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Be Scene: BGG Interviews LA Musician Chelsea Wolfe

By BGG Contributor: Aria Davis

Broke Girl's Guide recently caught up with experimental folk artist Chelsea Wolfe. Fresh off her appearance at FYF Fest here in LA and trailing the recent release of her fourth studio album, Chelsea dishes on everything from the inspiration behind her music to her favorite bar in the city.

BGG: Your father is a country musician, and you’ve referenced that early exposure in prior interviews. How did that proximity to music influence your own development as an artist, and when did you feel like you came into your own?

Chelsea Wolfe: He showed me a few musicians that helped me understand what music was - Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin, Hank Williams. The most influential thing was that my dad's band had a home studio where they would practice and record. When I was 9 years old I asked my dad to teach me how to record because I had started writing songs and I wanted to learn. He set me up with some Casio keyboards and a Tascam 8-track and I never stopped recording from there. My sisters would sing backup vocals. I didn't take music seriously until my mid-20s though because I never imagined myself to be a "performer".. honestly I had hoped to be a songwriter but I guess it's hard to break into that industry unless you show people how your songs are supposed to be played first!

BGG: Earlier albums feature a heavier element of distortion and drone, whereas Pain is Beauty seems to put your vocals front and center. How would you describe the development of your sound over that period?

CW: I'm constantly experimenting with sounds... using my voice as an instrument through guitar pedals or using it as a voice. I'll always do that. I like contrast and I like freedom.

BGG: You mentioned to the LA Weekly that you don’t feel the need to fit within a specific scene, and it seems to be working -- fans and critics alike have a hard time describing your music within genres. We’re curious, then – what’s on rotation in your car or on your iPod? What do you find yourself listening to the most these days?

CW: I'm really into Queens of the Stone Age and Wardruna. Also, Jack White.

BGG: In the audience at FYF during your set, I overheard a few women discussing your Wiccan fan base, which they described as ample. Do you have a spirituality that plays into your music?

CW: Interesting! I don't acknowledge a specific belief system, but I do think there is a spiritual realm that we can interact with. It's something personal and different for each person.

BGG: A bit out of left field, but we’re curious: In 2009, you travelled with a nomadic performance troupe overseas. Do you incorporate what you learned on that venture into your live performances?

CW: It taught me about my own voice because I performed acoustic in different spaces with different audiences.. hearing my voice in a basement, an old church, a run-down factory, it taught me about how I could sing, use effects, how I could find the confidence to call myself a musician and performer. When I returned home from that trip I recorded and released my first album The Grime and the Glow.

BGG: Why did you initially decide to move to Los Angeles? What drew you to the city back then, and what keeps you here now?

CW: I knew that an introvert like me needed to live in a city where there were more like-minded people who wanted to work, get things done and move forward. My hometown is often negative or discouraging towards any sort of progression, so I knew that if I wanted to take my music seriously, I needed to move to a bigger town with more motivated, positive people. I wanted to stay in California, so I moved to LA.

BGG: From where do you find yourself drawing most of your inspiration? Are there any specific areas or locations in, or outside of, the city you retreat to, to refuel your creativity?

CW: I find inspiration from reality. I've always desired to know the two sides to every story and continue to do so. I like to visit family in the outskirts of northern California when I have time off from touring. It's quiet and I have time and space to write and think.

BGG: We ask everyone: Favorite diner or dive in LA?

CW: I like Pattern Bar because the Valentino drink is like a meal, but you can also order small plates.

Related: See Chelsea Wolfe in our festival fashion piece, "8 Ensembles Inspired By Karen O, Solange, & Other Women Rockers"

Sep 13, 2024 - 11:23 AM

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