Music
the interview •
Depeche Mode as you’ve never heard them before
Dave Gahan and Martin Gore’s hits reimagined by Nouvelle Vague. “The best compliment is when people listen to our version and say it sounds as if it had always been that way,” says Marc Collin
“It’s not about surprising people at all costs, but about creating something different. People need to listen to Depeche Mode from a new perspective. With our arrangements and female vocals, the songs take on a new lease of life and the lyrics take on different nuances.” Marc Collin, French musician and founder of Nouvelle Vague, talks to Il Foglio about the group’s latest work, A Date with Depeche Mode, due for release on 30 October via Kwaidan Records / [PIAS] Recordings France. On the album, which is entirely dedicated to the discography of Dave Gahan and Martin Gore’s band, 13 iconic tracks such as “I Just Can’t Get Enough”, “Personal Jesus”, “Enjoy the Silence” and “Shake the Disease” are stripped of their post-punk urgency and synth-pop melancholy to be reimagined through bossa nova rhythms and acoustic arrangements.
With Brazilian collaborations, such as that with Liminha of Os Mutantes, and an international line-up of female vocalists including Skye Edwards (Morcheeba), Brazilian singer-songwriter Flavia Coelho, Swedish artist Fredrika Stahl (also known for the soundtrack to Le Bureau des Légendes) and Beth Hirsch (who features on several tracks from Air’s Moon Safari), Nouvelle Vague blend Depeche Mode’s British melancholy with their own acoustic sensibility. The band will present the album in Italy in February 2027: they will perform in Pordenone on the 24th, in Milan on the 25th, in Rome on the 26th and in Conversano on the 27th. “For me, the best compliment is when people listen to our version and say it sounds as if it had always been that way,” says Collin.
Why an entire album of Depeche Mode songs?
I’d been thinking for about ten years about changing the Nouvelle Vague formula a little. I’d already made an album called ‘Strange as Angels’ in 2021, focused entirely on The Cure’s repertoire, but it hadn’t been released under the Nouvelle Vague name. After twenty years of the project’s history, I thought the time was right to evolve the formula. He drew up a list of bands whose entire back catalogue he could revisit: Simple Minds, The Clash, New Order and Depeche Mode. The latter were the obvious choice: they have churned out countless hits and incredible tracks, and they are still performing live. He saw them play a couple of years ago and realised they were the perfect choice.
I’d been thinking for about ten years about changing the Nouvelle Vague formula a little. I’d already made an album called ‘Strange as Angels’ in 2021, focused entirely on The Cure’s repertoire, but it hadn’t been released under the Nouvelle Vague name. After twenty years of the project’s history, I thought the time was right to evolve the formula. He drew up a list of bands whose entire back catalogue he could revisit: Simple Minds, The Clash, New Order and Depeche Mode. The latter were the obvious choice: they have churned out countless hits and incredible tracks, and they are still performing live. He saw them play a couple of years ago and realised they were the perfect choice.
What is your earliest memory of Depeche Mode?
My very first memory goes back to when I was very young. I saw the music video for ‘Just Can’t Get Enough’ on French television. It was 1981, I was 13 years old and I was completely blown away. At the time, everyone was wearing punk clothes and hairstyles; I loved that style, so I thought they were punk too, and that really excited me. Then I saw them live at the Bercy in Paris in ’85 and it was incredible: on stage they were sporting S&M-style outfits, with Martin Gore in leather shorts and a hat. From that moment on, I followed every single release and became a huge fan.
My very first memory goes back to when I was very young. I saw the music video for ‘Just Can’t Get Enough’ on French television. It was 1981, I was 13 years old and I was completely blown away. At the time, everyone was wearing punk clothes and hairstyles; I loved that style, so I thought they were punk too, and that really excited me. Then I saw them live at the Bercy in Paris in ’85 and it was incredible: on stage they were sporting S&M-style outfits, with Martin Gore in leather shorts and a hat. From that moment on, I followed every single release and became a huge fan.
Has Martin Gore had a chance to listen to the album yet?
Not yet. I worked with him on Nouvelle Vague’s third album: I knew he’d really liked our version of ‘Just Can’t Get Enough’, so I asked him if he’d be up for collaborating and he said yes. We recorded a duet between him and Mélanie Pain and it was incredible.
Not yet. I worked with him on Nouvelle Vague’s third album: I knew he’d really liked our version of ‘Just Can’t Get Enough’, so I asked him if he’d be up for collaborating and he said yes. We recorded a duet between him and Mélanie Pain and it was incredible.
