Authenticity is a buzzword thrown around in countless marketing campaigns, but when it comes to Spiritbox’s lead singer Courtney LaPlante, it’s the real deal.

Formed in 2017, Spiritbox is a Grammy-nominated heavy metal band from Canada. It consists of lead singer Courtney LaPlante, her husband Mike Stringer on guitar, drummer Zev Rose, and bassist Josh Gilbert. Since releasing their debut album in 2021 to widespread acclaim, the band has seen their single “Jaded” nominated for Best Metal Performance at the 2023 Grammy Awards. They’ve collaborated with Megan Thee Stallion, toured with Shinedown and Korn, and recently released their new single, “Soft Spine.”

Now that the accolades are out of the way, let’s take a real look at the mind behind the music.

LaPlante doesn’t hold back, either on stage or off. Her live performances defy the genre’s typical expectations, as she moves across the stage with reckless abandon. Yet she doesn’t let the chaotic energy fool anyone, introducing the band’s latest single with a raw declaration: “This is to everyone I fucking hate.” Her off-stage demeanor is equally unfiltered, but the difference? She’s in comfy clothes, not a full performance outfit.

“I think there are so many tropes in our genre of how you need to be on stage,” says LaPlante. “It’s a bunch of straight men, so there’s certain societal expectations on how you’re supposed to perform heavy aggressive music… People get mad that I’m not scrunching my face up when I’m screaming. They say I have no emotion, but you don’t have to scrunch up your face! It actually hinders you—you want to relax your face.”

Courtney LaPlante’s Process

Spiritbox’s music similarly pushes past traditional genre boundaries, embracing a long-form creative process that takes time to develop. LaPlante contrasts this with bands she feels rush their music. “They’re thirsty,” she says, but Spiritbox takes their time. For LaPlante, the music they create is deeply personal. “The music we make, it’s not going to get put in a Cola commercial. It’s purely selfish art.” For her and her bandmates, it’s not about fitting into a genre or mass appeal, but making music they love. “There’s no reason other than just loving this kind of music to make this kind of music.”

This authenticity extends to how they approach social media. LaPlante mentions metalcore heavyweights like Bad Omens, Sleep Token, and Motionless in White as examples of bands that have blown up by being original and authentic, rather than chasing trends. She shudders at “the cringe” of trying to ride the latest viral wave and jokes that the metalcore genre are “unaware theater kids who shouldn’t be let out of the house.” 

LaPlante’s sharpest focus is always inward, and she holds herself to high standards, especially when it comes to live performance. What makes her stand out, though, is how this self-critique is never used to punch down. Rather than criticizing other artists, she directs that energy toward improving herself and her work.

This mindset is particularly evident when she discusses preparing for tour. Many artists, like Lzzy Hale, have spoken about the difficulty of recreating the raw emotion of their first demos. LaPlante, however, sees things differently.

“I think my joke is always that whatever you hear on the album is the worst I will ever sing that song because it’s my first time making it,” she says. “It’s a horrible selling point, but it’s true. I’m trying to figure out how to recreate the songs live, and then I just get better and better. I’ve gotten to perform it 15 times instead of zero times. Getting the technicality right is the most important part.”

This focus on technique drives LaPlante to seek real feedback, though she admits it’s hard to come by in the heavy music scene. Instead, she often finds herself lurking on Reddit forums for unfiltered opinions.

“Reddit forums are where fans are free from you, where they can say what they like and don’t like without your presence affecting them,” she says. “It’s important to give them that space so they feel comfortable being honest… What’s missing in the industry is real critique. We’re too protective of each other. Publicly, it’s rare to find negative reviews, but behind the scenes—everyone’s talking mad shit about each other. In contrast, the hip-hop world is more open about calling out when something doesn’t work. We need more of that honesty in our genre.”

Honesty remained the theme of the day, and LaPlante gave one more candid look into how she sees herself within the heavy music space. As one of the few “female-fronted” bands in the genre—a label she sees as just weird—she’s often labeled as an activist.

While Courtney LaPlante is vocal about her progressive beliefs, she resists that label.

“I’m a progressive person that would be considered leftist and very radical to someone who maintains the status quo,” she says. LaPlante believes every person deserves to be treated decently, regardless of their identity, sexuality, or race, but she is careful not to conflate that with activism. “By just acknowledging that, I don’t deserve the credit to be considered an activist… Merely saying that everyone deserves human rights should be the most baseline thing and should not be considered activism. I really appreciate and respect the people that are activists who are trying to help people.”

Whether she calls herself an activist or not, LaPlante’s unflinching honesty and commitment to creating music on her own terms have helped propel Spiritbox to new heights. Their journey is still unfolding, but one thing is certain: LaPlante isn’t here to compromise.

Stay tuned for more from Spiritbox on their upcoming shows and music, and if you’re lucky, you might catch LaPlante lurking on Reddit.