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Depeche Mode _ (Ray Gun, 1993)
An interview with Martin Gore from Ray Gun magazine. 1993.
Q: A lot of Depeche Mode fans take your lyrics quite seriously. Do you feel any responsibility for the effect your words might have?
A: When I sit down and write, I don't know exactly what my goal is. It's just something that I enjoy doing. The main responsibility is to produce something good.
Q: Do you feel that your lyrics are often misinterpreted?
A: A lot of songs are fairly ambiguous and people fit them into their own lives, their own situations. I think that's fine.
Q: You've made an impact on thousands of young people. Are you ever frightened by the influence that you've had on so many?
A: I wouldn't say it frightens me. I quite like the idea. The only thing I sit down to do is try to communicate with people. To get to the point when you've actually achieved that is really nice, to be able to communicate on such a global level.
Q: Do you ever sit down and talk to fans who relate what various lyrics meant to them?
A: Yeah. There was one instance regarding 'Never Let Me Down Again' when two separate people came up to me after a show one night and said 'I really like that song'. One of them thought it was a gay anthem and the other thought it was a drug anthem. They both loved the song, so that's fine by me. Last night was a good example of how nice it is to communicate. We got dropped off at a bar and it was closed. Michael called a taxi, you know how hard it is to get a taxi here, and just at that moment these two fans passed us, recognized me in the street, and came over. I said, 'Give us a lift?' And they were happy to. They came with us an even hung around to give us a lift back to the hotel later (laughs)
Q: Why do you think that Depeche Mode has such a strong fan base in Southern California?
A: I think it's mainly because of the radio support, as boring an answer that may be. Every time I come to L.A. it seems you can't go for more than half an hour without hearing one of our records on KROQ, even when we haven't had a release out in three years! I guess there are quite a few alternative stations. You know, the alternative scene in America is weird to me. I was listening to the alternative station up in Seattle and it just seemed to cover such a broad spectrum. It's unfortunate because I think at one point alternative music really was alternative. Now it seems that so much of it is just bad. It almost means bad music.
Q: Now that Dave lives in Los Angeles, has it effected the working relationship of the band?
A: With this record we did two periods in Madrid, one in Hamburg, we all have to travel. For the tour, we will probably rehearse in London. It's very easy. It's only a plane ride. It's not a big problem.
Q: Would you ever consider moving to America?
A: I might be forced to one day. My girlfriend is American and she just loves, like all of you Americans, the American way of life. I was actually talked into skiing over Christmas. It's just those sorts of things that are so easy over here. It's one of those things that I've always said I never wanted to do, but her parents bought me these skiing lessons for Christmas.
Q: Is it ever odd for you to have Dave interpreting your words?
A: No, because Dave is like another instrument. He's the voice of the band. His voice is particularly suited to a lot of the songs. I can't sing the way he does.
Q: What are some of your musical inspirations?
A: Over the past few years I've really gotten into Leonard Cohen. I like John Lennon, Kurt Weill. The Velvet Underground was probably the best band that ever existed. Sparks were one of my influences when I was growing up. Propaganda is probably my favorite album of all time. Another one of my major song writing influences was Neil Young.
Q: It's interesting that Brian Eno did the remix for 'I Feel You'. What sort of working relationship do you have with him? Did you just sort of turn over the tapes?
A: We basically just sent him the tapes. Flood knows him from his relation- ship with U2, so he just called him and he was keen to it. His mixes have this really strange atmosphere to them. Everytime I play it, no matter what time of day it is, it almost puts me to sleep. It's really weird. We had to take it off when we were driving in the car 'cause me girl- friend was falling asleep.
Subject: Martin interview, part I
All right, here's the first of the articles. This one is from Ray Gun magazine and this particular issue came out right about the time SOFAD was released. The magazine is missing the cover so I don't have any exact dates. This is an interview with Martin L. Gore. Enjoy!
Q: A lot of Depeche Mode fans take your lyrics quite seriously. Do you feel any responsibility for the effect your words might have?
A: When I sit down and write, I don't know exactly what my goal is. It's just something that I enjoy doing. The main responsibility is to produce something good.
Q: Do you feel that your lyrics are often misinterpreted?
