Depeche Mode on choosing Kelly Lee Owens for US tour support

In the wake of their newest album and tour, both set to kick off later this month, Depeche Mode has explained why they selected British electronic musician Kelly Lee Owens to support them on their US tour

In an interview with NME, the duo (comprising of frontman Dave Gahan and guitarist Martin Gore) explain that there were “given a massive list of potential support acts”, some of which they claim they knew, and some they didn’t.

One person they definitely knew was Kelly Lee Owens, according to Gore. “I actually really liked [her], and we decided she’d be a perfect fit,” he continues. “What she does is very atmospheric and it never seems like there’s only one person playing – she really puts her soul into it.”

This will be Depeche’s first tour without former bandmate Andy Fletcher, who sadly passed back in May 2022, at just 60 years old. In the interview they also spoke about the complexities of learning how to co-exist without Fletch.

“Martin suddenly doesn’t have his absolute all-time supporter,” says Gahan. “No matter what, Fletch would lay down for Martin – not so much me!”

“Me and Dave never had any big issues or problems with each other,” chimes in Gore, “but we tended to be kind of distant. With there only being two of us left, that has led us to be closer and to talk more.”

Depeche Mode will head to Europe, the UK and Ireland after their run throughout North America.

Their newest album Memento Mori is set for release on 24 March, with the North American Tour kicking off the day before on 23 March.

For information about tickets, head to depechemode.com.