Depeche Mode almost lost Dave Gahan, as well, as the singer once considered quitting the band.
Depeche Mode is about to drop its first LP since Andy Fletcher's death in May 2022. The new album, titled "Memento Mori," will be available starting March 24.
Ahead of the release, Gahan appeared in a new interview with The Guardian and shared how he considered quitting twice following the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Not making a record, spending time with my family, friends, my f**king cat, I thought, 'I want to stay here,'" he said. "I was quite happy listening to records, watching the Knicks lose at basketball, plugging in my guitar and playing along to someone else's music. ... [I was] not really interested in making new music."
He recalled how he started his career at 18 when Depeche Mode debuted. He reportedly thought that, after decades of performing with the band, he suddenly thought he already had enough and had a good run.
Gahan then received a call from their manager, to whom he shared how he did not know if he could still do it.
Aside from that incident, the singer contemplated again for the second time after Fletcher's death. But he clarified that he only wanted to leave "for a minute" at that time.
Depeche Mode guitarist and keyboardist Martin Gore added that he did not consider the band's disbandment or even changing the new album's theme or title.
According to Gore, Andy Fletcher's death made him realize that Depeche Mode should continue with the songs and title. He then noted that "Memento Mori" message became more important after his bandmate's death.
Andy Fletcher's Death Revisited
Depeche Mode's founding member, Andy Fletcher, "suddenly died" at the age of 60 in May 2022. Rolling Stone confirmed that the musician died of natural causes, but his death still caused a shock to the public.
Talks about his health emerged as people tried to figure out what his real cause of death was.
Before his passing, he injured his wrist while on a vacation. He also suffered depression, which started in the 1990s amid the band's issues.
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At that time, he told Hot Press that he suffered two stress-related seizures, saying that those were related to the overwhelming number of shows while touring. Fletcher added that he had a full-on nervous breakdown during that episode.
"I had a massive nervous breakdown on that tour. The [tour]was 187 gigs, and, unfortunately, I had to pull out of the last leg. I remember [the band] Primal Scream supported us and they were shocked at [Dave Gahan's] behavior [related to his substance abuse]," he continued.
When he left the band, he sought help at a UK hospital.
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