A HAUNTING SOUND: This Musical Duo Weaves Their Inner and Outer Worlds Together
The Spine Stealers’ leading women reflect on their midwest upbringing, in tune with the natural world
In the soft stillness of a shared hometown, two voices found each other in the never-ending fields of Wisconsin — making music shaped by their environment and the soft echoes that called them home.
The Spine Stealers are fronted by vocalists Emma O'Shea (acoustic guitar) and Kate Ruland (electric guitar). Raised in Sun Prairie, they reconnected in their hometown five years ago after pursuing separate paths in Chicago and Eau Claire. Since then, the duo — now roommates and musical partners — has formed an inseparable and complementary whole.
“I feel like we're very lucky, in the sense that we have quite a yin-and-yang relationship,” O’Shea said. “The songwriter process is always different for everyone, but we're able to bounce back and forth — stylistically we're really aligned and open to new things.”
“We're both very good at exploring things creatively in our own worlds,” Ruland added. “It has been an interesting experience to be alongside somebody that is extremely creative and really does think about things similarly but also differently.”
The duo and their rotating ensemble members have garnered a growing fan base through open-mics in Madison, Wisconsin, and across the state — often associated with the genre "spooky folk." However, the duo said this was not a descriptor they initially applied to their more melancholic melodies. This designation has, it seems, emerged through the interpretations and impressions of their audience, they both shared.
“There is a very precious sense of calmness that comes within rural Midwestern landscapes and the places where people congregate."
Emma o'shea
vocalist, the spine stealers
The name of The Spine Stealers, much like the genres they explore, embodies a shifting significance for both the group and their listeners — taking on its own identity beyond the musicians who created it.
“We’ve adopted the name 'Spine Stealers' and we also have adopted the characterization of 'spooky folk' — both given to us and not self-identified,” Ruland said. “Those are two good examples of us learning what this (group) is through other people bouncing their ideas off of it too.”
The duo recently performed in Eau Claire at the Robert Manz Gibson Street Entry (128 Graham Avenue) venue alongside Sarah Elstran and Valerie Evans of Echo Parlor on April 19.
For attendees of the show, O’Shea’s vocals possessed a haunting and angelic quality, complemented by Ruland’s eerie harmonies. O’Shea and Ruland were accompanied by James Strelow (pedal steel guitar) and Vinnie Donatelle (fiddle) for this intimate show.
With inspiration drawn from natural landscapes, summers spent in the Northwoods of Wisconsin at dive bars, and truck stops, The Spine Stealers share indie-folk tunes — expressing themes of love, heartbreak, and friendship.
Growing up in Wisconsin, both vocalists have found meaningful connections in the pockets of everyday life, where ordinary aspects of existence held weight and meaning.
“There is a very precious sense of calmness that comes within rural Midwestern landscapes and the places where people congregate,” O’Shea said. “I think we both have learned about ourselves through these not-so-rushed atmospheres.”
These nostalgic spaces and places are powerful influences in their creative songwriting process and drive the storytelling and personal observations woven throughout their released music online.
"In our case (with songwriting), you pull from what's nostalgic – and certain parts of nature – in the world around you that help explain how you feel.
Kate Ruland
VOCALIST, THE SPINE STEALERS
Led by these central themes, the Spine Steelers released their debut EP, River Teeth Tapes, in July 2023. Their first full-length album, If the Sky Falls, Beyond the Sidewalks, was recorded the following year in 2024.
“It's easy to draw comparisons from the inner world and outer world — with nature — and personify those elements to relate back to emotions,” Ruland said. “In our case (with songwriting), you pull from what's nostalgic — and certain parts of nature — in the world around you that help explain how you feel.”
The Spine Stealers' EP and debut album feature original songs by O'Shea and Ruland. However, listeners might recognize samples of poetry and prose in the track, "To Emma (Lord Byron)." This musical reinvention of the nineteenth-century poem can be credited to a tattered copy O'Shea carried with her from her days as a student at UW-Eau Claire.
O’Shea reflected on the shared themes of admiration within the poem and their musical interpretation, noting, “we all become a little bit beautifully pathetic when we fall in love — you just can't help but admire whoever you're in love with.”
The Spine Stealers' ties to Eau Claire and their performances throughout the Chippewa Valley have brought the group back to the city repeatedly. Fans from the area — and fellow musicians alike — have embraced the duo’s deeply personal, organic sound.
Following accolades they received in the 2023 Blue Ox Music Festival Virtual Band Competition, The Spine Stealers will return to the pines to perform at this summer's festival on Friday, June 27.
O'Shea said she has found sanctuary and creative fuel in the scenic environment surrounding the UW-Eau Claire campus and the city’s performing venues, as well as within the local community.
“The Chippewa River is like another mother to me,” O’Shea said. “I think there's a very interesting, eccentric, sometimes dark energy in Eau Claire — the city is a huge inspiration for a lot of my writing.”
As the group continues to weave through the Midwest with upcoming shows, new recordings and sound experimentation are on The Spine Stealers’ horizon, the duo shared.
The dynamic magic of live performance and sharing personal expression with an audience is unparalleled, they said. However, the experience of working in a studio and learning the fundamentals of publishing their music beyond small venues is singular, and has deepened the artistic connection and personal bond between O’Shea and Ruland.
“These days especially, I think recording is very important,” Ruland said. “If you play a show in person and people really love it, (we) want them to be able to listen to the songs they loved from the live show over and over again.”
The Spine Stealers, featuring the core duo and various collaborators, can be streamed on all major listening platforms. Stay updated with The Spine Stealers and view their summer tour dates on social media (@thespinestealers).
