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There is nothing about former Savage Garden singer Darren Hayes' behaviour to suggest he
is the star of the most expensive music video ever filmed in Australia.
In fact, with his natural blond locks, he is barely recognised by dozens of extras on the
Sydney nightclub set where he is filming the video for his debut solo single Insatiable.
The clip, which is being overseen by a senior vice-president of Hayes' US record company
Columbia, looks like a million dollars but thanks to the state of the Australian dollar,
is only costing half that.
The San Francisco-based star said the choice to film in Australia was originally dictated
by technical considerations rather than a desire to fly the flag.
"Originally we were going to do this 3D clip and Fox Studios has some of the best
technical crew in the world," Hayes told The Sunday telegraph.
"But then we changed the choice of the single because of the terrorist attacks in the
US from an up tempo lighter song.
"I wanted to come out with something that was really sincere and honest, that was the
best I had.
"That also meant a different director. Thomas (Kloss) had been director of
photography on Madonna's Beautiful Stranger and Lenny Kravitz's American Woman and I loved
the slick, beautiful look he got.
"And Thomas wanted to do the clip here."
Hayes' split from his Savage Garden partner Daniel Jones and the end of the duo which has
sold 20 million albums around the world, doesn't seem to have changed him in any
discernible fashion.
The 29-year-old singer, songwriter and performer may have always wanted to be a pop star
but rarely acts like one.
He chats amiably with the extras and crew on set and jokes with the stylist and make-up
artist about the good-looking people who will provide the human backdrop for some of the
clip's action.
"There are too many beautiful people here; could all the beautiful people please
leave," he jokes, despite the fact he isn't looking too bad himself in a rather flash
suit and those gorgeous blond locks.
He is loving the fact that simply letting his hair do its thing has given him a natural
disguise in recent months.
But that isn't going to last when the international promotional assault for Darren Hayes,
solo artist, starts to kick in next month. The buzz surrounding Hayes and his music is
already circulating in the major league circles of the international music industry.
When he recently recorded his vocal contribution to the star-studded remake of the Marvin
Gaye classic What's Going On, the likes of Bono and REM frontman Michael Stipe were the
first to congratulate him on his performance.
"Doing that definitely made me feel legit," Hayes said quietly.
"I didn't think anyone in that room would know who I was but when I came out after
singing, there's Bono and Michael Stipe telling me how much they loved my voice.
"I mean Bono was producing me. When your peers turn out to be fans it's a pretty big
deal."
That kind of acknowledgement comes at a time when Hayes admits he is feeling more than
quietly confident about repeating the success of Savage Garden with his solo career.
As his former partner Jones concentrates on producing and managing new acts like current
chart-toppers Aneiki, Hayes is bursting with excitement about the album he will release in
March next year.
But even with Savage Garden's phenomenal international success behind him, convincing the
powers-that-be to trust his artistic instincts wasn't a fait accompli.
"I was worried the record company would try to turn me into Phil Collins," he
said.
"They had not signed me as a solo artist and I was determined to do the album I
wanted to do. I loved the challenge of doing that, of convincing these people that I was
on the right track. It reminded me of how it felt when we were tyring to get a record deal
when I was 18 and we had everything to prove. But once I had played songs to people like
Don Ienner, (the US head of Columbia records) they were sold".
Only a select few media mates and supporters have heard tracks from the album, which Hayes
has titles Spin.
However, the sound, combined with Hayes' new look, is already drawing him comparisons to
the likes of George Michael and Michael Hutchence. Hayes doesnt mind the comparisons,
pointing as they do to his potential appeal as a charismatic and even sexy solo star.
He has helped that process along by also concentrating on his physical re-invention,
taking dance lessons and becoming a yoga devotee. The Latin-tinged single, Insatiable,
required some salsa style moves. