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
Internet Unique
In an period the place umpteen bands from the eighties and nineties have reformed, it’s ironic that three of probably the most profitable reunions from the previous decade – Trip, Slowdive and Thousand Yard Stare – are all linked collectively by one occasion: the 1991 Slough Competition.
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 crucial acclaim earlier than calling it a day in 1993.
Twenty-three years later, the band bought 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 best assortment of works to this point. 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 obtained 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 more moderen 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 just lately meet up with frontman Barnes to debate Neither Right here, Nor There and in addition the progress of bass participant McDonough, who was just lately recognized with prostate most cancers.
Dom Gourlay (Below the Radar): Thousand Yard Stare bass participant Sean McDonough was just lately recognized with prostate most cancers. How is he doing?
Stephen Barnes: Sean’s good. He’s doing properly. The remedy has gone because it ought to have finished. I do know he’s doing properly as a result of he’s on all of the What’s App teams consistently! The whole lot’s advantageous, mentally he’s good. He’s a really resilient man, and he works in and round hospitals anyway when he’s not enjoying 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 all the things has been eliminated which we should always know in time, however the medical doctors appear very assured. Sean’s in actually good spirits – he even stated we might 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 feel it actually strikes a chord when somebody you already know is recognized with it.
Once you see statistics like one in eight males have been recognized with it and somebody you’re very near finally ends up being one these “one’s” then it begins to actually hit house. Its good to see bands doing fundraisers for prostate most cancers – there’s one taking place in Norwich. We’ve been very cautious to not make it into a giant drama that one among our band members has most cancers. Sean wouldn’t need that anyway. He wished to place a message out as a substitute, which I feel was the fitting choice as we’re fairly shut with our fanbase. I’d liken Thousand Yard Stare’s followers to ultras of a small soccer membership quite than Manchester United.
Transferring 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 “Best 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 outdated songs ought to we put within the set in comparison with the newer ones, and it resonated with me having seen a whole lot 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 among the ones we all know as properly. And we had been speaking about it, even to the purpose of getting a bit combined as much as which eras among the songs had been from! Once we play reside, I do suppose it’s fairly onerous to inform the distinction between our outdated songs and the newer ones. You wouldn’t know until you had been a fan. We realised there have been a whole lot of similarities between the 2 eras, so Neither Right here, Nor There took place to have a good time each.
Clearly we’re a special band now – there’s a twenty-three-year hole – we’re totally different individuals. However we all the time stated firstly we would like this to intrinsically be Thousand Yard Stare in what we do. We wished to maneuver it on, attempt some various things, work with totally different individuals, usher in new sounds, and so forth. In order that’s the place it began, and we thought perhaps its simply time to deliver all this collectively. I’d began tinkering with the concept of creating an album combined of the 2 eras collectively, and it labored OK, however simply didn’t really feel fairly proper. I wished to attempt to inform the total 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 favored the concept of a self-deprecating title. Additionally, as a result of it summed up each eras fairly properly. 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 taking place 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 things collectively. I believed it might be fairly easy but it surely turned a little bit of a process 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 remaining tracklisting?
It was very Brian Clough quite 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 truly. Perhaps not a lot with the newer period, as a result of that units itself. However definitely, with the older stuff, you must put your self again in that period somewhat bit in your thoughts. It undoubtedly doesn’t signify my favorite fourteen songs from that interval. I feel it simply represents that interval, so the very fact we’ve bought sure b-sides on there, a few tracks individuals most likely weren’t anticipating off Mappamundi on there. It’s actually essential 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 whole lot of methods, that’s why I didn’t wish 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 but it surely simply didn’t run very properly, and if it doesn’t run properly its bought to be modified. In order that’s how we arrived on the songs in the long run.
A few of the various recordings are actually attention-grabbing such because the pastoral variations of “No Rating (A.E.T.)” and “Tragedy No. 6”. Have been they recorded fairly just lately?
They had been each recorded final 12 months. The band are all unfold across the nation these days so we do a whole lot of writing over the web earlier than we get in a room. We talked about re-recording “No Rating (A.E.T.)” if we might afford it. At first I believed is there any level in re-recording it? It’s what it’s. It nonetheless sounds advantageous now. So, I bought 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 by my headphones sooner or later and thought it had this different really feel to it that music all the time had. It’s a hoedown, a music individuals 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 quite than simply redo that, why not do it in a approach that focuses on the opposite sentiment of the music. Which isn’t the disappointment of it, however extra the resignation that that is the way in which its going to be. The pastoral model got here from that. Off the again of that we did “Tragedy No. 6” as properly which I believed simply leant itself to that type.
