SPELLES is a dark velvety dream-pop duo out of Los Angeles who hexes and vexes with their unerringly eerie sound that fits their name like a glove. Yea they are spellbinding alright and so is their newest single “Holy Hells”, a song which, upon hearing its description immediately caught my imagination with its intriguing aesthetic premise: ”…a sophisticated blend of indie pop and blues/gospel influences”
This amazing track features strong gospel-infused percussion and a persistently groovy bass that has all the gravitas of a lion stalking its prey. The vocals go from soulful and sensual up to deeply spiritual and soaring in almost an instant as the song very subtly climbs to the very same “highs” that the lyrics describe.
The use of gospel elements isn’t just for show, the song utilizes religious-adjacent language to describe a process of inner alchemy or transformation of the self. It goes to great lengths to describe this process as a thoroughly spiritual journey full of hardship that forges you in its fire into something entirely different, harder, and much more resilient, a message that can resonate with true survivors.
“Holy Hells” ends up being a divine fusion of indie pop and blues/gospel elements that intertwine to form a deeply moving and spiritual piece of music. The song has been mixed by Andy D. Park, who has worked with the Deftones, and mastered by Greg Calbi and Steve Fallone, who have worked with David Bowie. The combination of these talented professionals has resulted in a polished and sophisticated sound that is both captivating and inspiring.
With over 5 million streams, Kathryn Baar and Luc Laurent -the two halves of SPELLES- have been gathering huge traction since 2014, after their unreleased song “Bird in a Cage” was featured on the hit TV show “Pretty Little Liars”. Since then, they have released two EPs, “SPELLES” and “Skeleton Coast I,” as well as multiple singles.
The band has been fortunate enough to have their music placed on several TV shows, including Good Girls, Big Sky, Charmed, and Nancy Drew, as well as a TV promo for ABC. Lead singer and songwriter Kathryn Baar has also collaborated with other artists, co-writing a song called “Let It Out” with Jordan Frye that landed an HBO promo. She has also lent her vocals and writing skills to “Fly” by The Avener and vocals to “Fade Away” by Claptone, which was initiated via a personal email from legendary producer Stuart Price (Madonna). SPELLES has performed live in Los Angeles alongside other popular acts such as LP, Dorothy, Cannons, Skott, and Nia.
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