Curt Smith
Photo courtesy of Ryan Pavlov
Beyond selling 30 million albums worldwide, performing to countless sold-out audiences, and winning various awards, the DNA of Tears For Fears—Roland Orzabal [vocals, guitar, keyboards] and Curt Smith [vocals, bass, keyboards]—remains embedded within three generations of artists. Quietly casting a shadow over rock, hip-hop, electronic dance music, indie, and beyond, their music has been sampled by Kanye West, The Weeknd, David Guetta, Drake, and more, while getting covered by Lorde, Adam Lambert, Ally Brooke Hernandez, Gary Jules, and Disturbed, to name a few. Meanwhile, classic songs figure prominently everywhere from The Wire and Donnie Darko to Straight Outta Compton and Mr. Robot.
Representing an inimitable intersection of pop palatability, clever and cognizant lyricism, guitar bombast, and new wave innovation, their catalogue spans a string of classic albums, namely the gold-certified debut The Hurting [1983], quintuple-platinum BRIT Award-winning Songs from the Big Chair [1985], and Seeds of Love [1989]. The latter proved to be Roland and Curt’s last collaboration together until Everybody Loves A Happy Ending in 2004, which rekindled the creative fire between them. Breaking another quiet spell, the boys engaged in a three-year touring whirlwind across North America, Japan, South Korea, Manila, and South America beginning in 2010. 2013 saw them return with their first recorded music in a decade: a cover of Arcade Fire’s “Ready to Start.” It proved to be a welcome addition to their three-decade discography of immortal hits ranging from “Mad World,” “Change,” and “Pale Shelter” to “Everybody Wants To Rule The World,” “Shout,” “Sowing The Seeds of Love,” and “Everybody Loves A Happy Ending.” Now, 2017 marks the beginning of a new era for the band. Signed to Warner Bros. Records, they will release their seventh full-length album, fifth for Roland and Curt together, and first in 13 years following a summer co-headline tour with Hall & Oates.
“ The Hofner bass is the epitome of understated class. A bass should be felt first, it is there to hold down the low end and rhythm, being heard and seen are secondary. Although it doesn’t hurt that the Hofner does the latter incredibly well also.”