This interview took place in Simon Manning's flat in Hastings on a cold November night 1995, with Neil Ash, Kyle Whipp and the mentioned Mr Manning. Their manager, Mr Carl Silsby, was locked out and almost froze to death on the front stairs in the mean time. According to an unconfirmed statement from a well-informed source it was a shame that he didn't because then the band could inherit his PC and his flat-mate his stereo... Anyway, on to the interview.

Q: Why did you choose to change your name?

Neil: Mine's always been Neil.

Q: The band name.

Simon: We were getting fed up with people calling us "kids", "kids on Stun" and stuff like that, so in the end we decided to change the name. It was a good thing to do as well, since we've changed the line-up since the start, with Pete Finnemore being replaced by Kyle.

Q: So, I hear you're all living according to the straight edge philosophy?

All: No.

Q: But you are vegetarians?

Kyle: Yeah, all but me. Even Little Carl.

Q: Why?

Neil: I just don't like meat, really.

Simon: Same here.

Q: What do you think of the use of illegal substances?

Neil: It's really up to the individual to decide for himself or herself. Many people say that hasch leads to heavier drugs and that may be true, but people shouldn't judge until they've tried.

Kyle: If something gets you off you might as well stay with that, rather then just proceeding to the next thing and then the next and so on.

Q: Pete Finnemore has amongst other things claimed that he left the band because you were doing too much drugs. Is that so?

Simon: No, or rather, he may have, but it was his own choice. We've never made anyone take anything they don't want to. It just doesn't make sense - we'd rather have the stuff ourselves...

Q: About Pete Finnemore, what's your relationship with him nowadays?

Simon: Kyle gets on well with him, don't you Kyle?

Kyle: Yes, I do. I occasionally pop around his place and have a chat. It's always good fun to talk to Pete and I'm sure he'd agree if you asked him.

Q: So, what's happening next on the Stun front?

Simon: We're recording a new album on M&A Music Art to be released later this Spring, together with a new single, and there's a possiblity of a new co-operation with Rosetta Stone. It'll probably only be one or two tracks, either on the album or single, but I'm sure it'll be great fun and also a way of showing people that we don't hate each other. There will also be a European tour in April/May, where we intend to go to Germany and make up for the cancelled tour last year.

Q: How do you see Stun in the line of schemes?

All: Eh...?

Q: What are your favourite drinks?

Kyle: Whiskey.

Simon: Vodka and coke.

Neil: Vodka and coke.

Q: What are your favourite bands/artists?

Kyle: New Model Army, Therapy?, Pop Will Eat Itself, Renegade Soundwave, Siouxsie & the Banshees and stuff like that.

Simon: U2, Curve, Pop Will Eat Itself and The Mission.

Neil: Vodka and coke... Sorry, what was the question again?

Q: Artists...

Neil: Yeah, right, David Bowie, U2, Marc Almond and Pete Murphy.

Q: What do you think of pack-a-mac:s?

Neil: I hate them! I hate them! In fact I hate them so much, I've written a song about them. It's called "Style Police" and will be on the new album.

Q: Finally, any last comments you'd like to make?

All: Yeah, M&A Music Art is the best label in the world and we are very lucky to be signed to a company with such nice persons working there. Furthermore the three of us hope that Man City will take the double [explaning note to goths who don't know what the double is: winning both the League and the FA Cup the same season] this year and we're pretty confident that Uwe Roesler will score most goals in the Premiership. Neil doesn't like Anders Fredriksson as a sports commentator very much and neither does anyone else, but it's only Simon who really dislikes Bernhard Manning as everyone thinks it's his dad. To be honest though, the similarieties are obvious apart from Simon's nose ring. And the colour of his hair. And Bernhard's way of playing the guitar. It's quite clear that Simon plays the guitar like a former bass player whereas Bernhard plays with an accurate skill. And also - are we allowed to go on? - ...

Q: Sure.

... as far as Stun are concerned our priority goal for the future is being able to go back to Sweden, have a nice, long walk-about in Malmoe with a couple of tons of gear and playing in Varberg again.

Q: Actually, I think I have enough material now... Cut.

(Ed's note: only half of the interview's actually true. Some bits and pieces were made up as our reporter at the site spilled his drink over the last pages of the notes...)

Interview taken from Whispered in the Wind #3.