DEPECHE MODE - MUSIC FOR THE MASSES AND BEYOND...
By Sat Bisla

After 18 years of serving their core and the masses, Depeche Mode continue to evolve as one of the most influential and respected pioneers of alternative music. This is quite an accomplishment, especially considering the many obstacles band members have endured over the years: drug addiction, emotional distress, exhaustion and the departure of longtime bandmate and friend Alan Wilder. Many artists would have called it quits a long time ago--however, Depeche Mode aren't just another band; they're a lifestyle, if you will, for tens of millions of fans worldwide.

Depeche Mode came into being in 1980; the original lineup featured Vince Clarke on keys/synths--he later went on to have a successful career with Yazoo and Erasure. Dave Gahan (singer), Martin Gore (songwriter/guitarist) and Andrew Fletcher (keys) grew up in the working-class British town of Basildon, in Essex, England, and released their first studio LP, Speak And Spell, in 1980. Since then, Depeche Mode have released 11 albums, with Depeche Mode: The Singles '86 - '98 slated for an October release worldwide.

There are few international acts that can boast selling more than 50 million albums worldwide while maintaining the credibility and mystique that Depeche Mode have kept up. However, these lads continue to break all the odds and are now set to embark on their first world tour in almost five years. The stadium tour will kick-off in Germany and will make its way around to the US later this fall. As if that wasn't enough, Depeche Mode fever continues with the recent release of For The Masses, a tribute album featuring the likes of The Smashing Pumpkins, The Cure, Failure, Meat Beat Manifesto, Rammstein, Monster Magnet, God Lives Underwater, The Deftones and many others paying homage to this groundbreaking group.

Dave Gahan and Martin Gore were in New York recently conducting interviews and posing for photographs for their upcoming album. Depeche Mode has played a pivotal role in influencing the musical tastes and personal lives of their millions of fans, and as a faithful follower, it was certainly an honor to chat with these two truly inspiring musical icons.

Interview With Martin Gore:
QUESTION : It's been a long journey for you as a member of Depeche Mode. Did you ever imagine yourself being involved with such a successful and influential band?
ANSWER : "I always had a childhood dream of being in a group, but I never imagined that it would come true, let alone being this old and doing what I'm doing."

QUESTION : You've been the primary songwriter for Depeche Mode since
its inception; where do you get the inspiration to write such captivating lyrics?
ANSWER : "I don't know! I think I'm inspired by things that most people wouldn't be moved by; I find it difficult to write happy, upbeat songs, because it's not the sort of thing that interests me. The majority of books that I read tend to be down-tempo, and I suppose that I draw my inspiration from what interests me, and most of that stuff would not be termed happy by most people."

QUESTION : Obviously, Depeche Mode has been successful in large part due to your songwriting. What are some of your favorite songs?
ANSWER : "I think we should count ourselves lucky that we've managed to carve a career in pop music doing songs that, for me, are a million miles from pop. I think that's some sort of achievement. As far as my favorite songs go, I'd have to say that I don't have a particular favorite at all. The last three albums were equal favorites of mine, but to pick one song out of those three records would be very difficult for me."

QUESTION : What songs stand out for you from Ultra?
ANSWER : "Probably "Barrel Of A Gun," because I thought it was different for us. It was right to release it as the first single because we thought it would be as big a challenge for us as it was for our fans. Then again, I found "Love Thieves" to be very touching; I found it to be very soulful, and I think that's what I like about our new single, "Only When I Lose Myself," which is the new track on our new greatest hits compilation. Being soulful is a new area for us, and I like that."

QUESTION : There's been a big evolution for Depeche Mode from the days of Speak And Spell to where you're at today. Are you pleased with the direction you've taken over the years?
ANSWER : "Well, we immediately became a different band after Vince Clarke left; my songwriting style was completely different than his. Therefore, after Speak And Spell, it was a learning experience for us during the A Broken Frame period. We recorded the songs that I had already written, some of them dating back to when I was 16 years old, and a few new songs that I was writing in the studio, and put the album together. For me, that was our weakest album, because it was just a weird hybrid of different styles, and it was a learning process for me. By the time Construction Time Again came around, we sort of found our feet again. I think we started getting it right around 1986, which is when we released Black Celebration. I'm pretty happy with the stuff we've released from '86 onwards, especially the singles. I've been looking forward to the Depeche Mode: The Singles '86 - '98 collection coming out for quite a while, and now seems like the right time to release this double-album."

