Love isn’t just a feeling, it’s the law. That’s the way Love Spells, the musical vision of 21-year-old Houston native Sir Taegen Harris, sees it.
That central truth drives Love Spells’ debut album LOVE IS THE LAW, a dreamy, rhythm-forward project that showcases the young artist’s singular vision and talent. “Our lives revolve around love,” he reflects, wise beyond his years. “We do so many things because of it and so many problems come out of it.”
Harris’ true love is music, driven by an insatiable passion to make his dreams come true. At 18, he was homeless in Houston, struggling to manifest a career out of his ambition. He headed to California and jumped straight into the industry while living with a friend he made online. He spent that hot summer on the train and bus for up to four hours a day to record at storied studios like Shangri-la in Malibu, reeling from his first heartbreak and pouring those feelings into songs like “Lovers Only,” which he released last year.
After six months, he returned to Houston and shortly after, got a call from Kevin Abstract, who invited Harris to move into a house with him and other creatives to begin working on Abstract’s acclaimed 2025 LP Blush. After they finished working on the album last spring, Harris felt motivated to get back to LA and work on his own new music.
“It felt like a fresh start for me,” he says. He wanted to make an album that reflected that. “I’ve bloomed so much. My life is still changing and so much about myself is still changing. I’m coming into myself even more.”
This time around, Harris was on a mission to dance. Growing up in Houston, he procured a fake ID so that he could dance at the locally-beloved dance club, Numbers, a long-standing safe haven for alternative communities in Houston, TX. There, he would dance to ‘70s, ‘80s and New Wave music. He wanted to inject that feeling into his music, seeking out similar spaces in LA and leaning on those eras in the studio.
“I don’t want to be someone who only makes slow, sad music,” he says. “That’s not even who I am all the time. I love to dance.”
Upon his return to the west coast, he fell in love… with a car… a 1970 Chevelle to be exact. The car has been his passport in more ways than just last-minute road trips with his friends. He would drive around LA and fall in love with songs like Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m on Fire,” a way to embrace personal freedom while deepening his love for music. Back at his house, he watched classic movies like Dirty Dancing and Footloose for the first time. The “theatrical yet authentic” feeling of those films was something he wanted to replicate in the studio.
To make LOVE IS THE LAW, he worked closely with his friends Danny Parra and Boy Deco, who co-produced “Lovers Only.” He also found new musical kinship with an A-list team of songwriters and producers who helped bring his vision to life: Brad Hale, Rodaidh McDonald, Alex Craig and the legendary Rick Nowels, who taught Harris to embrace the more soulful side of his voice.
Harris embodies that soul on lead single “Crutch.” Abstract and Dominic Fike first debuted the song on Apple’s Geezer Radio, but Harris wasn’t sure if the song would ever be officially released. The shoegaze-y dream pop track was inspired by an experience he had with a friend who he felt was depending on him as an emotional crutch.
“It’s when you know something is bad for you but you continue on with it anyway,” he further explains.
On the smooth second single “Keep It to Yourself,” Harris recalls having issues with someone in his friend group but wanting to keep the rest of their friends out of their drama. “Everyone doesn’t need to know if we’re fighting,” he says. “That should be kept between us.”
LOVE IS THE LAW is a rich tapestry of Harris’ taste. While the sexy “Don’t Touch” pulls inspiration from David Bowie and the Rolling Stones, ballad “Maybe I Still Love You” was prompted by his experience listening to the Eagles’ “Take It to the Limit” and reflecting on music made by white artists who grew up in the church. It’s a soulful, devotional track that also owes plenty to Prince.
Leading up to this new album, Love Spells has been seeing his star shine brighter than ever. Abstract has pulled him into his own extensive music community, and Harris appeared on Abstract and Fike’s song “Doggy.” Other heroes have become his champions, including Justin Bieber, Erykah Badu, Young Thug, Lorde, The Marías, RM of BTS, and Suki Waterhouse. Last year, he opened for both Sharon Van Etten and Fike. More than anything, he’s grateful for the experiences he’s increasingly had at shows like those, whether he’s dancing in the audience while other artists play or speaking with new and old fans after a show of his own. Love Spells is excited to continue his performances at upcoming festivals like Lollapalooza in Chicago and All Things Go in Maryland.
“I want to keep building a deep connection to random people,” he says, giddily. Love is a law he’ll always abide by.
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