ENDLESS ENDLESS

An investigation into the disappearance of the indie rock group Neutral Milk Hotel's frontman, Jeff Mangum.

Though they only released two albums, Neutral Milk Hotel's name remains synonymous with the entire genre of indie rock despite their near-complete disappearance from the public eye. Clair's extensive interviews, going so far as to live with some band members, has allowed him unprecedented access to finally bring this mystery to light.

Years after its release, Neutral Milk Hotel's In the Aeroplane Over the Sea remains one of the most beloved albums in all of indie music, hailed as a classic so influential as to be almost synonymous with the ongoing vinyl revival. But despite its outsized impact, a question looms even larger: why did frontman Jeff Mangum, just as the record propelled him to the brink of music superstardom, choose instead to disappear entirely? The mystery has perplexed listeners for decades - until now.

After the 1998 release of Aeroplane and a worldwide tour to support it, Mangum stopped playing shows, releasing new music, or even doing interviews. He never explained why, not even to his friends or colleagues, but thanks to both the strength of Aeroplane and his vexing decision to walk away from rock stardom, Neutral Milk Hotel's impact only grew from there. In Endless Endless, Clair finds the answer to indie rock's biggest mystery, which turns out to be much more complicated and fascinating than the myths or popular speculation would have you believe.

Endless Endless features more than 100 new interviews and dozens of forgotten old ones, along with never-before-seen photos, answering questions that have persisted for decades while also provoking new ones. In this deeply researched account, Endless Endless examines not just this mystery, but how community can foster art - and how art can build community.

Adam Clair is a writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His work has appeared in Stereogum, Vice, The Verge, Paste, Real Life, Flagpole, and on WHYY.