QUESTION : What's your feeling on other groups doing cover versions of your songs?
ANSWER : "It's a great honor to have people doing covers of our songs, especially for an album like For The Masses; I think there are some very good cover versions on there. I think Terry Hoax's [a German act] version of "Policy Of Truth" was a great version, too. Again, it's an honor to have other acts pay tribute to you. We never imagined that we would be here today, 18 years on, still making music, being relevant and still meaning something to people...it's nice to be noticed. I like writing songs myself, and fortunately they happen to touch other people, and that's a great achievement--the whole process is so gratifying."

QUESTION : On the other side of the fence, is there anyone in particular that has played an influential role in what you're doing?
ANSWER : "People like Neil Young, John Lennon and Leonard Cohen are people whose talents I respect. I've always tried to marry technology with good songwriting. I think that's important, because if you know you're a good songwriter, you can do things in a very retro style; but I think merging technology with good songwriting is just as important. Also, another big influence would have to be someone like Kraftwerk. Not necessarily on the songwriting, but with their instrumentation."

QUESTION : It's quite remarkable that, after selling over 50 million albums worldwide, you still surround yourselves with a high level of mystery.
ANSWER : "It could be due to the fact that our music has a sort of cult-like feel to it. Somehow we manage to maintain a level of secrecy about us, even after selling 50 million albums...it still feels like Depeche Mode is some kind of secret society or something. I think there's also some sort of intimacy in our music that people have a special affinity with. Even though there are a lot of people buying our records, we still seem to have a level of suspense surrounding us."

QUESTION : There's obviously been a lot of speculation about the future of Depeche Mode with Alan's departure and Dave's past drug addiction. How would you describe the chemistry between you today?
ANSWER : "Things are about as good as they can be after being together for 18 years; that's not to say they're not good, but obviously there are ups and downs, and we're more like a family than anything else. Spending 18 years together is a long time, and I think we're getting on better now than we have done in the past. It helps that Dave has been clean for almost two years, whereas before he was on an emotional rollercoaster. One minute he'd be euphoric and the next he'd be deeply depressed and irritable, and it can become very difficult to work with somebody when they're going through those sort of mood swings. Dave's on a different level now, and he's happier than I've ever seen him, so that is an important factor in the way we get on. Me and Andrew have had our problems as well, and I think we're both doing sort of okay at the moment. However, we're not doing as well as Dave. He's had a remarkable recovery, but we're doing okay, and that's the best way I can describe it."

QUESTION : I saw your intimate performance at The Shrine in Los Angeles last year and you sounded fantastic. Your world tour is obviously going to be a lot bigger. Can you describe the stage design for this tour?
ANSWER : "We've got Anton Corbijn involved with us again, and he designed the stage set for us. He also shot a short film which is going to be used as a visual behind us. I don't want to give away too much, to be honest, because I think it's always a nice surprise for fans to actually come to a show not knowing what to expect. The short film Anton shot of us was quite interesting; he got us to dress up as our idols and I found that to be quite humourous...I thought I looked like a bad clone of my idol!"

QUESTION : Have you decided on an opening act for your US and European dates?
ANSWER : "We've got a band confirmed for our European dates; a three-piece drum+bass group called Purity...they're hardcore, really heavy. We're deciding on three or four acts for our US tour, but we're not still sure on which one we'll choose."

QUESTION : There's also been some speculation that, after the release of your greatest hits album, you won't be recording again. Is that true?
ANSWER : "I think when we return home after this tour I'm going to have to start writing again and just take it from there, really. We don't have plan to never record again and we don't really know what we're doing next year. If we enjoy this tour that we're on, we may even decide to do some more dates next year."

