While most living things stretch toward the sun, The Spikes turn inward with their debut LP First Light—an album that blooms in the shadows. This evocative eight‑track collection is shaped by a poetic, instinct‑driven process that transforms darkness into a place of reflection, rebirth, and emotional excavation. Drifting through memory fragments, romantic unraveling, and the strange beauty of half‑lit moments, First Light feels like a quiet awakening.
At the center of the album sits its emotional core and focus track, “Garden Song.” A tender ballad, it captures the rare safety found in another’s arms—an intimate refuge rather than a polished fantasy. First Light embraces raw edges, atmospheric textures, and the power of silence, allowing its stories to breathe. The track arrives with a striking music video that expands its emotional resonance and universal message.
Stream “First Light” HERE
First Light follows the release of two recent singles—“Dancing (In the Palm of My Hand)” and “Sapling Tree”—each paired with visually arresting videos directed by acclaimed filmmaker Michael Haussman (Madonna, Kanye West, Justin Timberlake). Together, they establish The Spikes’ stark, cinematic world and their commitment to poetic storytelling.
Frontman Iago describes the album as “ethereal beauty—cinematic, emotional, and deeply personal. Musically, it’s more stripped back and quieter than my previous work, but also more complex, layered, and atmospheric.”
“Garden Song” serves as the album’s emotional anchor. “I set out to write a traditional and honest love song—my own interpretation of something classic and timeless,” Iago shares. “At the time, the feelings of love and safety were very strong. No matter what happens in the world, there’s always safety in each other’s arms. Or each other’s Garden.”
The accompanying video deepens this sentiment, placing “Garden Song” in a universal context. Filmed in a Roman neighborhood social club café, it features faces of all ages and backgrounds—an ode to love without boundaries. “It becomes a love song with no limits of age, race, sex, or class,” Iago explains. “It’s odd, sometimes weird, but ultimately very touching as I sing to old ladies and old men—not just the young.”
The album’s emotional palette widens with tracks like “Dancing (In the Palm of My Hand)”—inspired by the misunderstood longing of The Great Gatsby—and “Sapling Tree,” which explores the loneliness and inspiration found in travel and the journey of becoming. Iago’s writing process, influenced by the Random Selection cut‑up method used by William Burroughs and David Bowie, brings unpredictability and depth to every lyric.
From the narrative sweep of “By the Moors” to the satirical bite of “Electric Cannibal,” First Light explores intimacy, destruction, delusion, and longing. Rather than offering a fixed storyline, the album invites listeners to interpret its emotional landscapes through their own lived experiences.
“First Light doesn’t offer resolution—it offers resonance,” Iago concludes. “I want listeners to feel the emotion, experience it, and make it their own. This is music that doesn’t just speak—it stays with you.”
First Light LP Tracklisting:
- Sapling Tree
- Garden Song (Focus Track)
- Set Me Free
- Jungle Boy
- By the Moors
- Dancing (In the Palm of My Hand)
- Electric Cannibal
- My Fair Love