Willa Kaplan to Release Debut LP SPINE; Shares 'Nothing's Sacred'

Los Angeles-based artist Willa Kaplan has announced that her debut album Spine will be released on February 19th, 2027, sharing its lead single 'Nothing's Sacred' as a preview, alongside a full-band live performance video filmed at Altamira Sound.

On Spine, Kaplan makes peace with anxiety by turning it into a melody. Across a collection of dusky folk, offbeat indie, and hushed acoustic pop distinguished by her wordplay and emotional precision, Kaplan positions herself among the most promising young singer-songwriters today. 'Spine is about learning to have a backbone in your own life and relationships. It's about coming to terms with the idea that nobody is going to give you permission but you,' she reflects. Of 'Nothing's Sacred,' she adds: 'This song is about nature vs. nurture, and what it takes for inherent core beliefs in a person to be challenged–in the song's narrative, it's falling for someone and noticing yourself change in ways you didn't see coming.'

Spine is now available for pre-save/pre-order.

As Spine was coming together, Kaplan realized that the music was a sonic representation of anxiety. 'These songs are intended to sound like they're existing inside someone's head,' she explains. 'And all these elements—guitar swells, self-oscillating analog delay, pedal effect feedback, white noise—are the manifestation of what anxiety sounds like. These sounds and feelings come in and out of the album, reflecting the mercurial nature of anxiety. It shows up at odd times and takes up unexpected amounts of space. Eventually the static dissipates, but never for long. You're forced to cope as it's all swimming together, enjoying the quieter moments when they come, and finding resilience amidst the louder ones.' Kaplan's vocals are rich with empathy and poetry as she wields devastating similes and vivid imagery to work through feelings of loneliness and avoidance.

Kaplan co-produced Spine with her friend and drummer Andrew Tachine, recording in his Echo Park home studio in a process that 'felt very homegrown,' she says. The pair took their time, spending a solid year making sure the album was exactly to their liking. As a result, Spine sounds deliberate; lush, but not overwrought. Every note, vocal, and instrumental flourish was intentional. Here Kaplan–who counts Joanna Newsom, Jeff Buckley and Patti Smith among her greatest inspirations–channels her creative ambition into a formidable arrival. The album introduces an artist fully in tune with herself and her powers. 'Towards the end of making the record, I read this Nina Simone quote: Freedom means no fear,' she says. 'I remember saying to myself that I want to be fearless.'

Spine LP Tracklist

1. Great Escape

2. Nothing's Sacred

3. Television

4. Spine

5. Casual Ginsberg

6. Unwise

7. Grace

8. Dream Lover

9. God Song

10. Laundry

11. Traffic

12. Rations

Photo Credit: Daniel Topete