 4 at Utrecht’s TivoliVredenburg. In addition, there’ll be some exciting festival appearances this year, and it was recently announced that Charlotte Wessels will join Vola on their Friend of a Phantom EU Tour 2024, kicking off November 1. Don’t miss the chance to undergo this astonishing live experience.    

Charlotte Wessels on the new single and official music video: “When I released the initial version of 'Chasing Sunsets' on Patreon, it was an instant favorite, and it grew so much since then as we worked on it for the album, I can’t wait to share this track with the world! There’s an underlying theme of self-preservation and greed in the song that we visualized in the music video. I’ve never felt so much like we’re living in the hunger games where parts of the world continue lavish lifestyles while others suffer complete devastation. We worked with this theme in the music video through an artificial beautiful landscape and styling, all staged in a barren space with burning trees."

Watch the official music video for “Chasing Sunsets”:

While still writing and producing the songs in her Six Feet Under basement home studio and sharing their first incarnations with her patrons, Charlotte Wessels now takes the songs from her new album, The Obsession, 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).             

Charlotte Wessels about the new album: "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. 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."

Themes of fear, obsessive thoughts and escapism run rampant on the album, presenting dark and heavy on songs like “The Exorcism”, “The Crying Room” and “Ode To The West Wind” (feat. Alissa White-Gluz of Arch Enemy). In addition, there are songs that offer a more upbeat approach to the subject – like “Dopamine” (feat. Simone Simons of Epica) which deals with SSRI-induced numbness, or “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.    

Charlotte Wessels about the guests: “I’m extremely grateful and proud to add Simone Simons and Alissa White-Gluz to the line-up of this album. 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 will be available in the following formats:

- Gatefold 2-Vinyl Splatter + 2 Bonustracks (“Backup Plan” + “Breathe; Extended“), D-Side Etched – ltd. to 200 copies worldwide *Napalm Records Mailorder Only*
- Gatefold 2-Vinyl Recycled Black + 2 Bonustracks (“Backup Plan” + “Breathe; Extended“), D-Side Etched
- Gatefold 2-Vinyl Inkspot + 2 Bonustracks (“Backup Plan” + “Breathe; Extended“), D-Side Etched *Patreon Exclusive*
- Digisleeve + Shirt Bundle
- Digisleeve
- Digital Album

Pre-order here.

The Obsession tracklisting:     
        
"Chasing Sunsets"
"Dopamine"
"The Exorcism"
"Soulstice"
"The Crying Room"
"Ode To The West Wind"
"Serpentine"
"Praise"
"All You Are"
"Vigor And Valor"
"Breathe"
"Soft Revolution (2024)"

"The Exorcism" video:

(Photo - Tim Tronckoe + Claire Stuart/Blond en Blauw Films)