Growing up in Northern California with a country musician father, Wolfe began writing and recording songs during her childhood.

In her next few albums Pain Is Beauty (2013), Abyss (2015) and Hiss Spun (2017) Wolfe incorporated elements of neofolk,[2] electronic music and heavy metal.

In addition to her solo career, she has collaborated with the band Converge on the album Bloodmoon: I (2021) and composer Tyler Bates on the soundtrack to the 2022 film X.

[20] Her next album, Apokalypsis (2011), stylized as Ἀποκάλυψις, gained her an underground following,[21] as well as critical acclaim, receiving favorable reviews in Pitchfork[22] and CMJ.

[28] Unknown Rooms: A Collection of Acoustic Songs was released on October 16, 2012,[29][30][31] and featured a more folk-oriented sound, as opposed to her earlier work, which had been heavily centered on droning electric guitars and distortion.

[38] Wolfe also contributed guest vocals to the American post-metal band Russian Circles' fifth studio album, Memorial, released in October 2013.

[49] In March 2019, she revealed that her upcoming album will be largely acoustic, is being recorded in the woods of Northern California, and inspired by current events.

Longtime collaborator Ben Chisholm is co-producing the album, featuring some guest players such as drummer Jess Gowrie.

On May 26, 2021, "Diana," a collaboration between Wolfe, bandmates Ben Chisholm and Jess Gowrie, and Tyler Bates was released as a part of the Dark Nights: Death Metal soundtrack.

[53] On September 21, 2021, Wolfe released the B-Side of her sixth studio album, Birth of Violence, featuring the previously unreleased track "Green Altar" and a cover of Joni Mitchell's "Woodstock.

[56] On September 20, 2023, Wolfe announced that she had signed with Loma Vista Recordings, and released her debut single with the label, "Dusk".

[62][63] In April 2016, Wolfe and bandmate Ben Chisholm were special guests for Converge's collaborative live performance, Blood Moon, along with Stephen Brodsky of Cave In and Steve Von Till of Neurosis.

[66] On September 28, 2021, Converge announced that the band and Chelsea Wolfe had collaborated again for the former's tenth studio album Bloodmoon: I, released on November 19, 2021.

[67] On May 14, 2020, Wolfe and her friend and drummer Jess Gowrie announced their collaborative project Mrs. Piss and their debut album, Self-Surgery with release date on May 29, 2020, through Sargent House.

[69] The soundtrack involved Wolfe collaborating with composer Tyler Bates, and primary providing vocals for the synthesizer and 1970s-music inspired score.

[78] Mojo described her music as "Siouxsie & The Banshees territory [...], with treated strings, echoing drums and lashings of reverb surrounding her double-tracked, crushed velvet voice".

[79] Wolfe has expressed a strong affinity for R&B music,[80] citing Aaliyah as a huge influence on her career since her childhood.

She said, "I grew up listening to my dad playing guitar while singing harmonies... As a kid I wanted to record my own songs so he set me up with an 8-track.

[84] Wolfe has cited the visual elements of filmmaker Ingmar Bergman and photographer Nan Goldin as influences,[71] as well as the writings of D.H. Lawrence and Ayn Rand.

[80] Since 2011, Wolfe has worked with New York-based costume designer and wardrobe stylist Jenni Hensler,[87] whom she credits with helping her cultivate and develop her own original image.