At this year’s Summer Breeze Open Air, we had the chance to interview the one and only Charlotte Wessels about her latest solo album, live shows, and hot chocolate.

Benedetta

Hello Charlotte, how are you doing today?

Charlotte Wessels

I’m doing fine, thank you so much.

Benedetta

It’s almost one year that “The Obsession” was released. What kind of feedback have you received from press, from fans?

Charlotte Wessels

It’s been overwhelmingly positive in the way that people have liked the record musically, but also it was kind of a tough record to put out because there was a lot of vulnerability in the lyrics as well. And I’ve seen people respond to that in a heartwarming way as well. I’m very happy that it resonates with people.

Benedetta

As you’ve stated in some other interviews, you’re obsessed with making music. Can you share with us if you’re still obsessed with making music on the road, or do you prefer to do it in your home studio?

Charlotte Wessels

I prefer to work at home. Not necessarily just at home, I also sometimes seek out other places. Sometimes I bring my recording gear on the road, but I just don’t really get to it. I wish I would. Maybe a few years in, when you have a lot of crew and you don’t have to do a lot. Maybe then. So far it’s still too hands-on for me to be able to also write at the same time. Although sometimes something pops up and I can record it in my phone if I have lyric ideas or melodies, but the real work is usually at home.

Benedetta

In the past you’ve duetted with Marko Hietala, who’s now dueting with Tarja again. What are your impressions about it?

Charlotte Wessels

We actually just saw them perform together on Tuska in Finland. It was really wonderful to see them. They did lots of different works, like “Phantom of the Opera”. They did their song together and Nightwish’s song as well. So it was like a big nostalgia moment. And I like them both so much, so I was just like, “Yay, go!“

Benedetta

This past autumn you’ve toured with Vola. I actually saw them in Tuska in 2022 when their gear got misplaced. Has anything like that happened to you?

Charlotte Wessels

On the past few runs we had one guitar broken by an airline. And we had also again Timo’s guitars left behind. But we got those back. We were like, “Please someone help get some instruments, because we can’t play otherwise.” Anyway, this tour, I’m such a big Vola fan. I kind of slid into their DMs when I saw that they announced the tour. Because I saw the tour poster and I didn’t see any supports on it. So I literally, just because I’m a big Vola fan, I saw the poster and I literally just texted them. Like in Instagram messages, like, “Hey, that’s such a nice tour, a nice tour poster. I don’t see any supports. Are you looking? May I suggest me?” They did have a spot. It was really nice. And they told me afterwards that they have been looking at some different options and it all didn’t work out. And they were right at the moment, like, what are we going to do? And then it was like, bing [notification sound, ed], and it was me.

Benedetta

Fantastic. Do you remember the first or the last time that somebody recognized you? Like on the road or somewhere?

Charlotte Wessels

Yes. I mean, often like on festivals and in music context, it happens quite a bit, obviously. But just out in the wild, it’s pretty rare for me to get recognized. I remember the first time was funny; this is going to tell you how old I am. This was when there was still music television in the Netherlands. And it hasn’t been there for years. Music videos would actually get played. So the effect of that is like now if someone recognized me, it’s usually like a metal fan or like a rock fan, you know. Back then, since it was just on the TV in between all of the other music, I had these bunch of 14-year-old boys in their hip-hop outfits. And they were like, “Yo, that’s Charlotte“. And I was like, that was so weird. Which was kind of, I mean, it’s kind of fun as well. But yeah, I kind of prefer it this way, though. Where the only people who recognize you are probably the people who actually like what you do.

Benedetta

Are there any questions that you don’t like to answer?

Charlotte Wessels

No, and if there is a question in there that I don’t like to answer, you can ask anything and perhaps I’ll say no. So don’t hold back.

Benedetta

Unfortunately, while it would be ideal to have equality between men and women in the music and in the world, it’s unfortunately not yet at the level we wish to be. Has it ever happened to you that you were maybe mistreated or maybe treated differently than a male colleague?

Charlotte Wessels

Yeah, I see also why you asked the question. It has happened, but here’s my thing. I don’t want to spend too much time talking about it, not because I don’t like the question, but because I feel like one thing that I don’t like is over the years, you know, I spent so much time talking about what it is like to be a woman in metal and what kind of things I experience. And I feel that that in itself, you know, women in metal having to talk about women in metal all the time, while the men get to promote their songs, like that in itself, sometimes I feel this already. But I also understand it because it’s an important topic. I mean, we need to talk about diversity and equality. But yeah, there’s been certainly pressures that I had to deal with and others didn’t. Or, you know, when you are approached in a different way. But yeah, I’m not going to fully get into it today because I’m feeling good. So let’s focus on the positive sides of everything.

Benedetta

I wanted to play a little game with you, if that’s alright. Let’s pretend that here in Summer Breeze Festival we have to have a hot chocolate stand and we have to sell the chocolate to people. How are we going to sell that?

Charlotte Wessels

Who do you think is the most attractive person on the festival today? Or who do you think is the most widely regarded attractive person? Because you know how in Hollywood they sell the bath water of Sydney Sweeney? So I think that we should just say, or maybe we just ask people who their favorite band is and then we tell them that the lead singer or guitarist or whoever, that they had a bath in it. And then we’re rich.

Benedetta

Charlotte, thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview with me. Is there anything else that you want to add to our readers?

Charlotte Wessels

No, I hope they enjoyed “The Obsession”. If they’ve been to the show, I hope they enjoyed it. And if they haven’t yet, we’ve got the tour coming up in January, February, March. So I would encourage everyone to come to the show. Not just for us, but of course also for Epica and Amaranthe.