Following Andy Fletcher’s passing in 2022, Dave Gahan and Martin Gore mentioned its effect on them through social media and hinted at working on a new album as a way of ‘finding stability in what we know and love.’ A year later, ‘Memento Mori’ hit the shelves as the band’s fifteenth studio record.
While the album didn’t contain a recorded part from Fletcher, the surviving members of Depeche Mode remembered him throughout its promotion. In an NME interview during its making, Gahan even shared a regret about his relationship with the late keyboardist:
“I will forever wish I’d been a little bit kinder to Fletch as I go forward. I will try to remember that with people I meet in the future, too.”
With more detail, he explained:
“I was always a bit of a d*ck with him; he was always a bit of a d*ck with me, too. That was the relationship we had. That’s what was good about him. He would also be the first person to call me if I was going through something, saying, ‘You alright, Dave? I hear you’re not feeling so good.’ He was that guy, too.”
Fletcher’s Absence In The Studio
Fletcher lost his life at age 60 due to an aortic dissection at home in May 2022. As Gore and Gahan entered the studio following this, they reportedly became closer than before.
According to their words in another NME chat, the two got to ‘know each other in a different way’ and started ‘talking more,’ leading to a closer relationship. On the other hand, they also felt the late keyboardist’s absence in the band, especially during the recording of ‘Memento Mori,’ as Gahan explained:
“When Martin and I were in the studio over the last couple of months, that was odd. We had already started recording, and [Fletch] was supposed to come and join us. He would sit there, he would listen, and he would make his comments. I missed that. It’s not until you lose someone that you realize these things.”
Depeche Mode’s first record without Fletcher came out on March 24 of this year, shortly after the release of the lead single, ‘Ghosts Again.’ You can check out the full album below.
