Thousand Yard Stare
Thousand Yard Stare on “Neither Right here, Nor There”
Vocalist Stephen Barnes discusses the band’s new profession spanning boxset
Jun 26, 2025
Net Unique
In an period the place umpteen bands from the eighties and nineties have reformed, it’s ironic that three of essentially the most profitable reunions from the previous decade – Trip, Slowdive and Thousand Yard Stare – are all linked collectively by one occasion: the 1991 Slough Pageant.
Nevertheless, whereas Trip and Slowdive originated from Oxford and Studying respectively, Thousand Yard Stare’s house territory was Slough. Having initially shaped in 1989, Thousand Yard Stare launched two albums (Arms On and Mappamundi) and a handful of EPs to various ranges of essential acclaim earlier than calling it a day in 1993.
Twenty-three years later, the band acquired again collectively for what was initially meant to be a one-off gig in London. Nevertheless, songs had been written, new EPs launched and earlier than they knew it, an album was prepared (The Panglossian Momentum) which many critics and followers have labelled the band’s most interesting assortment of works so far. A fourth album adopted in 2022 (Earthanasia) turning the equilibrium full circle so it’s becoming that the band have lastly seen match to launch an anthology-of-sorts within the form of Neither Right here, Nor There, which got here out earlier this month (Friday sixth June) and acquired a rip-roaring 9/10 on these very pages.
For the present line-up of the band – unique members Stephen Barnes (vocals), Giles Duffy (guitar), Sean McDonough (bass) and Dominic Bostock (drums) alongside newer acquisition Floyd Foreman (guitar) – it serves as a succinct documentation of Thousand Yard Stare’s two very separate and distinct eras (1989-1993 and 2016-the current), so it was an absolute pleasure to lately meet up with frontman Barnes to debate Neither Right here, Nor There and likewise the progress of bass participant McDonough, who was lately identified with prostate most cancers.
Dom Gourlay (Underneath the Radar): Thousand Yard Stare bass participant Sean McDonough was lately identified with prostate most cancers. How is he doing?
Stephen Barnes: Sean’s good. He’s doing nicely. The therapy has gone because it ought to have finished. I do know he’s doing nicely as a result of he’s on all of the What’s App teams always! Every part’s fantastic, mentally he’s good. He’s a really resilient man, and he works in and round hospitals anyway when he’s not taking part in music so it’s not a completely unfamiliar place being out and in of hospital. It’s only a case of checking over the subsequent few weeks whether or not every little thing has been eliminated which we must always know in time, however the docs appear very assured. Sean’s in actually good spirits – he even mentioned we may have finished the tour after all of the day after the operation!
That’s nice to listen to. Prostate most cancers could be very prevalent in males round our age group and I believe it actually strikes a chord when somebody you understand is identified with it.
Whenever you see statistics like one in eight males have been identified with it and somebody you’re very near finally ends up being one these “one’s” then it begins to essentially hit house. Its good to see bands doing fundraisers for prostate most cancers – there’s one occurring in Norwich. We’ve been very cautious to not make it into an enormous drama that certainly one of our band members has most cancers. Sean wouldn’t need that anyway. He needed to place a message out as an alternative, which I believe was the best choice as we’re fairly shut with our fanbase. I’d liken Thousand Yard Stare’s followers to ultras of a small soccer membership slightly than Manchester United.
Shifting onto Neither Right here, Nor There, how did that come about?
It’s most likely been in my thoughts for fairly a very long time. I can’t actually name it a “Finest Of” or a “Biggest Hits,” however I felt we wanted one thing on the market that represented each eras of the band. It got here from a dialogue I had with the band at rehearsals. We had been speaking about what number of previous songs ought to we put within the set in comparison with the newer ones, and it resonated with me having seen a number of bands who’ve been round for a very long time which have additionally had that conundrum when a brand new album comes out. Everybody appreciates you’re selling a brand new album however please don’t play simply that tonight, play a few of the ones we all know as nicely. And we had been speaking about it, even to the purpose of getting a bit blended as much as which eras a few of the songs had been from! Once we play stay, I do suppose it’s fairly exhausting to inform the distinction between our previous songs and the newer ones. You wouldn’t know except you had been a fan. We realised there have been a number of similarities between the 2 eras, so Neither Right here, Nor There took place to rejoice each.