A: A lot of songs are fairly ambiguous and people fit them into their own lives, their own situations. I think that's fine.
Q: You've made an impact on thousands of young people. Are you ever frightened by the influence that you've had on so many?
A: I wouldn't say it frightens me. I quite like the idea. The only thing I sit down to do is try to communicate with people. To get to the point when you've actually achieved that is really nice, to be able to communicate on such a global level.
Q: Do you ever sit down and talk to fans who relate what various lyrics meant to them?
A: Yeah. There was one instance regarding 'Never Let Me Down Again' when two separate people came up to me after a show one night and said 'I really like that song'. One of them thought it was a gay anthem and the other thought it was a drug anthem. They both loved the song, so that's fine by me. Last night was a good example of how nice it is to communicate. We got dropped off at a bar and it was closed. Michael called a taxi, you know how hard it is to get a taxi here, and just at that moment these two fans passed us, recognized me in the street, and came over. I said, 'Give us a lift?' And they were happy to. They came with us an even hung around to give us a lift back to the hotel later (laughs)
Q: Why do you think that Depeche Mode has such a strong fan base in Southern California?
A: I think it's mainly because of the radio support, as boring an answer that may be. Every time I come to L.A. it seems you can't go for more than half an hour without hearing one of our records on KROQ, even when we haven't had a release out in three years! I guess there are quite a few alternative stations. You know, the alternative scene in America is weird to me. I was listening to the alternative station up in Seattle and it just seemed to cover such a broad spectrum. It's unfortunate because I think at one point alternative music really was alternative. Now it seems that so much of it is just bad. It almost means bad music.
Q: Now that Dave lives in Los Angeles, has it effected the working relationship of the band?
A: With this record we did two periods in Madrid, one in Hamburg, we all have to travel. For the tour, we will probably rehearse in London. It's very easy. It's only a plane ride. It's not a big problem.
Q: Would you ever consider moving to America?
A: I might be forced to one day. My girlfriend is American and she just loves, like all of you Americans, the American way of life. I was actually talked into skiing over Christmas. It's just those sorts of things that are so easy over here. It's one of those things that I've always said I never wanted to do, but her parents bought me these skiing lessons for Christmas.
Q: Is it ever odd for you to have Dave interpreting your words?
A: No, because Dave is like another instrument. He's the voice of the band. His voice is particularly suited to a lot of the songs. I can't sing the way he does.
Q: What are some of your musical inspirations?
A: Over the past few years I've really gotten into Leonard Cohen. I like John Lennon, Kurt Weill. The Velvet Underground was probably the best band that ever existed. Sparks were one of my influences when I was growing up. Propaganda is probably my favorite album of all time. Another one of my major song writing influences was Neil Young.
Q: It's interesting that Brian Eno did the remix for 'I Feel You'. What sort of working relationship do you have with him? Did you just sort of turn over the tapes?
A: We basically just sent him the tapes. Flood knows him from his relation- ship with U2, so he just called him and he was keen to it. His mixes have this really strange atmosphere to them. Everytime I play it, no matter what time of day it is, it almost puts me to sleep. It's really weird. We had to take it off when we were driving in the car 'cause me girl- friend was falling asleep.
Q: Although Depeche Mode is considered a keyboard based band, you often write the songs on guitar...
A: Yeah, often. I usually work on the chord structure on guitar, then the words, then I move into my studio at home, then do a basic demo with the keyboards or whatever, and then I present it to the band. I've been trying to keep the demos more open. If the demo is too finished you tend to have that in your head as the final picture.
Q: Do you have much interest in production?
I've really never been very interested in production. Obviously production can do a lot, but I like to place more importance on the song. If the song is good enough in the first place you can pretty much get away with anything.
Q: As the main songwriter you must make a lot more money than the rest of the band...
A: (nodding his head and laughing) Can't you tell I stand out?
Q: There's no animosity?
A: They've never mentioned it to me. Maybe they have secret meetings behind my back. (laughs)
Q: Have you kept in contact with Vince Clarke?
A: We see more of him now, but that's not much. Maybe once or twice a year. We get on really well. They (Erasure) actually played in Hamburg while we were recording there and he came out drinking with us one night. I'd never seen him do that with us before! I was surprised. He actually came out with us and had a good time. (laughs)
Q: How do you handle the impact of a tour? Is life on the road difficult for you to adjust to?
