David Byrne Reflects On Talking Heads Disbandment: 'I Was More Of A Little Tyrant'

David Byrne has gone back in time and reflected on the “ugly” breakup of Talking Heads, claiming that he was “more of a little tyrant” in a recent People interview.

The interview followed the recent news that Talking Heads will reunite for a rare, one-off appearance at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, appearing in a Q&A with moderator and filmmaker Spike Lee.

The Q&A arrives in support of the 4K remastered showing of the band’s 1984 concert, Stop Making Sense, directed by Jonathan Demme.

“As a younger person, I was not as pleasant to be around. When I was working on some Talking Heads shows, I was more of a little tyrant,” the singer said about his relationship with bandmates Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz and Jerry Harrison in the chat with People.

Telling People that he regretted how he approached the Talking Heads breakup, Byrne continued, “And then I learned to relax, and I also learned that collaborating with people, both sides get more if there’s a good relationship instead of me telling everybody what to do… I think [the end] wasn’t handled well. It was kind of ugly.

“I have regrets on how that was handled. I don’t think I did it in the best way, but I think it was kind of inevitable that would happen anyway,” Byrne added. “We have a cordial relationship now. We’re sort of in touch, but we don’t hang out together.”

The Q&A marks the first time the four-piece have reunited in 21 years.

Since the group’s disbandment in 1991, the only other time the four members of the group have shared the stage was in 2002, upon their induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, where they performed unforgettable versions of Psycho Killer, Burning Down The House and Life During Wartime.

Stop Making Sense, and the Spike Lee-hosted Q&A are heading to cinemas globally. At the time of writing, it’s unsure if either will air in Australian cinemas. You can watch the trailer for the remastered concert film below.

Earlier this year, Weymouth – who is also married to Frantz – labelled Byrne as “insecure” in a series of essays to the Sunday Times.

Weymouth claimed that “Everything with David is transactional — he will use you until he has no more use for you. He always seemed very insecure about himself and would often try to blame other people if things went wrong” and asked, “Why does he refuse to refer to Chris and I or Jerry by name? He calls us ‘people he used to play with.’ Isn’t that odd?”

Frantz called the band’s 1991 breakup “messy and sad” and said that Byrne stopped communicating with his former bandmates.