Spaced

It’s very easy to fall in a pit of pessimism and nihilism these days, making it all the more necessary to find some sense of self empowerment and strength regardless of outside or internal pressures.That’s how the members of SPACED felt when they were writing what would become No Escape, the Buffalo, NY band’s new EP and first release for Pure Noise Records. The fact its songs are vicious and angry is a given, SPACED are, after all, a hardcore band, so something would be remiss if they weren’t. But, it’s not just angry. The five-piece—vocalist Lexi Reyngoudt, guitarists Joe Morganti and Donny Arthur, bassist John Vaughan and drummer Dan McCormick—were very much inspired by something that Scott Vogel, the frontman of influential hardcore stalwarts Terror, has often talked about: “He’s always said that hardcore is this positive aggression,” explains Reyngoudt, “and that’s what No Escape feels like to me. Like, yeah, we’re angry, but we’re putting it into something that we feel is positive.”

As belligerent, ferocious, and cathartic as these songs are, they’re not just a release of bad energy. They also convert it into something useful, something constructive, something to counter the fear and disgust that inspired it. “Whenever I feel like the world is going crazy—whether recently or in the past—I’ve been able to find solace and community in punk and hardcore music,” says Arthur, “and that’s always been really important to me. Seeing bands with meaning and a message has always been really centric to my ethos, so being able to be a part of that, and see other people connecting with our music is really special.”

Even though SPACED are a relatively new band, that connection has been happening for a while. Formed in 2021, after a few independent releases, their 2024 mini-album This Is All We Ever Get was released by seminal hardcore label Revelation Records. That was a dream come true for the nascent five-piece, as is having this EP come out on Pure Noise, another instrumental label for the band members. “It was a bucket list achievement to put a record out on Revelation,” says Arthur, “they’ve released some of my favorite records of all time, and now we’re definitely continuing that with Pure Noise. The catalog speaks for itself, the label speaks for itself, and it’s a tremendous honor to be part of the roster.” Reyngoudt adds, “I remember when we signed the contract for this EP, I was like, ‘We can quit now. This could be it and I’m good.’”

Thankfully, they didn’t, because No Escape is a crushing piece of work that holds a mirror up to the dystopian nature of life today–and it also absolutely rips. Recorded and mixed by producer Jay Zubricky (Every Time I Die, Terror, Age of Apocalypse) at his Buffalo studio, No Escape takes SPACED’s self-described “far-out hardcore” sound and pushes it even further. The EP’s five songs are as vibrant as they are heavy, packed with stomping riffs and streaks of psychedelic guitar textures. “Our sound adds elements of psych and shoegaze to the ethos and foundation of hardcore without diluting it,” explains Morganti. “We all have eclectic tastes and keep various sounds in mind that might work within our space. Bands like The Chameleons, Swervedriver, My Bloody Valentine, influence us even if that ends up being a small fraction of our overall sound. There’s plenty of pure guitar rippers I love but I’m also drawn to a lot of guitar work from people like Kevin Shields and Lee Renaldo.” Reyngoudt adds, “We always wanted to fuck with the boundaries of hardcore so we would stand out from the everybody else.”

The EP also marks the first time that Reyngoudt focused on writing the lyrics by herself rather than collaboratively, and they perfectly match the urgency of the band’s music. “Hardcore is as political as it gets right now,” she says. “You can’t go to a show without someone talking about what’s going on in the world, whether that’s here or in Gaza. How can you be a part of punk and not want to talk about what’s bad in the world? Because at its core, that’s what hardcore is all about. Even though shit is really hard right now, we need community to help us. And the hardcore community will do that—you’ll find the people that will go to bat for you and help you fight back.”

With these five songs, SPACED are providing a soundtrack for fighting back. The title track opens No Escape with a bang then the EP continues with “Cause And Effect” and “How Did It Come To This?”, two blistering tracks in search of answers amongst the chaos while simultaneously offering a potent sense of solidarity. “Pressure” and “Dog Bite” then bring the EP to a close with bursts of colorful guitar effects cutting through vicious walls of distortion. The five songs are a prime example of SPACED’s modern take on elements of classic Boston and New York hardcore, but they also highlight just how much fun aggressive music can be

“SPACED’s music, live performances, and vibe are about having fun,” Arthur says. “We’re not the hardest band on the planet, we want to have fun–it is serious, but it’s also about letting loose and taking that frustration and putting it into a 25 minute set where you can go crazy with your friends and forget about all that stuff.” Ironically, No Escape does offer some important escapism for anybody listening, but it also opens the door for what’s next. “I want this record to reach new people and show them that hardcore doesn’t have to just be the tough guys,” says Reyngoudt. “It can be anybody. We’re a band that loves to play with the heaviest of bands and the softest of bands, and that’s what’s really cool about this. People have called us a gateway band, and to be in a scene like this is, I think, just the coolest thing.”

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Contact

Publicity:
US & UK: James Goodson
Europe: Denise Pedicillo
AUS: Janine Morcos

Booking:
US: Dan DeFonce
UK/EU: Matthew Davies-Kreye

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