Erasure are back with their 20th album, Radio!! Radio!!, and a UK and European arena tour. But for the first time in the band's history, Vince Clarke will not be on stage. Instead, he will serve remotely as the tour's musical director, leaving keyboard technician Howard Rider to work the synths on the night.
Clarke's decision to step back follows the death of his wife, Tracy Hurley Martin, from stomach cancer in January 2024. When asked directly if her death is the main reason, he replied simply: "Yes."
A deep soul connection
The pair's friendship has been central to Erasure since they formed in 1985. They have never split up, gone on hiatus, or fallen out. "We've never been one of these ego-driven bands bringing their drama to the band every five minutes," says Bell.
Clarke praised Bell's support after his wife's death: "He was amazing. Andy gave me all the love and support I could possibly ever want. I don't think I could have gotten that from anyone else. Because he's been through shit as well." Bell lost his partner Paul Hickey in 2012.
"You have to look after your friend," says Bell. "It sounds corny, but we've been through so many things together. We all have misgivings when we lose a partner – that we couldn't do the best for them when they were here or whatever. But that's just normal life. So we have to hold each other up."
From Wonderland to Radio!! Radio!!
The new album marks a shift away from the synth sound of 2020's The Neon towards piano and guitar. Bell and his husband Stephen Moss bought Clarke a "perfect Spanish guitar" before he arrived in Spain for the sessions.
Bell, who lives on a farm in Mallorca, admits to being ignorant of technology, still using the term "ghetto blaster". The pair reminisce about the early days of Wonderland, when Clarke would ask people to shout out random three-digit numbers to create arpeggios.
Their hits include Sometimes, Ship of Fools, Chains of Love, Stop!, A Little Respect, and more. Bell says young people in his village often ask if he knew A Little Respect would be such a hit. "And of course, no, we didn't, we didn't even think about it."
Facing resurgent homophobia
Bell, one of the few out gay pop stars in the 1980s, says he is shocked at how things have fallen backwards over the last decade. "I am, but I shouldn't be, because politicians always pick the supposedly 'weakest' group to attack," he says. "Really, it's because they're the strongest."
The song Holy! deals with LGBTQ communities under attack, from the perspective of showing up as a friend: "When you're falling / I will shield you."
Ultimately, says Bell, whether it's gay rights, a friend's grief or performing a huge pop show without your trusted partner, the solution is always the same: "All you need to do is put your arms around people," he says. "You bring them all in – and that's what music does best."
Radio!! Radio!! is released via Mute on 12 March 2027.
