Tears for Fears

Formed in Bath, Somerset, Tears for Fears brings together Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, who first came to prominence in the band Graduate before forming this English duo in 1981. Their early repertoire sits within the New Wave and early-1980s synth-pop, featuring taut, melodic songs and psychological themes heard on The Hurting (1983). Tears for Fears’ sound then broadened toward a fuller pop-rock, where keyboards remain central but interact more with guitars and more sophisticated arrangements, notably on Songs from the Big Chair (1985), driven by the tracks 'Shout', 'Everybody Wants to Rule the World' and 'Head over Heels'. With The Seeds of Love (1989), Tears for Fears incorporated soul, jazz and psychedelic influences into a more orchestral framework, with Oleta Adams contributing on 'Woman in Chains'. After the duo's split in the early 1990s, Roland Orzabal retained the Tears for Fears name for Elemental (1993) and Raoul and the Kings of Spain (1995), before reuniting with Curt Smith and releasing Everybody Loves a Happy Ending (2004). Since that reunion, Tears for Fears have alternated tours and new recordings, with The Tipping Point (2022) followed by Songs for a Nervous Planet (2024), blending live tracks with new material.