A: It's actually more difficult adjusting back to normal life after the tour. When we are on the road we have about five people looking after us. Anything you want all day long is at your feet. Suddenly you have to go home after the tour and adjust to normality. The first grocery trip is very weird. (laughs)
Q: How hard is it for you to connect with the audience in a large arena?
A: I've got terrible eyesight so if it's more than ten people it doesn't make a difference to me.
Q: How involved are you with the visual marketing of the band? We have big meetings with Anton (Corbijn). We trust him a lot. He comes up with most of the ideas. He does all of our video output now, our sleeves, photographs, and we're also getting him involved in the stage set design this time.
Q: You've touched on a lot of religious imagery in your songs...
A: I've always touched on religion. I must have some deep rooted problem somewhere.
Q: Were you raised with a religious upbringing?
A: No. I always liked the idea of belief. I wanted to believe in something but I've never been sure what it is I should be believing in. The idea of faith really appealed to me.
Q: Do you read a lot on spirituality?
A: Over the last couple of years I haven't really done any reading at all. Unfortuantely, I've really gotten into Sega and Super Nintendo. (laughs) So there's a few worrying pointers. The other worry is that I've got an eighteen month old daughter and we've just gotten into Disney sing-a-long tunes and they've really started to get ingrained in my head! It's quite a worry for the next album....
A: Yeah, often. I usually work on the chord structure on guitar, then the words, then I move into my studio at home, then do a basic demo with the keyboards or whatever, and then I present it to the band. I've been trying to keep the demos more open. If the demo is too finished you tend to have that in your head as the final picture.
Q: Do you have much interest in production?
I've really never been very interested in production. Obviously production can do a lot, but I like to place more importance on the song. If the song is good enough in the first place you can pretty much get away with anything.
Q: As the main songwriter you must make a lot more money than the rest of the band...
A: (nodding his head and laughing) Can't you tell I stand out?
Q: There's no animosity?
A: They've never mentioned it to me. Maybe they have secret meetings behind my back. (laughs)
Q: Have you kept in contact with Vince Clarke?
A: We see more of him now, but that's not much. Maybe once or twice a year. We get on really well. They (Erasure) actually played in Hamburg while we were recording there and he came out drinking with us one night. I'd never seen him do that with us before! I was surprised. He actually came out with us and had a good time. (laughs)
Q: How do you handle the impact of a tour? Is life on the road difficult for you to adjust to?
A: It's actually more difficult adjusting back to normal life after the tour. When we are on the road we have about five people looking after us. Anything you want all day long is at your feet. Suddenly you have to go home after the tour and adjust to normality. The first grocery trip is very weird. (laughs)
Q: How hard is it for you to connect with the audience in a large arena?
A: I've got terrible eyesight so if it's more than ten people it doesn't make a difference to me.
Q: How involved are you with the visual marketing of the band? We have big meetings with Anton (Corbijn). We trust him a lot. He comes up with most of the ideas. He does all of our video output now, our sleeves, photographs, and we're also getting him involved in the stage set design this time.
Q: You've touched on a lot of religious imagery in your songs...
A: I've always touched on religion. I must have some deep rooted problem somewhere.
Q: Were you raised with a religious upbringing?
A: No. I always liked the idea of belief. I wanted to believe in something but I've never been sure what it is I should be believing in. The idea of faith really appealed to me.
Q: Do you read a lot on spirituality?
A: Over the last couple of years I haven't really done any reading at all. Unfortuantely, I've really gotten into Sega and Super Nintendo. (laughs) So there's a few worrying pointers. The other worry is that I've got an eighteen month old daughter and we've just gotten into Disney sing-a-long tunes and they've really started to get ingrained in my head! It's quite a worry for the next album....
An interview with Andy Fletcher from Ray Gun magazine. 1993.
Q: You handle a lot of the bands administrative duties...
A: We don't actually have a manager, so we manage ourselves. We have always done that.
Q: Is there any reason you've chosen not to hire a manager?