QUESTION : How does your family feel about you going on tour?
ANSWER : "I don't know. I imagine happy and peeved at the same time. The prospect of me going away for four months is not very appealing to them at the moment. My daughters are now at an age where they understand things a lot better and get depressed. I was just on holiday and, at the conclusion of my vacation I had to come to New York, and they went up to Seattle to see my wife's parents and they were crying because I was leaving. Even though I was going to see them in a week they were upset; you can imagine how that feeling might get intensified when I'm saying, 'I'll see you in four months.'"

QUESTION : What can Depeche Mode fans expect from you in the future?
ANSWER : "Realistically, I can't imagine that we'd have an album out before the year 2000, because I know how slow the recording process is. I've got to write some songs, for a start, and then we need to get into the studio. We spent 15 months in the studio making that last record, so if this tour is going to last until Christmas, the prospect of an album being out before the year 2000 is out of the question. I enjoy the fact that we work at our own pace and we don't feel pressured into putting things out too early. I think it's more important to make sure that what you're putting out is a good product!"

An Interview With Dave Gahan:
QUESTION : David, you've been through a lot during the past couple of years. How are you doing?
ANSWER : "I'm doing very good! It's been a weird kind of journey the last few years, but you know, I'm in a place now where I feel more content and happy than I've ever felt, without having to find it through someone else. Before I felt like disappearing, and wanted to avoid looking at myself or being around myself; now it's not so bad being around David."

QUESTION : We all have to deal with various pressures, and in the end it's all a part of the learning process.
ANSWER : "Yeah, it is, and I'm learning that there are certain things that I have absolutely no power over and I should just leave things as they are. I'm beginning to do things that I want to do instead of waiting for things to happen and getting uncomfortable if they don't get done. That pertains to not speaking up for myself, or not spending enough time with my son or dealing with the responsibilities that I have in my life. I know I can't run away from the fact that I'm 36 years old and have a lot of responsibilities; I'm not 21 years old anymore, and can't just say 'fuck it' to things. As long as I don't try and take on too much and get overwhelmed with stuff, I'm okay, and that's the way it is for me right now."

QUESTION : You should do things at your own pace and deal with them the way that suits you best.
ANSWER : "Oh yeah, everyone's got a different agenda, and I'm starting to realize that I can't make everybody happy. It would be quite self-centered and stupid of me to think that I'm responsible for making everyone around me happy. It's way too overwhelming to even contemplate that making everyone happy is my role in life. It's a lot of bull, really, and I'm very grateful, fortunate and lucky to be a part of something that's creative. I'm happy that we're still working together and going back on the road and all that stuff. To be honest, it's a great opportunity for me to actually get up on stage and sing songs and be able to get on with my regular life."

QUESTION : My parents always told me that you have to take care of yourself before you can make anyone else around you happy.
ANSWER : "That's something I found out; you can't make yourself happy through someone else or something else. It works for a while, but the bottom line is that you've always got to stare at yourself in the mirror in the morning."

QUESTION : Well, it's great to have you back and you sound great. In fact, Martin mentioned that you're even doing better than him and Andrew.
ANSWER : "That's funny! I think they're more nervous about the prospect of what we're about to do [going on tour] than I am. I'm nervous and anxious, but I'm not overwhelmed by it; I've accepted the fact that I need to take care of myself first. I go to the gym in the morning and there's a routine to my life, and as boring as it sounds, when I do all that kind of stuff I'm a much better person to be around. If I start sitting around and have too much time to think about things and put things off, then that's dangerous territory for me."

QUESTION : Let's focus on the band for a moment. You've been a part of Depeche Mode for almost two decades, and still command a loyal following and respect that few acts can maintain for this long a period of time. Why do you think that is?
ANSWER : "We've just kept on doing what we're doing--we try to challenge ourselves every time, and we pride ourselves on trying to push the barriers a little bit within the confines of Depeche Mode. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that we've always played live, and that approach to being in a band is something that I think doesn't go on as much anymore. It seems like bands get record deals even before they've played, and I certainly wouldn't want to do it like that. What I enjoy the most is performing; I enjoy singing, and that's really why I got into this business in the first place. I was always a show-off as a kid who demanded the attention of my family or whoever else was interested in looking at what I was doing, and being in a group is a great vehicle to be able to do that."