You’ve worked with Brazilian musicians in Rio de Janeiro and Paris. How much did this experience influence the sound of the album?
In Rio, I collaborated with some true legends of Brazilian music, such as Liminha, the long-standing bassist with Os Mutantes, as well as a guitarist and producer. I’d play them the demos and ask what they thought. They’d respond by suggesting different solutions or offering their own interpretations. They brought a unique magic to the project. In particular, the guitarist and the rhythm section added a groove that I could never have imagined on my own, as it’s not part of my background. They were full of ideas and it was inspiring to work with them.
In Rio, I collaborated with some true legends of Brazilian music, such as Liminha, the long-standing bassist with Os Mutantes, as well as a guitarist and producer. I’d play them the demos and ask what they thought. They’d respond by suggesting different solutions or offering their own interpretations. They brought a unique magic to the project. In particular, the guitarist and the rhythm section added a groove that I could never have imagined on my own, as it’s not part of my background. They were full of ideas and it was inspiring to work with them.
How did you choose the guest singers, from Skye Edwards to Flavia Coelho?
As with all Nouvelle Vague albums, the choice of vocalists depends very much on the moment and what I’m working on. I’ve known Skye from Morcheeba for a very long time: we’d already recorded a song together in 2006. What’s more, she’d invited Melanie to open one of her concerts in Paris. I asked her and she agreed straight away, recording two tracks. I involved Flavia Coelho because she’s Brazilian, whilst I met Eva de Marce, a Franco-Mexican girl, in Mexico City. Often it’s simply a matter of chance encounters with people I work with or who are around me: I ask them to do a trial run in the studio and everything comes about very spontaneously.
As with all Nouvelle Vague albums, the choice of vocalists depends very much on the moment and what I’m working on. I’ve known Skye from Morcheeba for a very long time: we’d already recorded a song together in 2006. What’s more, she’d invited Melanie to open one of her concerts in Paris. I asked her and she agreed straight away, recording two tracks. I involved Flavia Coelho because she’s Brazilian, whilst I met Eva de Marce, a Franco-Mexican girl, in Mexico City. Often it’s simply a matter of chance encounters with people I work with or who are around me: I ask them to do a trial run in the studio and everything comes about very spontaneously.
After a career spanning more than twenty years, why does Nouvelle Vague continue to perform covers rather than focusing on original material?
On the 2016 album "I Could Be Happy", the group included four original tracks that were well received. Nevertheless, the frontperson explains, "I really enjoy reinventing songs. It’s a bit like being a theatre director: if you stage Shakespeare, you can say a lot about yourself through his works." I approach cover versions in this same spirit and I think it’s a noble endeavour. What’s more, alongside famous bands like Depeche Mode, on Nouvelle Vague’s albums we’ve often reinterpreted groups that had never been covered by anyone before, introducing the public to new music. I prefer to stick with this concept for the band. Who knows, maybe we’ll change our minds in the future.
On the 2016 album "I Could Be Happy", the group included four original tracks that were well received. Nevertheless, the frontperson explains, "I really enjoy reinventing songs. It’s a bit like being a theatre director: if you stage Shakespeare, you can say a lot about yourself through his works." I approach cover versions in this same spirit and I think it’s a noble endeavour. What’s more, alongside famous bands like Depeche Mode, on Nouvelle Vague’s albums we’ve often reinterpreted groups that had never been covered by anyone before, introducing the public to new music. I prefer to stick with this concept for the band. Who knows, maybe we’ll change our minds in the future.
Is there an artist or a genre you would never revisit?
There isn’t a specific band that springs to mind. However, genres such as trap or rap are a world away from what we do. But I wouldn’t rule anything out outright.
There isn’t a specific band that springs to mind. However, genres such as trap or rap are a world away from what we do. But I wouldn’t rule anything out outright.
What will the Depeche Mode tribute project be like live?
The group has revamped its live format: there is no electric bass; instead, there are two female vocalists, a guitarist, percussion, keyboards and an accordionist. Half of the set list features tracks from the new album, whilst the other half comprises songs from ‘Bande à Part’, the group’s second album.
The group has revamped its live format: there is no electric bass; instead, there are two female vocalists, a guitarist, percussion, keyboards and an accordionist. Half of the set list features tracks from the new album, whilst the other half comprises songs from ‘Bande à Part’, the group’s second album.