Maebh Springbett
Depeche Mode released their first single as a duo – ‘Ghosts Again’ – after the passing of co-founding member and keyboardist Andy ‘Fletch’ Fletcher last May. The recent single serves as a sombre but hopeful goodbye to their lost bandmate.
PIONEERS
Notorious on the underground electronic club scene, Depeche Mode made their debut in 1980 with the single ‘Photographic’. Their 1990 album ‘Violator’ featured hits like ‘Personal Jesus’ and ‘Enjoy the Silence’ which saw the band cement themselves as icons of the 90s alternative boom.
Citing landmark bands like Siousxie and the Banshees as inspiration, the Essex quartet distinguished themselves by pioneering a synth-heavy sound.
The year 2020 marked their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame alongside T. Rex and Nine Inch Nails.
THE SINGLE
Dave Gahan and Martin Gore – from the band’s original lineup – continue the darker themes of Depeche Mode’s later career with their most recent single ‘Ghosts Again’. The grief of their recent loss is palpable as Gahan begins to sing – “Wasted feelings/Broken meanings/Time is fleeting/See what it brings” – a heavy-hearted bass accompanies him which thuds achingly throughout.
As the track continues, a wistful melody plays while the band’s signature synths are layered onto one another and swell with emotion. Compelling lyrics like “Sundays shining/Silver linings/Weightless hours/All my flowers” reiterates there is no death without life. There are still fond memories and people left to cherish.
“To me, ‘Ghosts Again’ just captures this perfect balance of melancholy and joy.”
Gahan told Clash Magazine: ‘”To me, ‘Ghosts Again’ just captures this perfect balance of melancholy and joy.”
In the same interview, Gore adds: “It’s not often that we record a song that I just don’t get sick of listening to – I’m excited to be able to share it.”
The pair took the track to the stage for the first time on 11 February with a stellar performance at the SanRemo Song Festival in Italy, where the audience surely felt Fletcher’s empty spotlight.
WHAT’S NEXT
Depeche Mode will continue to stare down mortality with their upcoming album ‘Memento Mori’ which directly translates to ‘remember you must die’. The band sets off to North America for the first leg of their 2023 World Tour a day before the new album is to be released on 24 March.
Image courtesy of Panagiotis Falcos via Unsplash. See image license here. No changes were made to this image.
Maebh Springbett
While Head of Entertainment for Empoword Journalism, Maebh works in the Careers department at the University of Reading. Their writing focuses on music and has been published by the likes of Music Is To Blame and Dead Good Music. They aspire to work in non-fiction publishing.