Quotes from Curt Smith

We really hated being in a band. The joy for us and why we slipped nicely and neatly into it was because we didn't need a band anymore. We became a duo because of technology.

And I think the first LP was perhaps too precious. It was our life's work up to that point; there was so much pain in trying to make the perfect statement. We couldn't relax and I think most people missed what we were trying to say.

In the music business, we're much better off staying in Bath - we don't get involved in the competitiveness, where you've got to be seen in the right places and music kind of takes second place.

Normally doing an album you go from track to track and go, 'Let's not work on this one today, let's go work on the other one,' and I think you tend to get more self-indulgent that way.

I normally don't do interviews on the road.

Normally the amount of music we have is what you hear on the album and that's it.

My daughters prefer Tears for Fears songs as they're more upbeat and generic. Dad's songs are 'a little too sad' for them, which just means that they're harder to understand.

We spent a year touring the world and it wasn't until it was over that we truly appreciated the upside and downside of our success.

I find that albums generally tell a story. Because it's music, it doesn't have to be in chronological order.

It's definitely a joy when you make a record to know you are doing it for the right reasons: You want to do it and that you think you have something valid to offer.

We've influenced other artists, and when younger generations become fans of those artists and hear about us, they discover our music too.

I think what we find fascinating and interesting is when people take our music and turn it into emotionally something else. And weirdly, Lorde's version of 'Everybody Wants to Rule the World,' the production really goes with the lyric more than our version does, because our version, albeit the lyric is dark, the music is quite uplifting.

To be honest, I've been back to Atlanta a couple of times, I can't remember what for. One for a big conference, a radio conference. I feel like it's a vibrant place. It has a vibrant music scene.

You know, if you ever listen to your voice on an answering machine everyone thinks we sound dreadful. That's sort of the way I think when I hear myself speak.

We know we have a method of reaching people, but we have never wanted to preach. We like to make our views palatable, music that is easy to swallow, and I think we've done that.

I couldn't deal with the fame, the pressure and everything else.

Every album is like starting our career over again. We don't get blase, we don't get lazy.

It's always good to be somewhere with some history, maybe that's England, which has a long history.