Interview | Spaced

featuring Lexi Reyngoudt | words by Stepan Soroka

Formed in 2021 in Buffalo, NY, Spaced has maximized its relatively short run as a band, logging extensive tours and releasing music on some of hardcore’s most respected labels, including Revelation Records and, most recently, Pure Noise. The band’s music brims with infectious energy, striking a perfect balance between fun, groovy riffs and the aggression that lies at the root of the genre. The band has successfully made this delicate equilibrium its comfort zone, creating a body of work that is as catchy as it is pissed off. We caught up with vocalist Lexi Reyngoudt to talk about touring with some of her heroes, dealing with internet shit-talkers, and the healing power of hardcore. 

Lexi, I understand this is the first band you’ve ever been a part of, which is sort of unusual for the amount of success that Spaced has had. Did you find that there was a steep learning curve to navigating everything that comes along with this, or did it feel like things came naturally to you? 

Lexi Reyngoudt: I do feel like I have learned a whole fucking lot since the start of the band. However, it helps that the guys know what they’re doing and have been doing this for so long. If I don’t know what I’m doing, I can ask them. It’s funny that you ask that, because I was literally just thinking today about how I didn’t know anything going into this, and it’s so much easier now. 

You’ve mentioned in past interviews that you feel like hardcore is having a moment right now. Do you foresee that moment holding, or do you think the bubble is going to burst at some point? 

I feel like it is for sure still having its moment and that hardcore is never going away. I don’t think that bubble is going to burst, but I do think it will shrink a bit. I think about how from the early 2010s up until the pandemic, there was this lull. I don’t think it will ever get to that point again, but I think a different type of hardcore is going to be more popular, while another one takes the backseat. Beatdown style hardcore is kind of not what the kids want to see anymore. I think fast hardcore is on its way back up. Lockin’ Out era hardcore is about to have its moment. There is this label out of Toronto called Total Supply that is picking up bands specifically like that. The kids are eating it up, and I’m part of that group as well. I hope that is where it is going because that is my favorite style of hardcore. I think the ceiling is continuing to rise as well, with bands like Turnstile, Speed, Scowl, Sunami and Pain of Truth. All of these bands are becoming not-necessarily mainstream, but they’re being welcomed into bigger spaces. I think that gives more opportunity for bands in general. So, it’s not going to burst, but I do think it is going to change. 

I think Turnstile, in particular, has infiltrated the mainstream in a big way. 

Yeah. Watching them, you know that there is no limit now. 

You’ve said in another interview that “the chaos of hardcore is healing.” Can you elaborate on a time that hardcore has been a tool for healing in your life? 

I have had days when the last thing I want to do is leave my house. There will be a local show happening where I know I’ll run into a bunch of people that I’m friends with and there are going to be bands playing that I’m friends with. I could either stay home and wallow in this self-pity that I'm feeling, or I can go and do something about it, and be surrounded by something that I love so much. Especially for anyone who tours as much as Spaced does, when you get home the last thing you want to do is be around more live music. I remember last year we came home from a five-week run and the first thing I did, the day after getting home, was go to a local show. Everyone was like “Why are you here?” And I’m like “Well, I want to hang out with my friends and be surrounded by the energy.” It’s just infectious for me, and I feel like a lot of people would agree with that. It just helps to make a bad day better. 

That sounds like the community aspect of the music, in particular, is super important to you. 

Yeah, for sure. I’m someone who, when I’m in a bad mood, hanging out with people is important to me. It allows me to put those emotions to the backseat. 

You just finished a tour with Bane and Hot Water Music. Are these bands that have influenced you as a musician? 

It’s funny, because going into this tour, I’d only known the basics of each band. Now, coming off the tour, I know that if these bands didn’t exist then Spaced probably wouldn’t exist. With Bane especially, New England hardcore is so different and has become the way that it is because of them. Have Heart is one of my favorite bands. I went and saw them in 2019 and that was what inspired me to want to do something with hardcore. If that didn’t happen, there would be no Spaced, and there is no Have Heart without Bane. You’ve got to pay respect to the bands that have come before you, even if you don’t realize that they have directly affected you. They’re the ones that have directly affected your favorite bands. Seeing both of those bands for the past week and half has been so awesome and so inspiring. I feel like now they are huge influences.  

