Into a Circle
| Company type | Duo |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | April 1985 |
| Founder | Paul "Bee" Hampshire, Barry Jepson |
| Defunct | October 1989 (disbanded) |
| Fate | Disbanded in 1989; reunited in July 2021 |
| Headquarters | England |
Area served | England, Scotland, United Kingdom |
| Products | Music (new wave) |
Into a Circle—also referred to as In Two a Circle and In2a0—was a new wave duo from England, established in April 1985 by Paul "Bee" Hampshire and Barry Jepson, both previously part of Getting the Fear. Jepson had also played bass for Southern Death Cult between 1981 and 1983.
Career
Following the disbandment of Getting the Fear, Into a Circle made their live debut at Croydon Underground in December 1985. This performance coincided with the release of their inaugural single, "Rise...", issued by Arcadia, which attained the No. 5 position on the UK Indie Singles Chart.
In March 1986, during a tour across England and Scotland, Rose McDowall from Strawberry Switchblade joined them on several occasions. By July that year, they had secured a contract with Abstract Records and launched the single "Inside Out," which reached No. 12 on the indie chart.
Their third single, "Forever" (1987), co-produced by Larry Steinbeck of Bronski Beat and featuring backing vocals from McDowall, climbed to No. 8. This release preceded their first full-length album, Assassins, issued in summer 1988, which rose to No. 7 on the UK Indie Albums Chart.
March 1988 saw the release of their fourth single, "Evergreen," which matched previous chart performance by reaching No. 5. The band's final tour took place in September 1989, with Annie Anxiety contributing backing vocals. Into a Circle disbanded in October 1989 but reunited in July 2021.
Later projects
Hampshire is currently involved with Futon, a band based in Thailand that includes Simon Gilbert from Suede.
Jepson transitioned into concert promotion and now serves as an instructor for live sound and tour management at the Brighton Institute of Modern Music.
Discography
- Assassins (1988, Abstract) UK Indie Albums Chart peak: No. 7
Singles
- "Rise..." (1985, Arcadia) UK Indie Singles Chart peak: No. 5
- "Inside Out" (1986, Abstract) UK Indie Singles Chart peak: No. 12
- "Forever" (1987, Abstract) UK Indie Singles Chart peak: No. 8
- "Evergreen" (1988, Abstract) UK Indie Singles Chart peak: No. 5