And as a matter of fact, Wolfe takes a lot of inspiration from real life. But these are intense times we live in, so it makes sense. It’s obviously very idealistic, but I have to do some idealistic stuff sometimes, because otherwise I’ll get too dark.”Īs hopeful as Wolfe’s music is, her artistic vision is obviously a bit more bleak than, say, Belle and Sebastian. I was totally struck by that, and I tried to imagine that instead of dying, he was able to be free somehow and get what he wanted. “He was just in love with books and words and wanted to explore that more,” explains Wolfe, “and he couldn’t do that back home and he couldn’t really do that here either, so he just kind of gave up and left his poetry behind. It swings back and forth between doom metal and folk, and in the lyrics Wolfe yearns to find hope in the hopeless: “In all the worlds decaying / Is there place that’s safe for us?” The lyrics are inspired by a Chinese factory worker who was so crushed by his menial profession that he leapt to his death out of his dormitory window, but not before leaving behind a collection of poetry documenting his inner turmoil.

But like the Greek figure Themis-the Titan goddess of “good counsel” and ancient embodiment of divine law-Wolfe manages to create a sense of balance, pulling hope and redemption out of the gaping void.Ĭonsider her song “Iron Moon,” the second track off of her latest album, Abyss. Riffs crunch and synthesizers tremble as she howls about the extremes of human experience. There is an oppressive intensity to her music. The world needs more songwriters like Chelsea Wolfe.

Stuck with you lyrics voltaire