Spiritbox Singer on Mainstream Success – ‘Our Community Is Very Self-Isolating’

Understandably, the members of Spiritbox were wowed by the initial success of Eternal Blue, their debut album that opened within the Top 15 of the mainstream Billboard 200 chart last month.

Taking stock, the alt-metal act's lead singer, Courtney LaPlante, recently reflected on the band's emergence from a scene she said stays secluded from pop music.

"Our community is very self-isolating," LaPlante told Billboard, "and isolated from the mainstream. And so it's just one of those weird things — it's not that we don't want to come sit at the table. It's just that we didn't know that there was a seat for us at the table. Or that anyone cared to… move over, and give us room to sit down. It's just mind-blowing."

She continued, "There's just something that happens when you see your name or another metal band's name amongst all those other names of artists that you respect. And that you know how much power they have, and how much influence on the world they have."

Spiritbox's album was highly anticipated on the strength of pre-release singles issued by the outfit formed after LaPlante and guitarist Mike Stringer left the metalcore band Iwrestledabearonce in 2016. (The pair, who are married to each other, are now rounded out by bassist Bill Crook.) Ahead of Eternal Blue's release, Spiritbox previewed "Holy Roller," "Constance," "Circle With Me, "Secret Garden" and "Hurt You."

"This is my 13th year of trying to pursue music," Stringer explained. "And it's always that carrot dangling in front of you. And you never think you're going to grab it. I told myself that if this album even came close to, like, Top 50, I would've finally grabbed that carrot."

So Spiritbox's first album debuting at No. 13 "just doesn't feel real," he said. "It's super-validating, but at the same time, you almost don't know what to do. Because you're kind of like, 'Well, this is more than anything I've ever worked toward or what I thought was possible.'"

Spiritbox landed on the Billboard 200 barely behind efforts from Drake, Lil Nas X and Olivia Rodrigo. Eternal Blue also went No. 1 on Top Rock Albums.

In the U.S., Eternal Blue further arrived at the top of Billboard's Vinyl Album Sales chart, No. 2 on Independent Albums and No. 3 in Top Album Sales. Internationally, it hit No. 8 on Australia's Top 50 as well as No. 19 on the U.K.'s Top 100.

Spiritbox are due to tour North America next year alongside Underoath and Every Time I Die. A summer tour with Limp Bizkit was canceled after a few shows when the Fred Durst-led act dropped out.

LaPlante and Stringer's Billboard interview, which emerged on Tuesday, covers much more about Spiritbox related to their success. Read the full interview here.