You guys represent Buffalo in a big way, but you’ve been enjoying some well-earned exposure around the world. Do you have any advice for bands that are looking to reach audiences beyond their local scene?  

I think just touring. It is hard to tour, but a lot of people think it is impossible to leave their local scene. Putting yourself out there and just going for it is the best way to do it. As soon as we put out our demo, we were like “Okay, what do we do now?” We played our first show in Buffalo, and I want to shout out this couple, Shawn and Karen, from the Cleveland area, who reached out to us. Our second show was our first out of town show. Then it was like “Okay, we know that we can play out of town. Let’s start reaching out to other people.” And now I can help other Buffalo bands by providing contacts. The reason why I know these things is because we have played out of town, I’ve talked to the people who are part of that local scene, I’ve became friends with them, and it has made touring easier for us. If you are in a band and you want to grow, put yourself out there, make friends with people in different cities and different scenes, and you will be okay. 

Do you prefer playing a larger stage, say at a festival or opening for more established acts, or playing more intimate shows in a smaller room? 

That’s a hard question because both have their benefits. Playing a big fest is awesome. However, the people don’t really know you, so you have to work hard. I enjoy doing that. It’s so fun to see people who didn’t know who you were just stand and watch for the first few songs, and by the end they’re moshing because they got so excited and are into it now. That’s amazing. And I love a big stage, because I love to run around, and it gives me more room to do things. But there is nothing that will ever beat playing a small room packed with people who are moshing crazy, singing along, and you are just confined to a little square. You can’t move because everyone else is moving. That is easily in the top three best feelings in the world. 

In regards to moshing, is there anything you’ve noticed that the kids need to work on? What do you generally think of the technique that you see at shows?

I think kids need to stop doing the ‘Ring Around the Rosie.’ I don’t know if you know what I’m talking about, but it was a problem in Buffalo. I lowkey yelled at these kids. I had to post the Sick of it All music video for “Step Down,” where they show the different mosh styles, and told the kids to their homework. I was an old head for a second. They hold each others’ hands and swing themselves around in a circle. I understand that it’s probably fun and easy to do. However, it takes up the entire dance floor so no one else can dance, and it’s dangerous because they always lose balance and someone gets thrown into other people, into a wall, or the stage. It’s just not it. Stop it. It doesn’t look cool. It’s dangerous. I don’t want you to do that. People hate push moshing, but I would rather have that. At least you’re doing something. But for the most part, the kids got the style. They know what they’re doing. The 'Ring Around the Rosie’ is really my only beef. There are kids that have been around for way less time than I have, and they have much better style than I ever will. And I’m like “Hey, keep it up.” 

Positivity and fun seem like foundational elements to your band. Do you ever find it difficult to maintain these vibes, especially given the current social climate in the United States? 

Not necessarily. I say this almost every show, that shit is tough right now and that there is so much that can get us down. I subscribe to the New York Times email list, so I get that “Breaking News: Trump said something stupid today.” Every day, I’m like “Oh my God, again?” I could let that get me down, but hardcore is such a beautiful thing, and this community is such an accepting group of people who will go to bat for you. Rather than letting yourself dwell and absorb the doom in the world, go to the show and have fun. I’m happy to be that person who is curating the fun vibes, because it is fun. Live music in general is so fun. Like, who goes to a concert and is miserable? I’ve been told multiple times that “I love watching you on stage because you look like you’re having the time of your life.” And it’s like, well, I kind of am. I’m playing music that means a lot to me and you guys care. It is the time of my life. I want to be able to make people happy, have fun, and forget the shit that is going on around all of us for at least 30 minutes, you know?

