Spiritbox Singer Courtney LaPlante Speaks To How ‘Normies’ Don’t Get Metal

Foto: Andreas Lawen, Fotandi, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
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During a recent interview with Metal Injection, Spiritbox singer Courtney LaPlante talked about how normies don’t understand metal. The topic of normies and metal music came up when LaPlante was asked about the little girl who covered Spiritbox on America’s Got Talent.

Initially, Courtney LaPlante is asked if it feels validating to create music and for that music to inspire someone like 10-year old Harper. While LaPlante does speak to how validating that is, she also speaks to some initial concerns she had about potential audience reactions when Harper performed. This is everything Courtney had to say:

“When it aired and I finally got to watch it, I was ready. I was in defensive mode. I figured that if anyone was mean to her or something she would have told me about it or her parents would have told me. But maybe as a kid she doesn’t perceive stuff that I would perceive or the way they edit it. So the second the song starts, I see they show people in the audience like covering their ears. So I was loving that.

“But the respect is what I was surprised by. The respect from the judges and the crowd for what she was doing and actually appreciating it as a musician and the technique and how good she is at screaming. I couldn’t believe it. It was so cool to me. I think people that make this kind of music, the normies don’t like this and the joke always is if you did like it, I wouldn’t be making it. That’s always my defensive mode if someone goes ‘I just don’t understand why you make this weird music, but no offense, I just don’t get it.’ And my retort is ‘well, if you liked this music, I would not make it.’

“We all have that, it’s like being in the room of normies that don’t understand you, like it makes you sweaty. You’re already ready to be defensive. So it was so cool to me because she’s a kid and she’s approaching it from such an innocent place where there’s like no ego in it. She’s just really good at it. And so she’s showing her talent to people. It was so cool that people weren’t just treating it like oh haha, funny novelty.

“When I watch some people that are normies reacting to my band, I tried to explain to people who are like ‘you guys are so mainstream and generic.’ It’s like guys, if you show a normal person who’s not into this music our music they will laugh. It makes them laugh because they’re so uncomfortable and they think it’s funny because they’re all so far past all of us that like this kind of music, our gauge of what is mainstream is so messed up, you know?

“So that’s so cool to me because of the respect that she commanded and the confidence she had because her parents have instilled this confidence in her that you are a musician, this is valid music you’re making, you’re talented. That’s so cool to me. The coolest part was her confidence, because that shows that her parents never did what our parents probably did when we grew up discovering that. Most of our parents didn’t listen to this music, so they’re like ‘what the hell are you thinking?'”

We are happy for both Courtney LaPlante and Harper’s success! Keep rocking on! Do you have any experiences witnessing a “normie” listening to metal for the first time?

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