We can thank Ace Ventura for growling inspiration!  This week’s guest on Discover New Music is Courtney Laplante of Spiritbox.  Their new album “Tsunami Sea” is the culmination of hard work, passion and excitement.  After a roller coaster of events surrounding Spiritbox’s first album, Courtney and the rest of the band can’t wait to officially get out on tour in support of this latest work.  Courtney also teases an “eyebrow raiser” track on this new record.  Plus, growling at the age of 5, All Dressed Chips, Chuck Norris and more are discussed in Rapid Fire!

For many artists, a meteoric rise can often mean a sudden plateau. However, for
Grammy-nominated progressive heavy metal mainstays Spiritbox, there appears to be no end
in sight on their near-constant ascent to the top. Formed in 2016 in the picturesque yet isolated
region of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, by vocalist Courtney Laplante and guitarist Mike
Stringer, Spiritbox would fully cement themselves as a household name in the summer of 2020
with the release of their blistering breakout single “Holy Roller,” along with a host of other
captivating singles shortly after, resulting in a media firestorm of hype.
With new and existing fans eagerly watching their next move, Spiritbox exceeded every
expectation imaginable in 2021 with the release of their genre-defining debut studio album
Eternal Blue via Pale Chord/Rise Records. Eternal Blue, which debuted at #13 on the
Billboard 200, kicked open the doors of the heavy metal scene and rewrote the genre’s
playbook with 12 stunning tracks that incorporated everything from djent and post-metal to
infectious synth-laden pop sensibilities and cinematic arrangements, brought fully to life by the
inimitable Laplante’s ethereal and commanding vocal performances.
The album cycle for Eternal Blue saw Spirtbox not only grace the covers of esteemed music
publications such as Revolver, Alternative Press, Rock Sound, and Kerrang!, among many
others but would also solidify the band as one of the most in-demand groups in live music today
with their one-hundred percent sold out, first-ever headlining tour in support of the album which
saw ticket sales over 40,000. The band would also share the stage with seasoned metal
veterans such as Limp Bizkit and Ghost and win Best International Breakthrough Band at
the 2021 Heavy Music Awards.
In 2022, Spiritbox secured highly-coveted spots at numerous major US rock and metal festivals
and scored two JUNO awards, respectively. Spiritbox would also round out their current lineup
with the inclusion of drummer Zev Rose and bassist Josh Gilbert in addition to releasing their
sonically experimental EP Rotoscope in June of that year as well as a cross-genre
collaboration with dubstep artist Illenium for the track “Shivering.”
During another whirlwind year for the band, including a US tour with Shinedown and Papa
Roach, Spiritbox wrote and recorded their critically acclaimed EP, The Fear of Fear, released in
November 2023. The EP features the single “Jaded,” which was nominated for Best Metal
Performance at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards. In the same month, the band would make
another genre-bending splash with a high-profile collaboration with rapper Megan Thee Stallion
for a remix of her song “Cobra.”
In 2024, with over 300 million plus streams in the US alone and 450 thousand total
combined album sales, Spiritbox has continued to bring their incendiary live performances
across the globe. With an appearance at the 2024 Sick New World festival in Las Vegas,
Nevada – as well as select dates in the UK with nu-metal pioneers Korn (with a US date at
BMO Stadium to follow in Los Angeles this October), and various European festivals including
an appearance at the iconic Reading and Leeds Festival in August, Spiritbox have seized
every opportunity without missing a single beat. Later this year, the band will be direct support
on British metalcore titans Bring Me The Horizon’s stadium show in Mexico City, playing to an
audience of 80,000 plus, and in February of 2025, Spiritbox will begin their biggest European
headlining tour to date.
For fans who have been patiently waiting for new music, Spiritbox has satiated the demand with
their latest single, “Soft Spine.” This pummeling new track takes the band’s signature visceral
sound and dials it up to eleven in terms of intensity and musicality. Whatever comes next for
Spiritbox, one thing is for sure: expect the unexpected and a firm commitment to creating wholly
authentic music with passion, purpose, and constant evolution.