Mad World's distinctive percussion intro was played on a Roland CR-78 drum machine. We first recorded it at twice the speed, but it sounded great slowed down.
You know, if you ever listen to your voice on an answering machine everyone thinks we sound dreadful. That's sort of the way I think when I hear myself speak.
It's incredibly cool that R & B artists like Kanye and the Weekend, who from a completely different genre to us have tapped into 'The Hurting.'
We know our limitations. There's only a certain amount of time that Roland and I really want to be on the same bus together. Our limit is about four to six weeks.
Laurel Canyon area music is legendary.
Songwriting I think, or any art form, the inspiration comes from your personal life or it can be from politics or region you live in.
Tears For Fears is my ultimate passion.
What happens with writing a song and demoing it, for me the demo always becomes the master.
Normally doing an album you go from track to track and go, 'Let's not work on this one today, let's go work on the other one,' and I think you tend to get more self-indulgent that way.
I find that albums generally tell a story. Because it's music, it doesn't have to be in chronological order.
We released 'Mad World' as a single because we felt the music press would like it.
Mad World' was easy for me to sing because I could relate to Roland's lyrics. We were both the middle of three sons and had been brought up by single mothers with absent fathers.
To be honest, I've been back to Atlanta a couple of times, I can't remember what for. One for a big conference, a radio conference. I feel like it's a vibrant place. It has a vibrant music scene.
Naturally, in a band or duo, it's really about compromise which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Tears for Fears is me and Roland.
I normally don't do interviews on the road.
Leading into 'The Hurting,' what changed our view of music was Gary Numan.
You find it hard to deal with certain things and as you get older it becomes easier.
I saw a band called The Electric Guitars, from Bristol. I described them to Roland, and he just started playing a riff on guitar and said, 'Do they sound like this?' And they did.
I see bands that have been around for a long time who go through the motions. They're tired and they shouldn't really be doing it any more. We are doing it because we like it.