I feel 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 by your earliest cassette demos and listening to these once more?
I didn’t suppose we might 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, truly going again in and actually digging deep again into these things was fairly emotional truly. I had emotions I didn’t suppose I’d have. Whether or not that’s outdated 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 need to bear in mind, these had been recorded within the analogue days when all the things ended up on tapes. Listening to that cassette introduced a whole lot of recollections again to me. I bear 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 bought my mum and pop’s outdated 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 got for pc 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 all over and sounds wonky, so determined to document it right away whereas enjoying it throughout, and it actually broke! The tape broke, which you’ll be able to truly hear on the finish of “Sunday Invented.” In any other case, that will have gone ceaselessly, so not less than we’ve bought it down. I feel if anybody has been part of this journey at any level and even all of it that we’ve been on, they’re actually essential recordings. As twee and naïve as they’re, they’ve their very own allure. We’ve by no means actually had piles and piles of demos. I do know that’s how some bands function however we’ve all the time finished issues by course of. Most issues get jettisoned earlier than they even get in a room. We don’t have a whole lot 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 wished to launch. To be very clear, Tim was a giant a part of this band within the early days. At the very least one among us wore a Cardiacs t-shirt at just about each gig we ever performed, even to today. The bizarre factor about Cardiacs is that they had been most likely the one band all of us agreed we liked. Loads of bands after they get collectively don’t all the time essentially like the identical issues. Good bands include totally different flavours. With reference to “Is This The Life,” we selected the simplest Cardiacs music to cowl and I assume if there’s any entry level to a band like that it’s the music you’d advocate individuals 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 immediately, it sounds prefer it was recorded yesterday. It was a bit scary doing it, however I feel we’ve finished an OK model. It’s a demo actually that’s been tarted up a bit, however I feel now was the time to point out our recognition of Cardiacs and Tim specifically as a part of the story. This complete factor was put collectively to attempt to be a narrative. All the weather which have gone into making this band over two totally different eras. Now’s the time to go this music was large for us so right here’s our model.
“The Cedar Room” cowl was totally all the way down to me! Its one among my favorite songs of all time. I feel it matches in with what we’re all about, particularly this second period. It’s definitely been very influential to me. I got here throughout that music throughout the intervening years between the 2 eras once I labored in music PR, and we’d have individuals 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 stated we’re seeking to put this out, do you wish to have a hear? It was “The Cedar Room,” and I didn’t breathe for 5 minutes and thirty-seven seconds or nonetheless lengthy it’s. At that second I stated that is simply superb, who’s it? And once 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 whole lot of Britpop a lot. It was the issues on the sides that glistened for me, and a band like Doves simply appeared to return from the next degree. I like that music and managed to influence Giles to do it, so it’s a really thrown collectively demo that was recorded within the second however I bear in mind actually having fun with simply singing that music.
Concerning the timing of Neither Right here, Nor There, why now and can there be a follow-up?
Why now? I feel we got here to the conclusion that we’re on the finish of a cycle. I’m not essentially saying it’s the top of all the things however… all the things that we wished to realize once 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 assemble momentum, and we had a really clear algorithm about how could be and if it continued we’d have to put in writing new music and put data out. With all due respect that simply play their outdated songs on a regular basis, I actually couldn’t try this. I must really feel we’re current placing out new data. That’s what amazes me typically with bands that simply keep on enjoying their outdated materials. Absolutely they’re older, wiser, higher musicians? They’ve definitely bought higher gear obtainable to them now. It’s not that tough to make higher sounding data now than it was previously. There’s higher entry to all the things they could want. It was an absolute precedent of ours that we needed to preserve placing out new music. The Panglossian Momentum was an album I all the time wished to make. It was the document in my head for years. Once we ended the primary time it was fairly abrupt. I feel all of us felt dissatisfied with a whole lot of issues. The second album was very rushed, which is what occurs whenever you get pushed into doing issues. Trying 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 into staples within the reside set. I feel we signify it pretty on Neither Right here, Nor There quite than simply sticking with the extra favoured Arms On interval. It was essential we had each intervals on there. So, I assume in some ways, what was in my head has been a sluggish 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 way more aligned musically than we had been again within the day, significantly me and Giles. I used to be a foppy indie child and he was a bit extra of a rocker. However that may work very well. I’m not evaluating us to them in any approach however a bit just like the Morrissey and Marr scenario. Generally these issues can work, for a interval anyway. But it surely’s very unusual that musically we’ve turn into very shut in what we actually like.
