Interview: Lexi Reyngoudt of Spaced

Photo by Emily Hartmann

We’re thrilled to present an interview with Lexi Reyngoudt, the powerhouse vocalist of Spaced, a hardcore band hailing from Buffalo, NY. They’re gearing up to drop their new album, “This Is All We Ever Get,” on March 22nd via legendary Revelation Records. We talked about their latest single, upcoming album, musical direction, inspiration, gigs, etc. Enjoy!

The new album, “This Is All We Ever Get,” showcases a blend of hardcore with out-of-this-world sounds. How did the band come up with the concept of merging all these elements, and what influenced this unique musical direction?

The initial conception of SPACED was to take a traditional hardcore base and fuse it with textures and soundscapes that may not be as common in the genre. We all have a bunch of different influences outside of the hardcore space. Joe (guitarist) in particular is always searching for different textures and sounds to draw inspiration from when it comes to writing the guitar parts. He incorporates different textures and tones that could be found in songs by artists like My Bloody Valentine and The Cure. We love New Wave and Shoegaze and thought it would be cool to translate it into hardcore to a degree.

In “Rat Race,” the lyrics convey a strong message about not conforming to societal expectations. How does this theme reflect the overall ethos of Spaced, and what personal experiences inspired the song’s lyrics?

We’ve always felt true to the message of being yourself and not caring what others think, but “Rat Race” kind of takes it to another level. It’s not fun being stuck in a day-to-day situation where everything’s the same! Personally, I think it’s important to do what you really want in life rather than become another cog in the machine. Our music is always about doing what’s right for you.

The video for “Rat Race” is directed by Alex Behrens and captures a soul-stirring performance in black and white. How did the collaboration with Behrens come about, and what visual elements were essential to convey the essence of the song?

Alex has been a good friend of ours; he went to the same college as Dan, John, and I. We’ve always been a fan of his work, and most recently he started his own musical project with Joe that made us want to work with him. His and Joe’s project, Wife and Kids, recently released a really cool music video for their song “Possible” that seemed like something we would want to do for the “Rat Race” video. We let him and his brother Andrew take most of the creative control for the video; all we told him was we wanted to do a sort of live performance of the song in Dan’s Uncle’s workshop. It was really cool to see these ideas Alex and Andrew had come to life with the video.

The band’s previous releases include a demo, a compilation, and a dual single. How has the evolution of Spaced’s sound unfolded since the initial demo, and what lessons has the band learned along the way in shaping its musical identity?

We’ve always had a vision for what we wanted to sound like, but as time has gone on, we’ve really grown and feel really confident with where we’re at right now. You can listen to the demo and go “Oh yeah, I can see how Spaced started with a sound like this and has changed a bit.” When we wrote “Boomerang” and “Cycle Killer” last year, we felt really good about how it sounded and knew we wanted to continue that into the album. When we first started, we weren’t as comfortable as we are now being open and creative regarding writing. It’s a big collaborative effort now, and it’s cool to feel comfortable enough with each other to bounce ideas off of for new songs when we write! We aren’t afraid to push ourselves and pull inspiration from various bands and artists.

Having signed with Revelation Records in 2023, how has this partnership influenced the creative process and the overall trajectory of Spaced as a band?

Revelation has been so awesome to work with. Everyone over there is so supportive! We’ve all been fans of Rev forever, but we’ve definitely grown to appreciate the bands on the label more than ever. We draw a lot of inspiration from Youth of Today, Gorilla Biscuits, Warzone, The Rival Mob, and Texas Is The Reason so it’s cool to share the Rev star with them!

The album was recorded at GCR Audio in Buffalo, NY, with Jay Zubricky. How did the choice of location and producer contribute to capturing the desired sound for “This Is All We Ever Get,” and what was the recording process like for the band?

We’re all really good friends with Jay, and the guys have all worked with him before. We knew we wanted to work with Jay once we started writing the record. He’s worked with so many great bands from Buffalo–Terror, Snapcase, Exhibition, and Violent Way to name a few. It was very easy and comfortable recording with him, especially since we had a familiarity with him prior. Recording vocals with him was new for me, but I really loved the process. He suggested different vocal styles and projections for me to do that I never would have thought of and I really think those took the songs to a whole new level. Jay is awesome, and I truly think everyone should work with him if given the chance. 

Spaced draws from a wide range of influences on the new record while staying centered around individuality. Can you share some specific musical influences that shaped your sound, and how does the band balance these diverse inspirations within its unique style?

Vocally, I drew much inspiration from The Rival Mob, Trapped Under Ice, and No Warning for this record. I listen to those bands all the time and going into the album I was listening to them even more in preparation for what I wanted to sound like on these songs. Riff-wise, we listened to those bands and others like Suicidal Tendencies, Gorilla Biscuits, Youth of Today, etc., and added various reverb, flange, chorus, and phaser textures to compliment the tracks to fulfill the SPACED sound.

The album’s title, “This Is All We Ever Get,” suggests a sense of urgency or immediacy. What is the underlying message or theme that the band wants listeners to take away from this collection of songs?

Originally, we just picked the name cause it’s a lyric on “Big Picture,” but it actually does hold some meaning. It can feel a bit defeated and exhausted, but it can also feel confident. The lyrics on some of the songs on this record feel fed up with everything and how we’re treated while still feeling ourselves and saying “fuck you” to what others think about us.

Working with Will Killingsworth at Dead Air Studios for mastering, how did this collaboration contribute to the final sonic quality of the album, and what role does the mastering process play in shaping the overall listening experience for the audience?

Will’s worked with so many great bands in hardcore and it just made sense, plus Jay has worked with him in the past. A few emails back and forth is all it took, and it elevated the mixes. The process couldn’t have been easier, and mastering is like icing on a cake; meaning it’s meant to compliment something but not overstep in any means.

The lyrics of “Rat Race” touch on the idea of not fitting into everyday life. How does Spaced navigate the balance between staying true to its unique artistic vision and connecting with a broader audience within the hardcore community?

Hardcore at its core is for the people who don’t fit in with society. The genre was created by people who didn’t feel like they fit in with what was going around with them musically or in their personal lives; they needed a completely new outlet for a bunch of misfits. Being hardcore is being yourself, and that’s what Spaced is all about. Our lyrics are just reiterating a message that has been around for 40+ years to a community that can relate to it.

Your vocals are a distinctive element of Spaced’s sound. Can you share insights into the vocal approach taken for the new album and how it enhances the overall sonic atmosphere of the music?

As I’ve gotten more comfortable with my vocal style, my voice has gotten deeper and grittier when performing live. It can be hard to translate my live vocals to what comes out on the record, but I think this is the closest I’ve ever gotten with this album. Like I mentioned before, Jay pushed me to try new things, and I think that really helped with how every song came out.

As a Buffalo, NY-based band, how has the local music scene influenced Spaced’s journey, and are there specific aspects of the city’s culture or community that have left a lasting impact on the band’s creative process?

We love Buffalo and the bands that come from it; Snapcase, Buried Alive, Every Time I Die, It Dies Today, Zero Tolerance, Violent Way, Exhibition, Fatal Visions, Jeweltone, and so many others. Buffalo is all about community and lifting each other up and there’s something really special brewing right now. The scene is stronger than it’s ever been today and it’s BSHC till the day I die.

Source: thoughtswordsaction.com