Catching Up with The Gahans
December 30, 2022
By: Purple
2022 sure has been an eventful year for Dave; with the announcement of a new Depeche Mode album, one would think that should generate enough buzz to last the whole year and then some! However, he hasn't been the only active member of his family...it seems like the whole house of Gahan has been a very busy bunch this year! Both Dave's wife and his children have been popping up more and more in the public eye lately with the work that they've been doing. Therefore in this year-in-review article, we won't just focus on the man himself even though there is plenty to talk about; we will also highlight the accomplishments of everyone in the Gahan family this year.
James Rogers-Gahan has released new short films
For those who don't know, James is Dave's stepson whom he officially adopted in 2010. He is now a filmmaker and writer based in New York City and is known for short films like Matilda, an urban ghost story (2019) and Donut Shop (2020). This year saw the release of his newest short film called Data Management which centers around a man who works in a 1970s-style office environment. The film also stars Jennifer Sklias-Gahan as Patricia, the fastidious office boss. James is quickly honing and perfecting his skills as a filmmaker of compelling characters in interesting and unique settings, so it's very exciting to see what he will come out with in 2023!
Stella Rose Gahan has released new music
In another article, we covered the fact that Dave's daughter, Stella Rose, seems to be following in her father's footsteps in becoming a famous musician. There is no doubt that she has the support, training, and talent to do it, but whether she will become known as a well-known artist in her own right remains to be seen. That achievement, however, has become another step closer to reality with her latest single releases, "Muddled Man" and "Angel," under Kro Records, a company based in Los Angeles, California. Both also came with the releases of official videos shot by Primordial Freak Productions.
On her musical style, she cites PJ Harvey and Nick Cave as major influences. And of course, she has also talked about how her father has helped her and influenced her, being careful to emphasize that she isn't heavily relying on his fame to help prop her up: "My dad and I are really close and I appreciated it wasn't forced. My dad has been super instrumental in this process, but also keeping five feet distance to let me grow in my own way. I feel lucky I have him and his team, his manager, who can scare off the people who might do the classic stuff to the new artist. That's something I feel really lucky for. My dad and I have similar tastes too, which always helps to discover new stuff."1
Jennifer Sklias-Gahan has released a new book
No, Jennifer has not released a tell-all book detailing her life with Dave...that's kind of what you were expecting, right? You knew that wouldn't happen...anyway, the book that Jennifer has released is a fictional tale titled, The House in The Middle of the Street, and it is a Gothic-style story of a woman and her family whom inherit an old house and they start to experience strange and supernatural events there. The book is released in both audio and video formats with Jennifer, herself, narrating the tale. Hardcover and paperback editions are also said to be coming soon. You can find out more about the book and how to purchase it here.
Dave Gahan has been Mode-ing hard
Finally last but certainly not least, Dave has been as active as ever this year. He has been working with Martin Gore in the studio on a brand-new Depeche Mode album which we just learned the name of in October- Memento Mori, and it seems that now it is just in the mixing stages getting ready for a worldwide release early next spring. Then after that, DM will embark on a world tour (which really just consists of less than 1/3 of the world, but that's a story for another day). Many Devotees very much look forward to the album and tour as it will be their first after an almost 5-year gap since their last one. Fans are also anxious to see what kinds of tributes will be made to honor Andy Fletcher, who passed away earlier this year.
Other than Moding about with Depeche, Dave has also released an EP earlier this month with Kurt Uenala called Manuscript, and it is a collection of poems spoken by Dave set to electronic ambient music composed by Kurt. You can read my review of it here.
The year ahead
If you can believe it, next year looks to be an even busier year for the whole Gahan family. Not only is the new DM album, Memento Mori, set to be released in March with a big tour to follow, but there will also be releases of material by the other members of the family, as well. Stella Rose will most likely release more songs and eventually a full album of her own. It's also entirely possible that she will be touring much more with her band, known as Stella Rose and The Dead Language, as well. Jennifer has announced on her website that she has plans to release more films and even a new documentary next year. 2023 may very well be the year of the Gahans indeed!