Ottawa’s Hard Rock Titans THE SPACE BETWEEN Unleash Powerful New Single “Crooked & Hollow”
The Canadian hard rock powerhouse hailing from Ottawa, Ontario, The Space Between, known for its articulate riffs, powerful melodies, and aggressive rhythms is excited to announce the release of their newest single, “Crooked & Hollow” – available now!
Crooked & Hollow delves into the introspective journey of lead vocalist and lyricist Maryn Pegan, exploring themes of self-perception and grappling with personal demons. “The title “Crooked & Hollow” sparked images of looking into a mirror and not recognizing oneself,” says Pegan.
This song serves as a cathartic outlet for angst and anger, fueled by Pegan’s personal battles with self-confidence, a struggle that resonates with many young people.
“I wanted the chorus to just explode with desperate exclamations using the word “I”; using “I” in conjunction with negative words, such as “can’t” and “don’t,” Pegan reflects. “It really was quite a powerful thing for me in the end, as all of those negative feelings feel much smaller when you can use them to create a work like this that you’re proud of.”
During an informal jam session, guitarist James Shaheen and drummer Tom Sergi established the instrumental foundation, showcasing the band’s spontaneous creativity.
“I don’t even think we were trying to write at the time when we came up with this tune,” Shaheen recalls. “Sometimes Tom and I will just jam for a few minutes when the rest of the band is getting set up, and this song just came out of one of those practice jams. I played that opening riff and Tom just jumped in.”
The track draws from a diverse range of musical influences, paying tribute to rock icons like Queen of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme and Dream Theater’s drummer, backing vocalist, and co-founder Mike Portnoy. Sergi’s drum intro echoes Portnoy’s unique fills, setting a commanding tone for the piece. Additionally, the song honours Sergi’s favourite parts from The Rev, Unholy Confessions (Avenged Sevenfold), especially evident in its climactic drum section.
Since the band’s beginning in 2022, The Space Between has bravely blended genres and challenged industry norms. “Crooked & Hollow” is proof of their changing sound and strong dedication to authenticity.
Hi Space Betweeners, care to introduce yourself?
Maryn – We’re a Canadian hard rock trio based out of Ottawa, Ontario, featuring vocalist Maryn Pegan, guitarist James Shaheen, and drummer Tom Sergi; we got together just about 2 years ago as the final lineup, which really feels like forever ago. James and I have known each other since we were kids, and after our last project ended, we were looking for something to really stick with for the long haul; we were lucky enough to find Tom on Facebook Marketplace of all places, and the three of us connected immediately and got to work on this project. We call ourselves hard rock, but we take influences from all pockets of music, as we all have slightly different tastes. I love Tool, James is a fan of Mastodon and Filter, and Tom loves Dream Theater and Avenged Sevenfold, so it makes an interesting mix for sure.
Tell us about the process of recording “Crooked & Hollow”
Maryn – “Crooked & Hollow” was a song that truthfully didn’t start out as something that the guys and I thought would turn out this cool, but our time in the studio really solidified my love for this song. We started off with the drums, which was awesome to see Tom do his thing on; it’s a great showcase song for him. The start of the song with the hard-hitting drum fill puts you on alert immediately and then you have the somewhat dissonant riff come in, which just adds to the mood; the whole thing is just a series of abrupt stops and starts, which was captured so cleanly in the final version. We recorded this with Steve Foley at Audio Valley, and he’s great to work with. We always love our time in the studio together; it’s a great opportunity for us to try new things, put the finishing touches on the work we’re excited about, and just spend time with each other.
Who was the first and most recent Canadian artist to blow you away?
Maryn – First would have to be Alanis Morisset. Being a female singer myself, you have to be in awe of what she’s done, and I take a lot from the attitude that she puts into the world; the ability to write music that screams “This is me, take it or leave it” is really inspiring. The recent would have to be Tate McRae. While her music isn’t in line with what I generally listen to, she’s incredibly talented; I see her all over my social media, and you have to respect the people that are doing great things.
James – First, I think one of my all-time favourite bands, (let alone Canadian bands) is The Tragically Hip and I don’t think there will ever be a greater Canadian artist. But more recently in the last few years, I’ve really gotten into Big Wreck and wow, they are the bar for me in terms of songwriting, and they just keep getting better with every album. They are a band I think everyone should listen to, and there’s something in their catalog for every listener.
What’s an album that you have in your collection that would surprise people?
Maryn – I think Eternal Blue by Spiritbox is great. I’m not much into music with screaming or super heavy vocal distortion, which is why this one might surprise some people, but I am such a fan of Courtney LaPlante’s voice; the juxtaposition of her ethereal, breathy tone with her epic screams is to die for. I also dabble in Taylor Swift’s work, which could or could not be a surprise, but I think the composition of some of her melodies is really beautiful and is something that I like to take into my own writing; there’s nothing more satisfying to me than a haunting melody over some heavy instrumentation.
James – At the start of COVID I listened to so much new music that was coming out at the time (because there wasn’t much else to do) and two of my favourites, which I think might be a surprise to people, would be Sour by Olivia Rodrigo, and Ugly is Beautiful by Oliver Tree. Front to back, both albums are excellent. In particular, I think Olivia Rodrigo is doing incredible things for modern rock music, even if it’s disguised as pop.
What are your plans for Spring and Summer?
Maryn – We’re deep in writing mode as we continue to release new music over the summer, but we’re looking forward to maybe playing a show or two in our hometown these coming few months. We’ve got some out-of-town shows and a few cool events we’re hopping on later on this year, so keep an eye on our socials for news on those plus the new tunes!
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