Clearly we’re a distinct band now – there’s a twenty-three-year hole – we’re completely different folks. However we at all times mentioned at first we would like this to intrinsically be Thousand Yard Stare in what we do. We needed to maneuver it on, strive some various things, work with completely different folks, herald new sounds, and so forth. In order that’s the place it began, and we thought perhaps its simply time to convey all this collectively. I’d began tinkering with the concept of constructing an album blended of the 2 eras collectively, and it labored OK, however simply didn’t really feel fairly proper. I needed to try to inform the complete story, so simply hit on the concept of blending these two eras and known as it Neither Right here Nor There, as a result of I fairly preferred the concept of a self-deprecating title. Additionally, as a result of it summed up each eras fairly nicely. Neither Right here being the present period, and Nor There being the unique period each alludes to the very fact we by no means actually fitted into what was happening again then and we don’t actually slot in with what’s occurring now both. We’re neither right here nor there, simply floating someplace in between. So, that’s how it began. I didn’t actually realise what I used to be taking over placing all these items collectively. I believed it will be fairly simple however it turned a little bit of a job and ended up taking six months to place the entire thing collectively.
With a lot materials to select from, how did you arrive on the ultimate tracklisting?
It was very Brian Clough slightly than a democratic vote. All of us had an extended chat about it then determined I used to be proper all alongside! It was very troublesome really. Perhaps not a lot with the newer period, as a result of that units itself. However actually, with the older stuff, you need to put your self again in that period a bit of bit in your thoughts. It undoubtedly doesn’t signify my favorite fourteen songs from that interval. I believe it simply represents that interval, so the very fact we’ve acquired sure b-sides on there, a few tracks folks most likely weren’t anticipating off Mappamundi on there. It’s actually necessary that it summed up an entire period, so our first correct launch “Wonderment” is on there. Clearly the important thing singles are on there, however I additionally felt the necessity to make it signify the entire of that period. It was an up and down period for us in a number of methods, that’s why I didn’t need to name it a “Finest Of.” It was extra about capturing a snapshot of that period. Initially, I used to be going to do it chronologically however it simply didn’t run very nicely, and if it doesn’t run nicely its acquired to be modified. In order that’s how we arrived on the songs in the long run.
A few of the different recordings are actually attention-grabbing such because the pastoral variations of “No Rating (A.E.T.)” and “Tragedy No. 6”. Had been they recorded fairly lately?
They had been each recorded final yr. The band are all unfold across the nation these days so we do a number of writing over the web earlier than we get in a room. We talked about re-recording “No Rating (A.E.T.)” if we may afford it. At first I believed is there any level in re-recording it? It’s what it’s. It nonetheless sounds fantastic now. So, I acquired speaking to Giles (Duffy) about perhaps doing a semi-acoustic model of it and we ended up doing a mid-paced model. It was mendacity round for a month as I nonetheless wasn’t positive about it, then I performed it via my headphones in the future and thought it had this different really feel to it that tune at all times had. It’s a hoedown, a tune folks usually soar up and all the way down to. It’s about an deadlock between two folks that’s by no means going to get sorted. So, I believed slightly than simply redo that, why not do it in a manner that focuses on the opposite sentiment of the tune. Which isn’t the unhappiness of it, however extra the resignation that that is the best way its going to be. The pastoral model got here from that. Off the again of that we did “Tragedy No. 6” as nicely which I believed simply leant itself to that fashion.
I believe the inclusion of “Helstone,” “When The World Was Spherical” and “Sunday Invented” off the Easter 89 demo cassette is a vital chapter of the band’s historical past. How did it really feel going again via your earliest cassette demos and listening to these once more?
