Sierra Hull Reimagines Tears For Fears’ ‘Mad World’ For 1st New Release In 4 Years

Sierra Hull unveiled an introspective cover of “Mad World.” The inventive take on Tears For Fears’ 1982 hit marked Hull’s first studio release in four years.

Originally issued by Tears For Fears on their debut album, The Hurting, Hull has been performing “Mad World” live in concert since 2017. The mandolinist/singer-songwriter played the song backstage at DelFest 2022 for a Paste Magazine session video that has garnered over two million views.

“Sometimes there are songs that you feel like you’ve always known, even before you realize how you came to know them,” explained Hull. “‘Mad World’ is that song for me. Though already familiar, I was reintroduced to this song on a TV program about 10 years ago and the melody followed me around nonstop until I finally decided to get out the mandolin and truly learn it myself. It’s been a favorite of mine to cover in live shows ever since and one of our most requested! I never grow tired of singing or playing it and given the nature of our current climate, it felt like the perfect time to release my own version of the song.”

Sierra Hull is one of many artists who have covered “Mad World” since its release. Spafford, Renée Fleming, Gary Jules, Seal, Goose, Brandi Carlile, Adam Lambert and Twenty One Pilots are among the diverse array of acts who have either recorded the song or played “Mad World” live in concert.

Stream Sierra Hull’s “Mad World” cover below:

Sierra Hull will perform early next month at the Wheatland and Borderland festivals to kick off an extensive fall tour. Check out a full list of dates by scrolling below.