When Love Is The Law: Love Spells Bares All
At the heart of Love Spells' debut album, LOVE IS THE LAW, lies a philosophy that reaches far beyond music. The Houston-born singer-songwriter invites us into his dreamlike love-soaked universe to explore identity, influence and doing everything for love.
Love Spells in 2026. Image property of Alex Lockett
A question as old as time: what is love? In this generation of lovers, that question has been altered ever so slightly—instead, we often ask, "what is your love language?" In his milestone book, The 5 Love Languages, Dr. Gary Chapman distilled the turmoil, emotions and communication involved in understanding how we give and receive love into five "love languages"; namely, acts of service, physical touch, quality time, receiving gifts and words of affirmation. But Love Spells is having none of that.
"There's certain things about love languages that I don't really believe in," shares the 21-year-old singer-songwriter, tuning into our conversation via video call from his hotel room in New York. An underlying buzz fills the air as he's gearing up for the release of his debut album LOVE IS THE LAW. "I can get behind it if somebody doesn't feel especially cared for unless they're being loved in a specific type of way. But I don't know, I'm on both sides of the coin."
Houston-born artist Sir Taegan Harris—better known as Love Spells—is showing an intentional vulnerability through his debut LP, and his sound is so distinctly him. Take the opening track "Don't Touch", which starts the record off with the distorted strum of a guitar, and a voice that will immediately catch your ear. Spells' unique vocal tone is ethereal, floating atop indie, soft rock sonics, demanding us to do away with any predictions of what LOVE IS THE LAW will entail.
The 12 tracks are charged with romanticism, exploring of all types of love and carried by dreamlike melodies and a hushed tone. His stance alone on the album artwork tells listeners that his way of loving isn't something that he shies away from, and accordingly, Spells is unhiding in his lyrics. "I feel so good about [this album], honestly." He tells me, his excitement cutting through the choppy Wi-Fi that separates us.
Homeless in Houston at 18, Love Spells decided to go all in on his music career. That summer he moved to California to stay with an online friend in efforts to get his foot in the door to studio sessions, leading to the creation of his single "Lovers Only". It wasn't until the completion of Kevin Abstract's acclaimed 2025 LP Blush—which Spells had been personally invited out to LA to help work on—that he felt that burst of motivation to work on his own music.
Now at 21, his younger self shines through his work. "I've always had a pretty diverse music taste, especially in the way that I made music growing up. It really expanded when I met my three best friends back in Texas," Spells explains. He continues, "We'd be in the car and they'd always be playing music. I remember the first time I ever got introduced to Jeff Buckley was through [my friend] and her sisters fangirling over him. I was like, 'Bro, who is this guy?'"
With LOVE IS THE LAW comes an embrace of identity and a rediscovery of what Love Spells truly enjoys, whether that's through classical films ("I watched Phantom of the Paradise again… I just was loving it"), or his passion for dance ("I really go out and dance all the time. I'll go to the dance studio almost every day until 2am and I've actually made a lot of friends over there literally just by doing that.")
And dancing is something that Spells is becoming increasingly recognised for. "I never learned professionally, but I used to watch a lot of dance videos as a kid. A lot of music videos, a lot of Prince, I used to play a bunch of Michael Jackson Experience and Just Dance too," Spells reminisces.
“You can ask me what I’ll do for love, but anything I’ve felt like doing, I’ve just done it.”
His taste runs wide and, rather than shying away from his influences through his tracks, he wears them on his sleeve. Without a pause, "Heroes" by David Bowie, "Cry" by Godley & Creme and George Michael's "Freedom! '90" are songs that come to mind as songs he wishes he had written. And just when I think his list is complete, he adds another contender—"I gotta throw an '80s new wave song in there… I'll say 'Blue Monday' by New Order or Talking Heads' 'This Must Be the Place.'" Elements of their musicality are emulated throughout LOVE IS THE LAW, but with a new breath of life that could have only been brought through Spells' vision.
Each track on LOVE IS THE LAW carries its own story, but that he's particularly excited to release is "Heart For Eyes". "I don't know what it is about that one, it's just my favourite. It's a different type of vibe and I'm curious to see what people make of it."
While leading single "Crutch" was the first track to be completed, the Rolling Stones-esque "Maybe I Still Love You" was the final to be added to the record. Spells makes it known though—his creation turnaround is quick. When it comes to choosing which tracks will make it onto the album, "it's always fresh material." For the most part, he doesn't like revisiting songs or taking them home. "I kind of bring the whole thing out in the time that I'm [in the studio]."
With an entire musical identity rooted in love and romance, the conversation inevitably shifts from the songs to the experiences that shaped them. "I think I've done everything for love… Oh my God, even in my head right now I was thinking about moving to Milan—it's a long story…[but] I'm still considering it," he shares, ending this confession in a whisper.
"I feel like I'm somebody who actively gets up and goes after things, you know? When I was really young, 17, I dated this girl and I would literally take flights to go see her. You can ask me what I'll do for love, but anything I've felt like doing, I've just done it."
And when it comes to perception, Spells is open and honest. "Looks can absolutely be deceiving… I always think to myself that people are so different—you can look a certain way but act a different way. You can say one thing and feel another thing two seconds later. The way you perceive things only matters so much."
With the album ready and an American and European tour lined up for summer—including a solo concert at Moth Club before taking on London's All Points East stage curated by Tyler, the Creator this August—this era for Love Spells is the perfect reintroduction.
As for what he hopes listeners will take away from this album, he ties it up seamlessly: "It's in the title, honestly. I want people to live by it in their own way, whatever it means to them. I want people to take it and wear it with them everywhere they go."
Stream LOVE IS THE LAW below: