“People think we were manufactured by the music industry to make them loads of money. That would be one of the worst investments ever”: How Spiritbox’s Mike Stringer went from reluctant hometown hero to metal’s new seven-string phenomenon

Mike Stringer wear a black hoodie and stands in a field of straw-colored long grass with trees in the background. He is holding an Aristides seven-string guitar.

Who the hell are Spiritbox? That’s what gaggles of boomers and other pre-millennials asked in November when the Canadian quartet was nominated for its second Grammy in a row for Best Metal Performance.

To the unfamiliar, Spiritbox seemed to storm the scene like a tornado through a gated community, emerging from blue skies to open 25 dates for Korn, collaborating twice with star rapper Megan Thee Stallion, decorating playlists with millions of streams and getting handpicked to play select dates with Linkin Park – all before releasing their second full-length album.