May it have carried on? I feel if we’d taken a 12 months off in 1993 we most likely would have carried on. I feel we’d have made a very nice document that most likely would have gave the impression of The Panglossian Momentum. It’s righting a improper. That’s all it was about for me. That’s the document, that’s the document I all the time wished to make, there it’s. Take it, go away it, it doesn’t matter now. I’ve put that stamp down. That is the document 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 stated the identical factor. Had we been in a position to take a 12 months out quite than launch that second or third album we’d have nearly definitely continued, which suggests the stress younger bands are put below – significantly when signed to main document labels – is so intense it usually breaks them.
It’s simple to say whenever you look again. You’re very younger and naïve about all the things however its very clear wanting again at what was happening on the time that we weren’t making data for us or our followers any extra. It was for a corporation. I’m not decrying that. We signed a deal they usually gave us a number of actually nice issues as properly however didn’t actually know the place we fitted in. Which I feel occurs to a number of guitar bands. There have been a whole lot 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 children that didn’t actually know make data so gave it a attempt. I used to be going to raves so once we did “Wonderment,” I wished it to be a repetitive factor again and again. It simply builds then drops, then builds, then drops. Like all of the songs I used to be listening to once I was out, then I did somewhat vocal bit within the center. I bear in mind listening to this acid home music that had this actually dangerous vocal within the center and pondering I wish to try this. It’s actually odd as an indie band, however that’s the place my head was at for that music. We had full freedom and didn’t have to fret about managers or document labels or press or specific timescales or something. However you then get put in that machine scenario. No, you set your self in it. Let’s be truthful. We willingly walked by the door, and it’s a really totally different paradigm. You at the moment are making merchandise. What’s been beautiful about coming again and doing it once more is we’ve had full management. We’ve had a number of alternatives to work with labels, administration corporations, brokers and we’ve stated no. Not as a result of we wish 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 all the things. We are able to take a bit extra time, we haven’t over-advertised ourselves or tried to
begin a brand new profession. We’ve all bought jobs and lives and households. We simply wished 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 an important factor concerning the second period. It has actually been about making music for us. It’s not been about enjoying huge phases, touring and the adulation that goes with it. It by no means has been. Perhaps if we had finished lots we would have liked it, however the reality is we simply wished to make the data that we wished 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 data we wish to make.
What does the long run maintain for Thousand Yard Stare? The reside reveals have been rearranged for subsequent 12 months whereas Sean recovers. Is there going to be one other document?
I can’t say. I don’t know. If it doesn’t really feel pure to make new data then we received’t. I didn’t anticipate to make Earthanasia after The Panglossian Momentum. I believed we had been finished however then songs stored coming alongside and it was one other album, so I undoubtedly couldn’t rule that out. It felt like we’d balanced that period out. I feel 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 top of one thing? It’s the finish of an period for positive. What we’ve finished now to what we did then balances all the things out 50-50. Now’s 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 improper and thought we weren’t enjoying once more. I’m positive we’ll undoubtedly play some reveals once more. The mantra is preserve it alive so we’re not going away. However we’re not making any guarantees to ourselves that we’re preserving it stepping into any capability at this stage.
What would you want Thousand Yard Stare to be remembered for? What would you wish 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 truly fairly astounding. It’s fairly onerous to get my head round as a result of I parked that for twenty-three years, whereas a whole lot of our followers didn’t. Assembly individuals and listening to their tales about after they first heard our music or final noticed us play reside has been one of the crucial heartwarming issues about bringing Thousand Yard Stare again. Somebody instructed me they’d birthed their baby to “Seasonstream.” Did you truly try this!?!? I feel 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 individuals 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 music, I inform them what you create can not all the time be excellent. Since you’ll wish to change it the subsequent day irrespective of how far you go. The beauty of 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 individuals cease to touch upon it, use it, cowl it, quote from it, copy from it, the music or the piece continues to evolve. So, what “No Rating (A.E.T.)” was in 1991 to what it’s now, it’s advanced. The idea of the music remains to be the identical, however what individuals really feel about it and what it means to them has advanced and altered. That’s why you may put these two eras collectively. It doesn’t actually matter, and you may interpret the music from what it meant in 1991 otherwise you might need solely heard it six months in the past in a very totally different context. It could exist in each these paradigms, and that’s why I wished 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 all the time seen it. It’s a privilege to make music and all the time 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