A: Not particularly. It happened by accident. It goes back to the whole independent scene, when independent labels started in England in the late '70s, after punk, it was basically a do-it-yourself attitude. When we formed the band e never thought about getting a manager. We thought it would be an interference. It was fortunate that we finally went with Mute Records because Daniel Miller acted like a manager, as well as the record company boss. I've taken less of a musical role and more of a managerial role as the band's become more popular.
Q: How did your relationship with Daniel Miller first come about?
A: We made the customary demo tape and took it around to the record companies Then we started playing gigs in London and supported one of Daniel's acts. He really liked us. The major labels started coming after us at that time as well, but we chose to go with Daniel. He was the only guy we felt we could actually trust.
Q: I understand you handle the fan club. How involving is that?
A: I have to get involved in all of the things that are boring for everyone else. I really enjoy that side. The music is less and less interesting for me. For the other members of the band the music is more interesting. Alan, for instance, is much more interested in the music. Even when the band started, I was basically forced to be in the band. They needed a bass player and I wasn't really interested in playing. It wasn't some- thing I really enjoyed. I like the end result but I don't like the process of getting there.
Q: Is it playing live or recording that you don't like?
A: It's making music. I like the end result but I don't like the process of getting there.
Q: How many members are in your fan club?
A: About 10,000. We have a fanzine that is published over here.
Q: Do you think that the band has a stronger following in America than in Europe?
A: Not in Europe but in England. We are as popular in Germany, France, and Spain, probably more so. The problem with Britain is it's a very fickle market. They're always on to the next thing. If you're the old flavor it's hard to keep up that level of acceptance. It does seem to be coming full circle for us over there. It seems like we are quite accepted again in England.
Q: How involved are you in the recording process?
A: I'm there on an advisory level. Every member of the band has got their role and as the years go by those roles become more defined. On the early albums any time a bass part came up I would do it, but then it became ridiculous. If Alan can play the bass part better than me, why should I be the one playing bass on the record?
Q: Do you have a typical 9 to 5 business day?
A: I have loads of calls to make. My job is to keep the boring things away from the band during the creative process. Bands get so involved in the business side of things that it gets in the way of the important thing, which is the music. We realize that you have to keep improving the music if your gonna survive. That's what gives us our fan base. The whole thing about being a band is the way four personalities weave together. With us, I think it works particularly well.
Q: What's the extent of Sire's involvement in America?
A: They're our record company over here. Seymour Stein supported us from the very beginning. He was actually there before Stevo (Some Bizarre) and Daniel. He came to see us in some small club in Basildon. Here was this big U.S. record company president that signed the Talking Heads and the Pretenders coming to this small club that held about 150 people. We didn't even have a dressing room. We had to meet him on the stairway. He signed us from that first single. He's quite an incredible character. Warner Bros. has been really good for us over here.
Subject: Andy interview
This interview is also taken from Ray Gun magazine.
Q: You handle a lot of the bands administrative duties...
A: We don't actually have a manager, so we manage ourselves. We have always done that.
Q: Is there any reason you've chosen not to hire a manager?
A: Not particularly. It happened by accident. It goes back to the whole independent scene, when independent labels started in England in the late '70s, after punk, it was basically a do-it-yourself attitude. When we formed the band e never thought about getting a manager. We thought it would be an interference. It was fortunate that we finally went with Mute Records because Daniel Miller acted like a manager, as well as the record company boss. I've taken less of a musical role and more of a managerial role as the band's become more popular.
Q: How did your relationship with Daniel Miller first come about?
A: We made the customary demo tape and took it around to the record companies Then we started playing gigs in London and supported one of Daniel's acts. He really liked us. The major labels started coming after us at that time as well, but we chose to go with Daniel. He was the only guy we felt we could actually trust.
Q: I understand you handle the fan club. How involving is that?
A: I have to get involved in all of the things that are boring for everyone else. I really enjoy that side. The music is less and less interesting for me. For the other members of the band the music is more interesting. Alan, for instance, is much more interested in the music. Even when the band started, I was basically forced to be in the band. They needed a bass player and I wasn't really interested in playing. It wasn't some- thing I really enjoyed. I like the end result but I don't like the process of getting there.
Q: Is it playing live or recording that you don't like?
A: It's making music. I like the end result but I don't like the process of getting there.
