The Space Between, a hard-rock trio taking the world of rock’n’roll by storm, stopped to chat with us about all things related to their debut EP, plus how they formed the band, the meaning of their name, and much more, according to frontwoman Maryn Pegan.
The band, which hails from Ottawa, released the self-titled EP in June 2023.
“We hope that each person who listens will be able to pick something out that resonates with them.”
The Space Between
The project consists of five tracks that bring an electrifying guitar, explosive energy, and excellent songwriting to the table. Aside from Maryn, The Space Between counts guitarist James Shaheen and drummer Tom Sergi among its lineup.
Check out our exclusive chat with Maryn below!
Hello! Welcome to THP 🙂 For our readers, could you give us a little background on The Space Between? How did you guys form the band?
Thanks so much for chatting with us today! We formed as the final lineup in July 2022, with our first show just being in January of this year. James and myself were in a previous project together, and we were looking to get more into the realm of heavy music, so we set out on our own and started writing. After lockdown, we started putting out ads to fill out the rest of the band and just so happened to get lucky by finding Tom through a Facebook ad.
How does it feel to have your debut EP out in the world?
We’re super excited about it, it’s been a project long in the works. Some of these songs have been written since 2019, so to finally release them and play them live is something special.
What has been the most exhilarating song from the EP to perform live?
That’ll be different depending on who you ask, but I think the most exhilarating for me is ‘Your Excuses.’ This song is one that we’ve used quite a bit as our opening tune, so it’s definitely always got a lot of energy behind it; the heavy drums coming in right off the bat really amp up the excitement. As well, it’s one of our most popular songs, so hearing the crowd get excited is such a reward.
What was the creation process like for the EP? What story did you want to tell?
As mentioned, some of these songs have been completed for several years, while others were finished shortly before going into the studio. I think the overarching theme of the EP is the human experiences of growth and loss. Each song tells a different story on one or both of these themes through the lenses of relationships, self-confidence, and even life and death; it wasn’t an intentional theme when writing, especially because all of the songs were written at different points in my life, but they came together to tell a story I’m very proud to share.
What is it like being a frontwoman in hard rock/metal, which is often such a male-dominated space?
I think we don’t quite live in a world yet where women are 100% welcomed into the heavy music genres, however, I wouldn’t change what I do for the world. There are so many amazing frontwomen in rock and metal, so to be able to use their art as inspiration to further include women – such as myself – in this space is a great gift. While there are some days where it’s tricky, this music is still my greatest passion; a little bit of condescension shouldn’t stop anyone from pursuing their dreams.
If you could tour with any artist or band, who would you want to tour with?
We have a lot of dream bands that we’d love to share a stage with. For myself, I’d say TOOL is the big one. Other great options would be Billy Talent, Three Days Grace, and The Tea Party – all fantastic Canadian bands!
What is your guys’ routine before going onstage? Any rituals or snack must-haves?
I have to do a vocal warm-up and steam my voice, as well as drink lots of tea and honey. As a group, we’ve gotten into a habit of having junk food before a show, which I’m not sure will do us too well in the long term unfortunately. You’ll for sure never see Tom without Gatorade before, during, and after a show – his flavour of choice is Fruit Punch!
What and/or who has influenced you most as artists and shaped your style as musicians?
Like I mentioned before, TOOL is my big influence; both the melodies and dynamics of their compositions really inspire me, and I love the storytelling in the lyrics. James is a big fan of Mastodon but also has a taste for more industrial bands like Filter, and Tom is a huge Avenged Sevenfold fan. Usually, once we go over our influences with someone, the sound that we make together starts to make sense – it’s an awesome melting pot of genres that turns into something we feel is pretty unique.
What led you guys to choose the name The Space Between? Is there a story behind it?
Honestly, choosing the name was probably the hardest part of starting the band. We went through lists on lists of possible choices, with some being contenders while others were immediate no’s, but this was one that we kept coming back to. The actual meaning will stay private for now, but we really liked the ambiguity of it and how it sounds like an incomplete thought; it’s up to the listener to create their own meaning that resonates with them.
What drives you all to make music? What part of being in the band is most special to you?
I think we all have music in our blood; it’s something that’s not just a want but a need. We are creative, outspoken people, and music just seems to be the best way for all of us to communicate what we feel is important in ourselves; to create music is not only a great outlet, but it’s something that we can leave behind, which is something I feel most people want. The band itself is special as the three of us have found a partnership that just seems to work; being on the same page and moving forward all in the same direction isn’t something that can be taken for granted, so we all feel incredibly lucky to have found each other.
Make sure to stream The Space Between’s debut EP right here!
Let us know your thoughts about the band and their music on Twitter @thehoneypop, or find us on Facebook and Instagram.
Want more exclusive interviews? We gotchu.
