Martin Gore and Dave Huxtable discuss language learning and accents – Updated
From Schoolmates to California: Martin Gore (Depeche Mode) and Dave Huxtable on languages, music, and friendship
(Updated with an extra transcript of the interview) Yesterday, our Norwegian correspondent Jan Ronald Stange shared a video forwarded to him by John-Erik Bye Johansen. The video featured a conversation between two childhood friends now living in California – Dave Huxtable and Martin Gore, a member of Depeche Mode.
Dave Huxtable, passionate about languages, pronunciation, and accents, invited Martin Gore to join him for a video on his YouTube channel. The channel itself covers linguistic topics in a fun and engaging way. “I’ve known Martin Gore since before he started Depeche Mode,” Dave says. “We both loved learning languages in school and bonded on exchange trips to northern Germany. In this video, we talk about those memories and how living in California has changed our English.”
Gore also discusses the challenges of studying languages in an environment where academic ambition was often ridiculed. “To actually try to speak a foreign language was kind of frowned upon by our peers,” he said. Despite this, both pursued languages seriously. Gore ultimately took A-levels in French and German – alongside mathematics – and later lived in Germany, where his language skills peaked through immersive experiences.
One such experience came after a breakup in 1987, when Gore moved into an apartment with an East German builder who spoke no English. “From getting up in the morning to dinner time, I was pretty much surrounded by German,” he recalled. This constant exposure pushed him to think and speak fluently in the language.
The conversation also explored the intersection of music and language. Gore: “I do often wonder actually whether the language aspect helped with the lyrics, the writing of lyrics,” pointing to the cognitive similarities in rhythm, intonation, and vocabulary. While some artists historically adopted American accents for commercial reasons, Gore emphasized that Depeche Mode always sang in their natural voices. “It just seemed more natural. We were English,” he explained.
Having relocated to California, both noted how migration affected their speech. Gore stated that although he’s adopted some American vocabulary – like “restroom” or “sunscreen” – he retained his British accent. “If you’re comfortable in your own skin… you don’t feel a need to fit in as much,” he said. Huxtable, a polyglot who has lived in nine countries, shared that he often tried to sound native wherever he lived, especially in non-English-speaking regions.
Their conversation concludes with a reflection on changing linguistic norms and how accents and word choices evolve in different contexts. Gore remarked on differences like “aluminum” versus “aluminium” and noted that he rarely uses Americanisms unless practical. He also humorously mentioned feedback from an 84-year-old German friend who still critiques his pronunciation.
The interview is of course more a friendly chat then an actual interview, filled with memories from milking cows to funny language mishaps and observations about language quirks in the U.S. and U.K.
Watch the full interview below.
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