Depeche Mode’s Dave Gahan has spoken to NME about what the future holds for the band.
The iconic frontman caught up with NME recently to discuss his upcoming show in London, celebrating the life of Mark Lanegan at a tribute gig at The Roundhouse. Set to be held tonight (December 5), the show is held at the Camden venue as it was the last venue the former Screaming Trees played in the city, and the date marks what would have been his 60th birthday.
Gahan and Lanegan became friends after touring together in the ’00s, before going on to record together with Soulsavers and Humanist.
Opening up about his time working with the grunge icon, who passed away in February 2022 at the age of 57, the Depeche Mode singer also told NME about what’s next for the band.
Reflecting on life after the 2023 tour he and bandmate Martin Gore embarked on to celebrate the release of ‘Memento Mori’, Gahan said: “To be honest it’s taken me quite a while just to recover after the tour… It was fantastic and ended up being more than what Martin and I could have imagined in many ways.”
He continued: “It was a great tour and I’ve just spent the last five months since I got home just trying to get back into my regular life of family, friends, a little bit of writing here and there, but to be honest I’m not that inspired by anything.”
Later, he went on to reveal that he had begun the writing process again, but not with any plans for new material in mind. “I’m purposefully trying to not make any plans in that way creatively. I pick up the guitar and noodle away, and if there’s a little phrase of chords then I’ll pull out my iPhone and record it,” he said, citing his daughter as his main source of inspiration at the moment.
“She’s been out in Europe playing club shows. I’m more into that and wanting to see what happens there,” he said. “I’m dad, so trust me – she puts up the walls and tells me to back off! As an executive producer role I try to wield a bit of influence, but she’s got her own thing going on.”
As for plans to join forces with Gore again and begin on some new Depeche Mode endeavours, Gahan said that starting up the machine again isn’t at the top of the list just yet.
“Martin and I have talked. We actually saw each other recently, and it was really nice. We spent some time in Italy where [photographer and visual collaborator] Anton Cobijn and his wife were renewing their wedding vows,” he recalled.
“I actually did ask Martin if he’d been writing and he was like, ‘Nah!’ That’s normal – especially when you’ve worked intensely for a couple of years. It takes a while. Wait and see. I wouldn’t rule out getting together at some point, but it’s not on the cards at this point.”
As well as Gahan, the Mark Lanegan tribute gig will feature performances from friends and collaborators including former Queens Of The Stone Age bandmates Josh Homme and Troy Van Leeuwen, Chrissie Hynde, Primal Scream‘s Bobby Gillespie, Greg Dulli, The Kills‘ Alison Mosshart, Soulsavers and more, all delivering songs from throughout Lanegan’s catalogue.
Outside of his work with Depeche Mode, Gahan went on to contribute to Soulsavers’ albums ‘The Light The Dead See’ (2012), ‘Angels & Ghosts’ (2015) and ‘Imposter’ (2021). He has also shared two solo albums, 2003’s ‘Paper Monsters’ and 2007’s ‘Hourglass’.
