Doncaster-via-Manchester four-piece THE BLINDERS are beating the odds, breaking boundaries and fighting expectations with their third album, ‘Beholder’.

Words: Steven Loftin.
Photos: Stuart Nimmo.

It’s taken three albums, but The Blinders are finally free. The Doncaster band have been working hard at chasing the dream, but sometimes the dream comes to you.

Releasing their 2018 debut ‘Columbia’ and its 2020 follow-up ‘Fantasies Of A Stay At Home Psychopath’ on independent label Modern Sky – which saw them tour with vocalist and guitarist Thomas Haywood adorning his literal warpaint – the hard work paid off. Now signed to EMI for album three, they’re throwing everything – including the kitchen sink – at it. 

Taking themselves away from their new homestead of Manchester to LA to get the bulk of the album together, living the rock and roll dream was always going to be the way for The Blinders boys. Getting into a room and hashing the tracks out together, showcasing the live essence that’s become synonymous with The Blinders’ name was key. “For this one, it felt really important to capture whatever was going on,” Thomas says. “And you play to your strengths as well. We’ve been known for a long time as a pretty good live band. So to then not recognise that would be foolish on our part.”

With 2022’s ‘Electric Kool-Aid’ EP bridging the gap into this era for The Blinders, particularly honing in further on keen psychedelic elements, ‘Beholder’ is a romp through Thomas’ learned introspective writing that occurred during the lockdowns. It’s chockfull of turmoil and angst, poised with a riotous grace, wrapping guitar-driven fury around gazing grooves while Thomas howls his howliest howls about growing older, wiser, and all that comes with it. 

Ever the realist, Thomas knows the band’s position is still one of burgeoning success, but, as he profoundly declares, “if you stop, you might as well be dead - stagnation is death, that’s not living. I want to live. Sometimes, that attitude gets you into quite dubious situations, but that’s the sacrifice you make.” With changes in their ranks also - new drummer Thomas ‘Cass’ Castrey and keyboardist Johnny James joining Thomas and fellow Blinders-founder bassist Charlie McGough - The Blinders are primed and ready for round three. 

Hi Thomas, how's your day been? 

Busy; it's been a busy week.

How are you feeling about this new era? 

It's different because this, in a way, feels like a third bite of the apple. We definitely change things every record, whether that's down to our own doing or outside influences that you can't avoid, but you work with it because you want to do it, and you have to do it. With the record label that we're with at the moment - for a band that's been around without any major commercial success - it's always lifting in a way that people are willing to give you those opportunities. So that's what this record is: we got given the opportunity to make this thing, and we really went for it.

It feels like you guys are pushing yourselves forward and exploring a lot of areas, new and old.

I think emotionally, it's definitely charged in that way. It was important going into recording it that as much of that was kept as was humanly possible. A big part of it also is the human side of it. I like to listen to records where there are people behind the instruments, so going into recording this, I insisted that we track it live, and although that caused a little bit of nervousness from the band, we got there.

What kicked off the album?

A lot was written for this record - we're talking into double figures, 20-30 songs. Everyone was coming out of lockdown with the dreaded COVID shit that was going on, and in terms of my contribution to the record, I'd gotten used to writing alone, and that was something that was a revelation. From that perspective, perhaps you are a little more inclined to explore areas that you wouldn't usually explore or even discuss with people like bandmates because it is personal, right? With this one,