Q: How many members are in your fan club?
A: About 10,000. We have a fanzine that is published over here.
Q: Do you think that the band has a stronger following in America than in Europe?
A: Not in Europe but in England. We are as popular in Germany, France, and Spain, probably more so. The problem with Britain is it's a very fickle market. They're always on to the next thing. If you're the old flavor it's hard to keep up that level of acceptance. It does seem to be coming full circle for us over there. It seems like we are quite accepted again in England.
Q: How involved are you in the recording process?
A: I'm there on an advisory level. Every member of the band has got their role and as the years go by those roles become more defined. On the early albums any time a bass part came up I would do it, but then it became ridiculous. If Alan can play the bass part better than me, why should I be the one playing bass on the record?
Q: Do you have a typical 9 to 5 business day?
A: I have loads of calls to make. My job is to keep the boring things away from the band during the creative process. Bands get so involved in the business side of things that it gets in the way of the important thing, which is the music. We realize that you have to keep improving the music if your gonna survive. That's what gives us our fan base. The whole thing about being a band is the way four personalities weave together. With us, I think it works particularly well.
Q: What's the extent of Sire's involvement in America?
A: They're our record company over here. Seymour Stein supported us from the very beginning. He was actually there before Stevo (Some Bizarre) and Daniel. He came to see us in some small club in Basildon. Here was this big U.S. record company president that signed the Talking Heads and the Pretenders coming to this small club that held about 150 people. We didn't even have a dressing room. We had to meet him on the stairway. He signed us from that first single. He's quite an incredible character. Warner Bros. has been really good for us over here.
An interview with Alan Wilder from Ray Gun magazine. 1993.
Q: So you pretty much produced the album with Flood. Did you get a production credit?
A: We just put it down as Depeche Mode, and Depeche Mode can mean whatever it means to people. In the end, I don't think people are that inter- ested. I suppose in the studio it's mainly myself and Flood with Martin chipping in various ideas and Dave acting as encouragement and positive vibes. That's really how it works, but you can't put that in a credit.
Q: How much of the time do you yourself spend with Flood?
A: All the time.
Q: So Dave just comes in and lays down his vocal parts?
A: Yeah. Martin's there a lot of the time. Dave kind of sporadically comes in the studio and the same with Fletch. Fletch's role is kind of unusual as it's not directly music related. Nevertheless, it's an important role. It's in different areas, but he's probably already told you that.
Q: He says that he doesn't like to play music.
A: He's perfectly happy and we'rer happy about that. It works. It's not the norm. In a way, it's quite interesting because it's the way of a modern group. It's quite nice to have someone in the group concentrate on the different aspects of what you do.
Q: When you tour, does he actually play?
A: Yeah. He plays keyboards. But he's be the first to admit that he's not the greatest keyboard player or a great musician.
Q: Do you have additional musicians play with you on tour?
A: We never have before, but on this next one we may bring in a few extra musicians. Not because it's really necessary. For us it's something new. We're trying to push ourselves in all kinds of areas as we have on this record. We want to continue that philosophy on the tour.
Q: So how integral was Daniel Miller to your success?
A: In the early days, his faith in the group was extremely important. The group would certainly burnt itself out if we had signed to a major label. From day one they were so naive. I count myself there although I didn't come in until a little later on. When the group first started with Vince they were 7 or 18 and were really naive. They would have been milked dry by a major label. There was a stage where they were being approached by all the major labels. For one reason or anther, they were astute enough to stay with Mute. Mute didn't offer them anything more than 'We'll just make a single and if it works out okay, well carry on.' It was a verbal agreement that only in the last few years turned into something written down on paper. That's really just a reflection of the trust between Daniel and ourselves. Over the years we've been allowed to progress and make our own mistakes, if you like. We've been allowed to develop at our own rate, which any other label would not have permitted. So I think Mute or Daniel, who is Mute, has been very instrumental in the ongoing success of the group. Now that we've reached the stage where we're much older, we're much more experienced and we're more understanding of the business, that relationship is perhaps not so crucial but it's still very good. I'm sure at this stage we could go off to a major label and make it work, but we have no desire to because the relationship still works well and there's no reason to.
