Courtney LaPlante: "Women Have More Chances Than Ever" to Win a Grammy

When you’ve been around the block as long as I have, you get used to hearing musicians gush about their “most ambitious project yet.” But Courtney LaPlante, frontwoman of Spiritbox, might actually have a point with her upcoming album, Tsunami Sea, dropping March 7, 2025, via Pale Chord and Rise Records. Yes, it’s a ways off, but she’s already playing the role of ambassador for these tracks, ready to convert skeptics and fans alike.

“I wish it was out tomorrow,” she admitted during a chat with Brazilian journalist Igor Miranda. She’s itching to perform the new material live, and who could blame her? Sitting on a batch of songs this long is like baking a cake and not being allowed to eat it. But Courtney insists that the wait is worth it, giving the band time to ensure the music gets the spotlight it deserves.

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With their nomination for Cellar Door, Spiritbox brings attention to the underrepresentation of women in metal awards.

Discussing the album’s place in the Spiritbox catalog, Courtney sees Tsunami Sea as a progression rather than a detour. She describes the band’s music as an interconnected web — think concept albums in disguise. The connection to their past releases, Eternal Blue (2021) and The Fear of Fear EP (2023), isn’t accidental. It’s all part of the master plan, but without the obnoxious label of a “concept album” slapped on the front. Instead, listeners are invited to connect the dots themselves.

Lyrically and thematically, she describes it as a reflection of her growth as an individual. If Eternal Blue was the bold younger sibling, Tsunami Sea is the more confident, seasoned counterpart — the one that finally knows what it’s doing.

The band’s journey from recording in kitchens to full-time dedication comes through loud and clear. “We’re not winging it anymore,” Courtney quipped, pointing out how their days of juggling nine-to-five jobs and weekend jam sessions are behind them. “Now, this is our job, and we treat it as such.” In other words, they’ve graduated from DIY rookies to polished professionals.

Grammy Buzz and Shifting Tides

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: Spiritbox snagging their second Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance. This time, it’s for their track Cellar Door. Courtney still seems a little stunned. “I can’t believe it,” she says, but what stands out is her observation of a new trend. Younger bands like Knocked Loose and Poppy are rubbing elbows with heavyweights like Gojira. “This doesn’t happen,” she pointed out, highlighting how rare it is to see multiple up-and-coming acts in the same category.

And then there’s the elephant within the elephant: women in metal. The Best Metal Performance category has been around since 1989 — the same year Courtney was born — and no solo woman or female-fronted band has won it. Sure, Halestorm managed to snag a win under the now-defunct Hard Rock/Metal category, but it’s not the same.

“There are more chances than ever now,” she said, referencing the fact that three out of the five nominees this year include women or female collaborators. Whether it’s Spiritbox, Knocked Loose, Poppy, or even Gojira (whose nominated track features a female opera singer), there’s a palpable sense of anticipation for that long-overdue win.

Behind the Scenes of Tsunami Sea

The album’s production team reads like a who’s who of metal’s top players. Dan Braunstein and Mike Stringer handle production, with Zakk Cervini on mixing duties and Ted Jensen mastering the whole thing. It’s the kind of roster that screams “we mean business.” Pre-orders are already up, so fans can secure their copy here.

If this is Spiritbox living their “dream lives,” as Courtney puts it, they’re certainly not wasting any time. The Grammy nods and buzzy new album suggest that the band is more than ready to ride this wave. The question is whether the industry — and its archaic awards system — can finally catch up.

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