I didn’t suppose we may do a historical past of the band with out having the place it began. For me, having had a 23-year hole between the 2 eras and leaving all of that behind in 1993, I didn’t consider it in any respect for twenty years. I simply parcelled it away. So, really going again in and actually digging deep again into these items was fairly emotional really. I had emotions I didn’t suppose I’d have. Whether or not that’s previous images or evaluations in addition to listening to the recordings. Then we discovered an Easter 89 cassette, which is the one factor that exists from these recordings. You must keep in mind, these had been recorded within the analogue days when every little thing ended up on tapes. Listening to that cassette introduced a number of recollections again to me. I keep in mind even making the covers of the cassette, which had been photocopied. The wording is all finished in Letraset as a result of we didn’t have computer systems again then and it’s all wonky. It’s acquired my mum and pop’s previous cellphone quantity on it. It’s actually fairly harmless and old-fashioned in so some ways. We did it on a C15 cassette which had been those you purchased for laptop video games however had been additionally excellent for recording three tracks. So, I discovered a duplicate and thought let’s have a hearken to this. It hisses far and wide and sounds wonky, so determined to file it immediately whereas taking part in it all through, and it actually broke! The tape broke, which you’ll really hear on the finish of “Sunday Invented.” In any other case, that might have gone eternally, so no less than we’ve acquired it down. I believe if anybody has been part of this journey at any level and even all of it that we’ve been on, they’re actually necessary recordings. As twee and naïve as they’re, they’ve their very own appeal. We’ve by no means actually had piles and piles of demos. I do know that’s how some bands function however we’ve at all times finished issues by course of. Most issues get jettisoned earlier than they even get in a room. We don’t have a number of demo recordings to placed on right here that say right here’s one thing we tried.
There’s additionally a few beforehand unreleased cowl variations on the boxset – “The Cedar Room” by Doves and “Is This The Life” by Cardiacs. When had been they recorded?
We recorded “Is This The Life” not too lengthy after Tim (Smith, Cardiacs founder) handed away. On the time we felt it wasn’t one thing we actually needed to launch. To be very clear, Tim was an enormous a part of this band within the early days. At the very least certainly one of us wore a Cardiacs t-shirt at just about each gig we ever performed, even to at the present time. The bizarre factor about Cardiacs is that they had been most likely the one band all of us agreed we cherished. Loads of bands after they get collectively don’t at all times essentially like the identical issues. Good bands include completely different flavours. Close to “Is This The Life,” we selected the simplest Cardiacs tune to cowl and I suppose if there’s any entry level to a band like that it’s the tune you’d suggest folks hearken to. We’ve by no means been huge on doing cowl variations. It’s not one thing we’ve ever actually finished apart from “Spacehopper” by Julian Cope on the b-side of “Model Of Me.” If we felt that it match into our canon and that artist had influenced us not directly then it made sense to do a canopy, however I simply suppose the euphoric nature of “Is This The Life” stands out. Even at the moment, it sounds prefer it was recorded yesterday. It was a bit scary doing it, however I believe we’ve finished an OK model. It’s a demo actually that’s been tarted up a bit, however I believe now was the time to indicate our recognition of Cardiacs and Tim particularly as a part of the story. This entire factor was put collectively to try to be a narrative. All the weather which have gone into making this band over two completely different eras. Now could be the time to go this tune was enormous for us so right here’s our model.
“The Cedar Room” cowl was completely all the way down to me! Its certainly one of my favorite songs of all time. I believe it suits in with what we’re all about, particularly this second period. It’s actually been very influential to me. I got here throughout that tune in the course of the intervening years between the 2 eras after I labored in music PR, and we’d have folks coming in on a regular basis as we labored with huge labels and a man got here in with this twelve-inch, white label vinyl and mentioned we’re trying to put this out, do you need to have a hear? It was “The Cedar Room,” and I didn’t breathe for 5 minutes and thirty-seven seconds or nevertheless lengthy it’s. At that second I mentioned that is simply wonderful, who’s it? And after I came upon it was the fellows from Sub Sub that actually blew my thoughts, so I ended up being obsessive about them fairly early on. There’s one thing superbly ethereal about Doves. They’re my favorite band of that period together with Tremendous Furry Animals. I didn’t resonate with a number of Britpop a lot. It was the issues on the perimeters that glistened for me, and a band like Doves simply appeared to come back from the next stage. I like that tune and managed to steer Giles to do it, so it’s a really thrown collectively demo that was recorded within the second however I keep in mind actually having fun with simply singing that tune.