Q: You keep talking about a major label. Most people in America perceive you to be on Sire/WB, which is about as major as you can get.
A: Over here, we are on a major label, but from our perspective Mute is where we started and England is still where we are based. All the initial decisions still are very much involved with Daniel. Everything starts from England. So even though in terms of sheer record sales England may not seem like such a huge, important market, it still is very important because it is our home and because our perspective is so geared from an English point of view. So in America, listening to someone talk about Mute Records might not mean so much. But in America you can't be on an independent label.
Q: Do you have any interests outside of music?
A: I have interest in other kinds of music outside of Depeche Mode. I like a lot of avantgarde type of music. I also like a lot of guitar based music and blues. I'm not a big fan of country music.
Q: What do you think of the Seattle scene, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, etc?
A: I quite like Pearl Jam. Alice in Chains I don't know that much.
Subject: Alan interview
Taken from Ray Gun magazine.
Q: So you pretty much produced the album with Flood. Did you get a production credit?
A: We just put it down as Depeche Mode, and Depeche Mode can mean whatever it means to people. In the end, I don't think people are that inter- ested. I suppose in the studio it's mainly myself and Flood with Martin chipping in various ideas and Dave acting as encouragement and positive vibes. That's really how it works, but you can't put that in a credit.
Q: How much of the time do you yourself spend with Flood?
A: All the time.
Q: So Dave just comes in and lays down his vocal parts?
A: Yeah. Martin's there a lot of the time. Dave kind of sporadically comes in the studio and the same with Fletch. Fletch's role is kind of unusual as it's not directly music related. Nevertheless, it's an important role. It's in different areas, but he's probably already told you that.
Q: He says that he doesn't like to play music.
A: He's perfectly happy and we'rer happy about that. It works. It's not the norm. In a way, it's quite interesting because it's the way of a modern group. It's quite nice to have someone in the group concentrate on the different aspects of what you do.
Q: When you tour, does he actually play?
A: Yeah. He plays keyboards. But he's be the first to admit that he's not the greatest keyboard player or a great musician.
Q: Do you have additional musicians play with you on tour?
A: We never have before, but on this next one we may bring in a few extra musicians. Not because it's really necessary. For us it's something new. We're trying to push ourselves in all kinds of areas as we have on this record. We want to continue that philosophy on the tour.
Q: So how integral was Daniel Miller to your success?
A: In the early days, his faith in the group was extremely important. The group would certainly burnt itself out if we had signed to a major label. From day one they were so naive. I count myself there although I didn't come in until a little later on. When the group first started with Vince they were 7 or 18 and were really naive. They would have been milked dry by a major label. There was a stage where they were being approached by all the major labels. For one reason or anther, they were astute enough to stay with Mute. Mute didn't offer them anything more than 'We'll just make a single and if it works out okay, well carry on.' It was a verbal agreement that only in the last few years turned into something written down on paper. That's really just a reflection of the trust between Daniel and ourselves. Over the years we've been allowed to progress and make our own mistakes, if you like. We've been allowed to develop at our own rate, which any other label would not have permitted. So I think Mute or Daniel, who is Mute, has been very instrumental in the ongoing success of the group. Now that we've reached the stage where we're much older, we're much more experienced and we're more understanding of the business, that relationship is perhaps not so crucial but it's still very good. I'm sure at this stage we could go off to a major label and make it work, but we have no desire to because the relationship still works well and there's no reason to.
Q: You keep talking about a major label. Most people in America perceive you to be on Sire/WB, which is about as major as you can get.
A: Over here, we are on a major label, but from our perspective Mute is where we started and England is still where we are based. All the initial decisions still are very much involved with Daniel. Everything starts from England. So even though in terms of sheer record sales England may not seem like such a huge, important market, it still is very important because it is our home and because our perspective is so geared from an English point of view. So in America, listening to someone talk about Mute Records might not mean so much. But in America you can't be on an independent label.
Q: Do you have any interests outside of music?
A: I have interest in other kinds of music outside of Depeche Mode. I like a lot of avantgarde type of music. I also like a lot of guitar based music and blues. I'm not a big fan of country music.
Q: What do you think of the Seattle scene, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, etc?
A: I quite like Pearl Jam. Alice in Chains I don't know that much.