Vince Clarke, “Songs of Silence.” In 1981, Vince Clarke left Depeche Mode just a year after the legendary synth band’s formation. The English keyboardist then went on to become the primary songwriter for Erasure with Andy Bell and scored a string of hits in the ’80s and ’90s. Songs…

Erasure, courtesy. A few weeks ago I spoke with Andy Bell, one half of Erasure. Bell was still in Edinburgh, Scotland, where he was playing a role in a one-man play semi-based on his life’s experiences. I wrote a story about Erasure’s return to the U.S. for Paste Magazine,…