Alchemy Suite is a poignant ode to life’s transience, and Momento Mori, Dutch-American singer-songwriter Chellcy Reitsma’s latest album, is a beautiful, sad and beautiful song. Combining blues, alt rock, rockabilly and American in a compelling mix of sound and a striking film noir aesthetic that’s far too cool to mess up, Reitsma masterfully weaves this tapestry into something worth your time.
The haunting refrains of “Sad Lullaby” and the folk narratives of “Death’s at the Door” give the album a singular list of solid tunes, pulling the listener in as Reitsma invites us to think about mortality and its effects on the human condition.
Reitsma now lives in Malta and her artistic expression goes beyond music, tapping into her roots in visual arts and choreography in order to tell her stories. This is the first of a conceptual double album, to be followed by Carpe Diem, which investigates what it means to live life without regret.
This ambitious project showcases how Reitsma’s innovative approach, along with his dedication to authentic artistry, come through in his work. In our conversation we discuss the creative process behind Momento Mori, its thematic resonances and the influences that contributed to its singular sound.
With Momento Mori: Chellcy Reitsma, join the Journey and see what inspired and moved her. Get into the life of this visionary artist and listen to this haunting release.
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What sparked the concept and inspiration behind “Memento Mori”?
Our Covid experience and after. During Covid it was a very dark time, thinking or hearing about death almost daily and fighting depression. After Covid everyone was happier, getting out more, feeling hopeful, live music events made a comeback, etc. We wrote these songs over the last 3-4 years. Momento Mori is the first half of a double concept album.
It is a play on the concept of Memento Mori, popularly translated to “remember death.” Momento means ‘moment’, so for me it means to remember there is death but don’t dwell on it for more than a moment. Carpe Diem will be the second part released in 2025. Carpe Diem means “Seize the day.” So the idea is to remember you will die, so seize every moment and live life to the fullest.
How does this release reflect your artistic growth since the last project?
I feel we have grown as artists, and songwriters and I feel I have grown as a singer too. We started blending even more genre’s into our songwriting. I feel we started really developing our own unique sound, which we will continue to further develop.
What emotions or reactions do you hope listeners experience?
Hope, inspiration, and a touch of nostalgia. I want people to reflect on life and feel hopeful about the future; to be motivated to live to the fullest while they can and not let fear, loss or any negativity stop them.
How did you blend styles to achieve the song’s unique atmosphere?
We blended alternative rock, psychedelic rock, folk rock, poetry, and more. We experimented with unique rhythmic changes as well and I drew on my Egyptian and Turkish dance background with some of the more unusual rhythms.
Describe the songwriting process for “Memento Mori.”
I usually write most of my songs in the car while I’m driving. I record my vocals and melody lines on my phone or computer and send it to a guitarist to lay down chords. We usually meet up then and finish the song and further discuss the direction we want to take it in. In the case of “Momento Mori” on most of the songs my composer is Alan Degabriele, but there are a few other songwriters too like Chuck Moyen on Phoenix Fly.
Then I send the demo to a producer, telling them the stylistic direction I want to push it in and the instrumentation I desire. In the case of this double album, I produced everything with The Animal Farm because they are edgy and brilliant.
Were there production challenges, and how did you overcome them?
I produced all the songs at The Animal Farm in London and got them mastered at Hafod mastering. The biggest challenge during production was deciding how I wanted to sing each song. The other challenge was distance. I live in Malta and The Animal Farm is in London, so I recorded my vocals and the backing vocals with Kristijan Volchev at Swe4r Lab Studio in Malta and had a number of online meetings with The Animal Farm.
How do your life experiences influence your songwriting?
Very much! Most of my songs are inspired by my own life experiences. Loss, live, overcoming challenges in life, travel, and and being an immigrant are all recurring inspirations and themes for me.
Are you working on an album, EP or standalone singles?
Yes, we have the second part of the double concept album “Carpe Diem” releasing in 2025 and a 7 track EP called “Home”, which I wrote and recorded while on a songwriter tour in Nashville, that I’ll release in late 2025 or early 2026.
What’s next for Chellcy Reitsma?
Besides or upcoming releases mentioned above, we also just finished an album release concert where we recorded all the music and filmed. So we are planning to also release those as well as use the video to apply for festivals and opportunities abroad. My dream is to tour more. We will also continue songwriting, performing locally and in Nashville, and plan the release of the live album and film from our release concert.
How do you balance darkness and light in your creative expression?
I try to put a hopeful spin on everything. For example in Poenix Fly, which could be an incedibly dark and depressing song, I lightened it up with a happy-sounding chorus and a positive outlook and message that they rose up like a phoenix and flew away.
What role does introspection play in your songwriting?
Everything is introspection. I feel it’s important to always examine one’s self for growth as a human and as an artist. I believe I need to look inward to become a better person and to discover what I can give back to the world.
How do you navigate vulnerability and authenticity in your art?
I wear my heart on my sleeve and I think both my songwriting and performances are raw, emotional and honest, demonstrating a lot of vulnerability and my authenticity as a person and an artist.
I really lay it all out there and put myself on the line.
