Former Delain singer Charlotte Wessels believes she became a Radiohead fan when the British band were shedding followers at the start of the 21st century. In 2012 the Dutch classically-trained vocalist told Prog why they’d been her favourite group ever since.
“What I admire about Radiohead is the way they’re always developing their sound. They never stand still. I first heard them on the Amnesiac album, when a lot of Radiohead fans had deserted at this point.
When Kid A came out in 2000, it put off a lot of people because it was weird, and Amnesiac [2001] was seen as having all the tracks on it which weren’t good enough for Kid A. But I loved what I heard, and it got me into Radiohead.
I did go back to check out what the band had released previously. The problem is I’m so busy doing my own stuff that I have to find the time to devote to any Radiohead album. It was ages before I was able to catch up with everything they’d done before Amnesiac.
Everyone told me to check out OK Computer, which I did, and I do have a lot of time for it. But a song like Karma Police, which the world loves, I just find too simple for them – I much prefer the more complex music they make.
One of the ways in which they’ve influenced me is in their use of vocal harmonies, and the way they change so unexpectedly between major and minor. I adore the way they can do it effortlessly.
There are obviously a lot of ways in which they’ve inspired my music; sometimes I don’t even realise an idea has come from them.
I’ve seen Radiohead live two or three times, and I’m really into the way they move on stage and set up all the visuals. I also enjoy their sense of humour – I’ve seen them stop a song and restart it because they got the opening wrong, and they make a joke out of it.
I admire the eco-friendly way they tour as well. Their gigs are always easily accessible through public transport. People claim rock bands don’t care about the environment, but Radiohead prove that touring is possible without a huge carbon footprint. They really are my favourite band in the world.”