Concerning the timing of Neither Right here, Nor There, why now and can there be a follow-up?
Why now? I believe we got here to the conclusion that we’re on the finish of a cycle. I’m not essentially saying it’s the tip of every little thing however… every little thing that we needed to attain after we got here again. Properly, we didn’t have a plan. We weren’t coming again apart from to play one present. That was the plan! Then it began to collect momentum, and we had a really clear algorithm about how could be and if it continued we’d have to jot down new music and put information out. With all due respect that simply play their previous songs on a regular basis, I actually couldn’t try this. I have to really feel we’re current placing out new information. That’s what amazes me typically with bands that simply keep on taking part in their previous materials. Certainly they’re older, wiser, higher musicians? They’ve actually acquired higher gear obtainable to them now. It’s not that tough to make higher sounding information now than it was up to now. There’s higher entry to every little thing they could want. It was an absolute precedent of ours that we needed to maintain placing out new music. The Panglossian Momentum was an album I at all times needed to make. It was the file in my head for years. Once we ended the primary time it was fairly abrupt. I believe all of us felt dissatisfied with a number of issues. The second album was very rushed, which is what occurs whenever you get pushed into doing issues. Wanting again even to Mappamundi, which I genuinely didn’t hearken to ever till 2015 as a result of I believed it was a horror present. It does have some good moments and a few of these songs have turn out to be staples within the stay set. I believe we signify it pretty on Neither Right here, Nor There slightly than simply sticking with the extra favoured Arms On interval. It was essential we had each intervals on there. So, I suppose in some ways, what was in my head has been a gradual burner for 20 years. We had the chance to do it however with new issues added in as we’ve gone alongside. I additionally suppose we’re rather more aligned musically than we had been again within the day, notably me and Giles. I used to be a foppy indie child and he was a bit extra of a rocker. However that may work rather well. I’m not evaluating us to them in any manner however a bit just like the Morrissey and Marr state of affairs. Generally these issues can work, for a interval anyway. But it surely’s very unusual that musically we’ve turn out to be very shut in what we actually like.
Might it have carried on? I believe if we’d taken a yr off in 1993 we most likely would have carried on. I believe we’d have made a very nice file that most likely would have gave the impression of The Panglossian Momentum. It’s righting a mistaken. That’s all it was about for me. That’s the file, that’s the file I at all times needed to make, there it’s. Take it, depart it, it doesn’t matter now. I’ve put that stamp down. That is the file that’s been in my head, and doubtless has been in my head since 1993.
A number of bands from that period who’ve since reformed have mentioned the identical factor. Had we been in a position to take a yr out slightly than launch that second or third album we’d have virtually actually continued, which suggests the strain younger bands are put beneath – notably when signed to main file labels – is so intense it usually breaks them.
It’s straightforward to say whenever you look again. You’re very younger and naïve about every little thing however its very clear wanting again at what was happening on the time that we weren’t making information for us or our followers any extra. It was for a corporation. I’m not decrying that. We signed a deal and so they gave us a lot of actually nice issues as nicely however didn’t actually know the place we fitted in. Which I believe occurs to a lot of guitar bands. There have been a number of bands in our period that made one or two albums then disappeared. If I look again to the early days we had been simply wide-eyed youngsters that didn’t actually know easy methods to make information so gave it a strive. I used to be going to raves so after we did “Wonderment,” I needed it to be a repetitive factor over and over. It simply builds then drops, then builds, then drops. Like all of the songs I used to be listening to after I was out, then I did a bit of vocal bit within the center. I keep in mind listening to this acid home tune that had this actually dangerous vocal within the center and pondering I need to try this. It’s actually odd as an indie band, however that’s the place my head was at for that tune. We had full freedom and didn’t have to fret about managers or file labels or press or explicit timescales or something. However then you definitely get put in that machine state of affairs. No, you set your self in it. Let’s be honest. We willingly walked via the door, and it’s a really completely different paradigm. You are actually making merchandise. What’s been pretty about coming again and doing it once more is we’ve had full management. We’ve had a lot of alternatives to work with labels, administration firms, brokers and we’ve mentioned no. Not as a result of we need to be seen as this cool DIY band, however as a result of it’s a lot simpler whenever you’re in full management of every little thing. We will take a bit extra time, we haven’t over-advertised ourselves or tried to
begin a brand new profession. We’ve all acquired jobs and lives and households. We simply needed to please ourselves and the individuals who care, which was just about the entire agenda of why we began within the first place. The liberty to make selections has been a very powerful factor in regards to the second period. It has actually been about making music for us. It’s not been about taking part in huge levels, touring and the adulation that goes with it. It by no means has been. Perhaps if we had finished rather a lot we’d have cherished it, however the reality is we simply needed to make the information that we needed to make. Freedom has been the most important issue for us, and I genuinely suppose it’s a privilege to have that freedom to make the information we need to make.