When I Google ‘Spaced,’ one of the first things that comes up is a Reddit thread titled “Spaced is not so good.” The original poster describes you as “Safeway Select Turnstile with AI generated riffs.” What do you have to say to the haters? 

It’s so funny. I’ll admit it, I go on Reddit. I go on to the hardcore Subreddit and I look up Spaced to see if anyone is talking shit. Thankfully, that is like the only bad thing that has ever been posted. And if you go through the comments, its not even people agreeing with him, it’s people being like “You don’t know what you’re talking about.” I don’t have to say shit. People have my back. So, “Turnstile AI generated riffs?” Okay. Sorry. I think Pressure to Succeed is an amazing EP and it’s very inspiring. Like, who doesn’t love that fucking EP? Of course I want to write music like that. It’s not ripping them off fully, but Turnstile is one of my favorite bands. I have been listening to them for 10 years. Of course they are going to have some sort of influence. There is literally a Turnstile poster beside me right now. If you don’t like my band, I’m sorry. You don’t have to listen. 

You’ve mentioned that Scott Vogel from Terror has played a prominent role in getting your band off the ground. Scott is notorious for being a very quotable frontman. Do you have any Vogel quotes or stories that come to mind from your years of knowing him? 

Oh my God, yeah. So much. We toured with them in October for just over a week. It was awesome, because I’ve known Scott for a few years now, but through doing that him and I got a lot closer. It was so much fun. I love Terror. They’re one of my favorite bands ever. Scott discovered the word “mid” on that tour. Now he’ll just say things are mid to be an asshole. I remember we were playing Joliet, Illinois, at a 900-capacity venue. Everyone was like “Why are we playing a 900-cap venue?” Ticket sales weren’t great going into it. We were like “Fuck, okay, one bad show isn’t going to ruin this tour. We’ll be okay.” It ended up being my favorite show of the tour. I don’t know what the second half of that tour was like for them, because we only did the first half, but I remember we all agreed that night was amazing. Scott came out of the green room, and I was at the merch table. He was looking around and I was like “Pretty mid, right?” He goes “Mid! This shit is mid!” and he just walks away. Him discovering the word mid is my contribution to Vogelisms. 

Since this interview is for a skateboard magazine, I’d like to ask if there was any overlap between the skate and hardcore scenes growing up in Buffalo? 

There probably was. I am unfortunately really bad at skateboarding. I tried picking it up during the pandemic. I think I still have my board somewhere. I enjoyed it for the time that I was doing it. I fell really bad and was like “I don’t want to do this.” I’m not tough enough to do that. However, you can’t have skateboarding without hardcore and punk culture, and vice versa. In Buffalo, there are skaters who are in bands and who go to shows. There is actually a skatepark here that books shows. If it’s a beautiful summer, we’re going to have a show there. It’s so fun. It just feels right to have the band down in the bowl and people down there with them moshing. It looks cool and it makes so much sense. I can’t say I know too much about skateboarding in Buffalo, but there is for sure overlap. 

You’re stuck on a deserted island and have one album to listen to. What do you choose? Oh shit, okay. Does it have to be hardcore?

We can do one hardcore album and one non-hardcore album.
Okay, that’s good. My hardcore album would be Big Kiss Goodnight by Trapped Under Ice. I love that album. I would almost pick that for the whole thing. I’m going to out myself and say Four by One Direction. I was a huge One Direction fan growing up, and I still am. Bangers, dude. I still listen to that record and I’m like “Oh my God.” They were ahead of their time. So that would be mine. I feel like that’s a good mix of both. 

Is there anything we haven’t covered in the interview that you would like to speak about? 

We put out a record called No Escape on Pure Noise Records. It’s been out for just over a month now. Listen to that. We’re really proud of it. It did really well live and people seem to really like it, so I’m sure you will too. Now that we are basically done for the year, we’re going to start writing a full-length. I don’t know when that will be out, but this is not the end of Spaced. We’re going to be cookin’ for the winter and I’m very excited about it. 

Photos: Jennifer Tenorio & Sarah Potter

Originally published in Issue 7 - December 2025