QUESTION : Obviously, you're known for your amazing live shows.
ANSWER : "There's something that happens onstage, and I don't even want to try and figure it out...it's just a great feeling to be a part of that process. We've got a drummer performing with us on this new tour and we've also got a guitarist, keyboard player and an additional singer working with us, as well; we've got a good little band of seven people working together on this tour."

QUESTION : So your tour kicks-off in September and I hear that the German leg of it is almost sold out.
ANSWER : "Yeah, we sold almost 150,000 tickets in three days and I'm really surprised by that, to be quite honest--it's a fantastic feeling."

QUESTION : That's quite impressive, you must be very proud of yourselves.
ANSWER : "I hope the same thing happens here in the States, in terms of people being as interested in seeing Depeche Mode as they are in Europe."

QUESTION : It seems that, over the years, Depeche Mode has become a musical legacy.
ANSWER : "Right, at times I feel like we're old codgers performing on stage. In some ways, we opened doors for a different type of music. It was bands like us, The Cure, New Order and Echo & The Bunnymen that were alternative to acts like Van Halen. Today you have hundreds of groups trying to do something a bit different, and that's pretty exciting. Recently we had a tribute album released with various artists covering our songs."

QUESTION : Yes, For The Masses.
ANSWER : "That's a very flattering album; knowing that all those different bands, old and new, were influenced by Depeche Mode at some point in their lives. It'd be great if Billy Corgan [The Smashing Pumpkins] would join us on stage and sing "Never Let Me Down Again" [their cover on For The Masses]."

QUESTION : You've influenced many bands over the years; however, who would you say has been a musical role model for Depeche Mode?
ANSWER : "I think we draw our influences from a very diverse field. Currently, I'm listening to a lot of blues-based stuff from people like Robert Johnson, John Lee Hooker, Haley Moore and Buddy Guy. I also like listening to Patsy Cline, Billie Holiday and a lot of the older stuff; I enjoy the emotion in their voices, and it's something that I bring to Depeche Mode. Martin, on the other hand, listens to music that's very current, and he's into the techno stuff, but I'm not into that as much. I like the fact that we can mix things up."

QUESTION : What's the chemistry like between you, Martin and Andrew since Alan's departure?
ANSWER : "It's pretty good. You know, I miss Alan a lot, actually. Alan was a very hard worker, and I miss his style of direction; he pulled us together musically and was very much the musical director. It'll be interesting to see how things go on stage without him."

QUESTION : Is there any possibility that Alan will come back?
ANSWER : "I don't think so! He's pretty happy at the moment and I'm sure he's glad that Depeche Mode: The Singles '86 - '98 is coming out, because he's going to make some money. However, I do miss him and I haven't spoken to him in quite a while. We send messages to each other through my manager. I don't know why I just don't pick up the phone and say hello to him."

QUESTION : David, you've got a very unique vocal presence. Have you always sung in this manner, or did you concoct this style for Depeche Mode?
ANSWER : "My vocal style has just changed over the years, and I've had a lot of influences to draw from, to be quite honest. The words that Martin writes are very apt, and it takes some time for me to be able to sing them. I'm no longer in a place where I feel like I have to sing for the producers, Martin, the record company or the fans. When I'm singing for myself, I'm drawing from something deep down inside of me, and it feels good. To be honest, I think that comes from the fact that I'm feeling a lot more confident and comfortable with myself."

QUESTION : Where does Depeche Mode see themselves in the next few years?
ANSWER : "We'll finish up this tour around Christmas time, and I don't know what's going to happen after that. We have to really think about what we're doing, and it's also dependent on where we want to go musically. As far as a new album is concerned, it all depends on what songs Martin writes and what tracks we decide to record."