What does the longer term maintain for Thousand Yard Stare? The stay exhibits have been rearranged for subsequent yr whereas Sean recovers. Is there going to be one other file?
I can’t say. I don’t know. If it doesn’t really feel pure to make new information then we received’t. I didn’t anticipate to make Earthanasia after The Panglossian Momentum. I believed we had been finished however then songs saved coming alongside and it become one other album, so I undoubtedly couldn’t rule that out. It felt like we’d balanced that period out. I believe our story could be very distinctive in how issues have panned out, particularly having these two very distinct eras separated by a twenty-three-year hole. For me it felt prefer it had actually balanced itself at this level. So, is that this the tip of one thing? It’s the finish of an period for positive. What we’ve finished now to what we did then balances every little thing out 50-50. Now could be the time to place a full cease spherical it. We’re not going to separate up, however realistically touring is much more troublesome. We did announce that as our final tour and lots of people took that mistaken and thought we weren’t taking part in once more. I’m positive we’ll undoubtedly play some exhibits once more. The mantra is maintain it alive so we’re not going away. However we’re not making any guarantees to ourselves that we’re retaining it entering into any capability at this stage.
What would you want Thousand Yard Stare to be remembered for? What would you prefer to be seen as your epitaph?
If it was an epitaph on a gravestone it must say, EVERYTHING WE DID, WE MEANT IT. We’re very privileged that folks nonetheless care. It’s really fairly astounding. It’s fairly exhausting to get my head round as a result of I parked that for twenty-three years, whereas a number of our followers didn’t. Assembly folks and listening to their tales about after they first heard our music or final noticed us play stay has been one of the heartwarming issues about bringing Thousand Yard Stare again. Somebody advised me they’d birthed their baby to “Seasonstream.” Did you really try this!?!? I believe we’re fairly a humble band, however each band does have a little bit of ego and it’s good to know that what you’ve finished resonates with different folks as a lot because it does to us. I’ve this dialog with my college students quite a bit. What’s creativity and what’s artwork? The unanswerable query. When I’ve a scholar that finds it very troublesome to complete a tune, I inform them what you create can not at all times be excellent. Since you’ll need to change it the subsequent day regardless of how far you go. The wonderful thing about artwork and about music, is that when you let it on the market it then takes on a lifetime of its personal. It turns into one other set of artwork, and as soon as folks cease to touch upon it, use it, cowl it, quote from it, copy from it, the tune or the piece continues to evolve. So, what “No Rating (A.E.T.)” was in 1991 to what it’s now, it’s developed. The idea of the tune continues to be the identical, however what folks really feel about it and what it means to them has developed and adjusted. That’s why you possibly can put these two eras collectively. It doesn’t actually matter, and you’ll interpret the tune from what it meant in 1991 otherwise you might need solely heard it six months in the past in a totally completely different context. It could actually exist in each these paradigms, and that’s why I needed to place a bridge between these two eras. I name it the daddy and son that meet up between the 2 eras. That’s how I’ve at all times seen it. It’s a privilege to make music and at all times keep in mind that, so benefit from the course of.
For extra info on Thousand Yard Stare together with rescheduled tour dates and the place to buy Neither Right here, Nor There go to the band’s Official Web site
