“We were working on Oranges And Lemons. I was putting on a bass part. You don’t want Chris Squire walking in, do you?” XTC’s Colin Moulding on meeting his hero, declining to join Pink Floyd, and working on Billy Sherwood’s Dark Side tribute

Out of the spotlight since XTC had broken up in 2006, Colin Moulding found himself back in business at the end of 2017 alongside former bandmate and drummer Terry Chambers in a new configuration called TC&I. The following year he told Prog about the challenges of returning to action, and reflected how the prog genre had always encircled him and his music.

What’s TC&I all about? Is it a nod to the film Withnail & I?

I suppose the name is with Withnail in mind. Lovely film, isn’t it? Terry had been married and living in Australia, but got divorced and came home. I had some songs I’d been working on when I heard he was back, so we went out, had a few drinks and I sort of popped the question.

It’s all very home-grown, isn’t it?

Yes – it was recorded in my music room and very hands on. When one was singing the other was working the controls; just two of us flying this plane. I’d recorded my voice before but I didn’ t have much experience of recording other things. That was a learning process.

What were you doing before TC&I?

XTC fizzled out in 2006 when me and Andy Partridge had differing visions of how we’d like to see the band. It was a shock when it all ended – expected, but a shock. It was like getting a divorce; you can’t take on a new love because you’re still betrothed to the old one in a way.

I went into tailspin for a couple of years, wondering what the fuck I was going to do. So I didn’t do anything; I just sat and watched TV. I missed the human connection. It’s pretty soul-destroying working on your own.

You did contribute to Billy Sherwood’s Return To The Dark Side Of The Moon though.

Oh yes, and that was good. Also working with Allyson Seconds and Anton Barbeau. I’m proud of those songs. I’ve never been one for being a hired hand, though; I didn’t want to be the outsider.

XTC - Senses Working Overtime (Official Video) - YouTube

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And you were asked to join Pink Floyd.

They were looking for a bass player and singer as they were going out on tour. I had a phone call from Dave Gilmour, who said, “Would you be interested in coming down?” I said, “I haven’t toured for 25 years,” and there was a big silence at the other end of the line. They wanted to go out for a year, and that’s just not me. So I said, “It’s very kind but I wouldn’t be interested,” and we left it.

Are you surprised that XTC are so loved by prog fans?

We dipped our toe in the warm waters of prog a few times. We’re not huffy about different areas of music, it’s all music, good or bad. It’s my background; I was a big Tull fan, and Atomic Rooster.

And for a bass hero, Chris Squire?

I was a Chris Squire fan – absolutely. We were working on Oranges And Lemons in LA and I was putting on a bass part… You don’t want Chris Squire walking through the door at that point, do you? He stood in the doorway, this imposing figure, nodding his head. It was slightly off-putting – but I bore it as best I could.

You’ve been partial to a pseudonym: The Colonel, and The Red Curtain in XTC spin-off the Dukes of Stratosphear. What’s the appeal?

Most people do that as a slight disclaimer, so if the whole thing explodes they can walk away with some dignity. It takes the pressure off – you can be anyone.

One time, Andy and I thought about doing a bubblegum pop sampler. We thought, “Why don’t we invent 10 different groups for this?” Ludicrous, really. You go to the record company with the idea and their face just drops. The success of The Dukes was a shot across their boughs, though!