Dave Gahan Biography
9 May 1962, Epping, Essex, England. In a surprise move, both of the main protagonists in UK rock act Depeche Mode chose 2003 as the year to launch their solo careers. Gahan, the vocal foil to main songwriter Martin Gore, had been the very public face of Depeche Mode during the peak of their popularity in the 80s and 90s. Relocating from England to America in the early 90s, Gahan adopted a grunge look shockingly at odds with the clean cut, short-haired young man who helmed Depeche Mode's classic run of electro pop hits in the mid- to late 80s. More disturbingly, Gahan lost himself to heroin addiction and during the lowest point of his life attempted suicide. He began to get his life back together at the end of the 90s, kicking his drug habit and reuniting with Depeche Mode to record the highly successful albums Ultra (1997) and Exciter (2001). During a lull in band activities, Gahan began work on his solo debut with multi-instrumentalist Knox Chandler. The two men teamed up with producer Ken Thomas and recorded Paper Monsters over a period of several months, concocting a heady brew of bluesy rock and electronica similar in approach to late period Depeche Mode. Gahan's lyrics were of particular note, dealing with his personal demons in the frank and hard-hitting manner suggested by song titles such as "Dirty Sticky Floors" and "Bottle Living".
Source: The Encyclopedia of Popular Music by Colin Larkin. Licensed from Muze.
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