It’s safe to say that Spiritbox has been on a roll recently, and they have no plans on slowing down. Since their debut album, Eternal Blue, released back in 2021, the Canadian metal group have been producing steady output, including two-time-Grammy-nominated EP with The Fear of Fear and an upcoming album slated for release in March 2025 that promises to be the “grown-up sister” of their previous work. They’ve also had the chance to work with Megan Thee Stallion and Poppy on collaborative tracks, as well as opening for Korn on their most recent tour, which is an amazing honor for such relatively new artists.
The group’s 2024 Grammy nomination for their performance of “Jaded” was quite a shock to them, even more so when they were nominated the next year for a track off the same EP. Sadly, last year’s award was granted to Metallica’s “72 Seasons,” though the repeat nomination for Spiritbox is a good indication that better success at the Grammy’s is in the band’s future. And, as the band’s lead vocalist, Courtney LaPlante, describes in her interview with Igor Miranda (as translated by Blabbermouth.net), Spiritbox’s win would mark the first time a woman-led band won the award for Best Metal Performance.
Coincidentally, the Best Metal Performance category was established the same year LaPlante was born: 1989. Throughout her life, LaPlante paid attention to the award’s winners, and although she saw her same passion for hard rock reflected in them, it was still rather hard for her to relate to such a sausage fest.
“I’m almost thirty-six years old,” LaPlante explains. “Thirty-six years, a woman’s never won. And now there’s more chances than ever for a woman to win. So I’m really excited. I hope that we win.”
However, Spiritbox isn’t the only nominated performance this year that features a female vocalist. “Suffocate” by Knocked Loose includes a guest appearance by Poppy, who showcases her hard, hypnotic singing, and “Mea Culpa (Ah! Ça ira!)” by Gojira has featured vocals from Marina Viotti, a classically-trained opera singer. Courtney LaPlante has shown her support for these tracks as well, seeing them as a chance for her dreams of female success in the metal genre to come to fruition.
“I hope that Knocked Loose and Poppy win. Or if Gojira wins, there’s a woman who’s an opera singer on that song. So there’s three out of five chances for that ceiling, that glass ceiling to finally shatter.”
The 67th Grammy Awards ceremony will be held on February 2, 2025 (a month before Spiritbox’s newest album comes out), so it’s still anyone’s bet who will snag the award. If LaPlante’s wishes reach any of the awards’ voters, though, it might be added incentive to go with the underdog and show what female metal performers are capable of.
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