Following the release of their 6-song EP last month, SPIRITBOX is already gearing up for more new music in 2024
SPIRITBOX has ambitious plans to venture into the creation of their sophomore album, slated for 2024. Vocalist Courtney LaPlante recently provided insights into their upcoming endeavors in an interview with Revolver.
Discussing SPIRITBOX‘s plans for the follow-up to 2021’s “Eternal Blue“, LaPlante offered: “We gotta do it. We’ve been… not holding off, but it’s been really nice to have the instant gratification of putting out music when we’re actually done with it versus creating it and then sitting on it and doing a traditional cycle.
“But honestly, we want to prove it to ourselves that we can do another album and it’s gonna go well. I thought that having some sort of success in the first one would make me feel like I’ve proved it to myself.
“But in fact it’s just made us even more driven and on-edge. Like, we don’t feel comfortable at all. We’re like, ‘We gotta prove ourselves again.’
“And it’s weird because it’s not to [critics] or our fans, but surprisingly, it’s still an internal thing. Doing it once isn’t enough, we’ve gotta do it two times.”
When asked how the forthcoming album will sound, Courtney replied: “I definitely don’t really know. But I do think that whatever it is will feel very flexible. We wanted to prove that we could edit our songs down to letting the songs speak for themselves, and not have the band overplaying and stumbling all over the songs.
“It’s just hard for a bunch of really good, talented musicians to show restraint sometimes. But I like a little bit of restraint so the whole song feels like a full song, not just listening to someone showing off for five minutes.
“But what I’m missing from us that I really want to explore a little bit, I think, is… I feel very comfy in ‘progressive’ music.
“I like the freedom of you not having to rein back the song — you just kind of let it take you where it takes you. So I think now we have kind of figured out how to do both. We can have a little bit of expression within the instruments that’s maybe a little less subtle…
“Either way, it’s always: ‘Write better songs.’ That’s our mantra.”
Fresh off their latest release, “The Fear Of Fear,” which hit the airwaves on November 3rd, SPIRITBOX is showcasing a relentless dedication to their craft, setting the stage for what promises to be an exciting musical journey in the years to come.
SPIRITBOX remains a true phenomenon in the world of heavy metal. Since the mid-pandemic release of their acclaimed 2021 album ‘Eternal Blue‘, the band has been a topic of much discussion and fascination. Achieving remarkable success, with chart appearances in the UK, US, and Canada Top 20, they are now experiencing the full spectrum of being in the spotlight.
In this year alone, SPIRITBOX has accomplished an awe-inspiring run of sold-out headlining shows across the UK and Europe, including two unforgettable performances at London’s Roundhouse. Prior to that, they completed a triumphant headlining tour in the US, graced major music festivals, and captivated audiences in Europe and Australia. Additionally, they had the honor of sharing the stage with renowned acts like GHOST, BRING ME THE HORIZON and and co-headlining alongside MOTIONLESS IN WHITE.
Courtney previously spoke with NME, saying, “We’re getting used to [the attention]. I think that we just need to physically see this stuff. So walking out to the sold-out show two nights in a row, at the Roundhouse – I physically saw it with my own eyes.”
As for their musical output, SPIRITBOX has shown no signs of slowing down. Continuously releasing new music, they treated fans to the ‘Rotoscope‘ EP last year, and earlier this year, they unveiled the compelling single ‘The Void‘. Excitingly, there is more to come, as Courtney teasingly shared, “We have some new stuff on the horizon. I think everyone will be pleasantly surprised this year.” With such dedication and creativity, SPIRITBOX continues to cement their position as a rising force in the metal genre.
In the same interview, LaPlante touched on writing the new material and feeling more comfortable with her lyrics. She also discussed writing material to please herself above all.
“I’m starting to feel more comfortable being a little bit more literal in songs. Hiding behind metaphors is safer, but it’s also a little pretentious, because you’re not really having to commit to what you’re saying. You’re just writing something and you’re not really worrying about, ‘Does it connect to verse one and the chorus and verse two? And is the full song something that you’re actually trying to say?’ I think I’m getting better at that. And then [guitarist Mike Stringer], he just gets better and better at writing songs. So I have a lot to live up to because he’ll present me with this song that I love.
“It’s funny because we’ve written new stuff – I already want to write new stuff and outdo that. And I want to challenge myself to do that. Ultimately, it’s all like, free therapy, writing…. I’m trying to keep it like that, not thinking about what our fans want to hear, or what you guys want to hear from us, just what comes out. My mindset is: ‘Does it make me feel happy to get this message out and feel good to sing? Awesome. Let’s cut it and put it on there.’”
The “Eternal Blue” tour 2023, which was produced by Live Nation, saw SPIRITBOX continuing to support their debut album, “Eternal Blue“, which arrived in September 2021 via Rise Records and Pale Chord.
The band also recently officially welcomed bassist/vocalist Josh Gilbert as a permanent member of SPIRITBOX. Gilbert split with AS I LAY DYING back in 2022 and soon after joined up with SPIRITBOX as a touring member.
Back in April, the band released a new press photo to social media which features Gilbert. Also, Courtney LaPlante confirmed to an online fan that Josh was now indeed a full member of the group.
