Although we have not met face to face, I can feel Welch's presence. I am in New York and she is at home in London. But the gap between us is less bothersome than ever.

"Now, time is a strange, wandering mass. I've always been a bit of a recluse, but this is a big deal for me. It feels fruitless. Structure? Time is meaningless! she declares. I agree: this call is taking place in June, when social distancing by COVID-19 is not yet complete. Yet despite her isolation, Welch finds purpose in the void of time. She collaborates on poetry with fans around the world via Instagram, connecting virtually but deeply with her friends. "All of this reminds me of who I truly love and to never take them for granted again," she says, adding that she wrote "Light of Love (opens in new tab)" (for her latest album) to bring support to medical professionals in the UK. The song was written for, but is off the album) was dropped. The lyrics are as compelling as ever, and the song's subject is determined not to hide from the darkness in front of her, an effort Welch has been practicing for months.

"It was a real struggle because I'm not the most mentally stable person," she admits. 'I think that's especially true for people who are addicted and don't have a support group around them.' (Singer herself has been sober for six years). ) "I've found that a lot of my personality is based on leaving, packing my bags and going somewhere new so I don't have to deal with myself and my stuff. I usually just go. And now I really have to face myself."

Her self-exploration extends to the physical side as well. According to Welch, 2020 has made her feel "about 10 years older, about 134 years older," both inside and out, and it has changed the way she approaches her beauty routine.

"It was nice to not wear anything for a little while because it's not good for my skin to wear thick makeup at shows or on vacation. But after months of not wearing makeup, putting it on again makes me feel creative and feels like a wonderful form of self-care. Self-expression is so important and it makes me feel good about myself. Besides, I'm 33! I need some blush!"

.

She also shared her personal beauty crusade: "I'm on a quest to revive my eye bags. Please find a way to fashion eye bags," she pleads. 'I have huge eye bags genetically, and I'm trying to embrace them. I remember having a huge argument with my team about the album cover, especially for How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful (released in 2015)," she recalls. 'If they had left my bag completely unretouched, I would have looked exhausted. This is my face!"

"When you get to know women like Angelica, you get a different idea of what female beauty is and that it's not all tied up in youth, Says Welch. 'But I do like getting older. I feel like my face is catching up with me. Ever since I was a kid, I always looked 'older. The older I get, the more my face seems to make sense." Some claim that they are not fighting against time.

This article appeared in the Winter 2020 issue of Marie Claire.

Click here to subscribe (opens in new tab)