Based in Breda, The Netherlands, indie rock band Spiritbox have a tendency to lean towards the darker side of things.
Their new single Doris is a brooding, melancholic number – accompanied by a surrealist, cinematic music video. Lead singer Hans Meerten’s deep baritone vocals softly lament over dreamy, mournful guitar melodies.
I had a chat to the band to find out more about the music scene in Breda and the story behind the song and video….
Hey SPIRITBOX! How did you form as a band and what’s the story behind the name?
We formed in 2017 in Breda. A spirit box is a communication tool used to bridge the gap between the earth realm and the spirit realm. It’s connotation suits the atmosphere of our music and lyrics; we tell stories we might not be able to tell without the band as a device.
You’ve just released your new single Doris. Can you tell me a little more about the meaning behind the song and how it was written / recorded?
Doris began with this catchy and melancholy guitar theme that Ruben came up with. Affected by the mood it evoked, our singer spontaneously came up with a vocal melody and a personal narrative to go along with it.
While working it out together as a song, we focused on keeping the arrangement intimate and sparse, emphasising the protagonist’s weariness. In the chorus, the mood shifts a bit, as if there is one last time for making a plea for love.
The artwork is really striking. Who designed it?
Our frontman, who is also a professional visual artist. Our songs’ concerns are reflected in all our expressions. Also, ghosts, cannibals, Western outlaws, femmes fatales and flying squids are inhabiting the lyrical imagery, so there’s a lot to capture.
I see you’re based in Breda in The Netherlands. What’s the music scene like over there? Do your surroundings influence your music?
Breda is the breeding ground for many famous EDM-artists. The alternative music scene is active and close-knit but relatively small. This might be one of the reasons up until now our songs are mainly inspired by fictional and extraordinary places and stories instead of our own hometown.
At the same time, Breda is a beautiful and historic city with many interesting places and venues. One of those is the ancient Breda monastery which we used as a backdrop in the Doris video. In the future we would like to incorporate more of the local heritage in our music.
If you could perform anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
Playing a show amidst the Capuchin Burial Catacombs of Palermo in Sicily would surely evoke the haunting atmosphere which we try to establish in our songs.
More conventionally speaking, we would love to perform on the main stages of some of the legendary concert venues in the Netherlands, such as Paradiso or Melkweg.
What’s coming up next for you guys?
We will be playing as many shows as possible over the coming months to support our upcoming album.
We will be playing at the POBParade festival during Easter in Breda, as well as a number of festivals over the summer. Exact dates will be announced on our Instagram and Facebook page.
Moreover, we will be releasing at least one more single with an accompanying video in the lead up to our album release.
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