David Byrne has revealed he may be on the autism spectrum.
In a new conversation on The Louis Théroux podcastTHE talking heads the frontman reflected on his social experiences and how music has shaped the way he navigates the world.
According to PEOPLE MagazineByrne, 73, remembers first considering the possibility in the 1990s.
“It was maybe the 90s or something – there were articles in magazines about this idea of the spectrum,” he explained.
“There are quite severe autisms where people don’t speak at all and it’s very, very difficult for them to communicate. And then there are autisms that get milder and milder, until they become very mild,” he continued.
“These tend to be people who can be very focused on one idea, who maybe have difficulty in social situations and things like that.”
Byrne added that he recognized some of those traits in himself.
“I never considered it a disability, but I can see that there is a part of me that is like that,” he said.
THE Burn down the house The musician also reflected on past moments of social misunderstanding.
“I’ve had the experience where someone would say, ‘Well, I clearly said no,’ and then I would replay the conversation and the word ‘no’ wasn’t there,” he explained.
“They were expecting their facial expression or their tone to be read – and I couldn’t read it.”
Despite these challenges, Byrne said he has become a better listener over time: “I’ve gotten a lot better at it now than in the past. »
