Tears For Fears say their new record is “an album of now”

Virgin Radio

25 Feb 2022, 14:44

The duo’s new LP, The Tipping Point, has just landed and, according to the duo, it’s “the ultimate Tears For Fears album.”

Tears for Fears’ two members, Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, have spoken about their new studio record, which is out now, saying: “We are both so, so proud of it.”

But the duo told The Sun that they ditched an early version of the LP - on which they were encouraged by their then-manager to collaborate with other songwriters - and started again when they both decided that it “just wasn’t Tears For Fears”.

Whilst they were pleased with some of the songs that came out of the process of making the album before they started again, they now have a record that they are delighted with. “The Tipping Point' is an album of now,” Curt said. “There are some very contemplative songs, some sadder subjects, but it still leaves you with a sense of optimism.”

Roland told The Sun: “The task was how to make an album representative of us, at 60.”

He added: “How can we bring our life experience good and bad to the table and make something that speaks to people? Our best work, and the work that’s lasted over the years is the stuff that resonates with people.”

Roland explained that some of the songs on the new album are about the heartbreaking loss of his wife of 35 years, Caroline, in 2017, after a five-year illness when she developed alcohol-related dementia.

He said: “You never really believe someone’s going to die. If something becomes too painful, you don’t process it, so songwriting is therapeutic.”

Curt said: “It’s hard to watch anyone you’ve grown up with go through that pain but the only thing I could do was walk away from it. It wasn’t helping us being together.”

Roland, who is now remarried, continued: “It took me the best part of that year to get myself together again.”

Moving forward, the duo started collaborating again on The Tipping Point. Roland said: “I was keen to push forward. There were about five tracks we started to work on, and I needed to reconnect with Curt. It wasn’t very difficult at all."

He added: “When we say we fall out it just means we aren’t communicating, so when we do, it’s easy.”

Tears For Fears are on The Graham Norton Radio Show with Waitrose on Virgin Radio this Saturday (26th February), and they will also chat with Eddy Temple-Morris on a Virgin Radio Album Special on Sunday at 10pm. Listen in on the Virgin Radio website and on the brand new app!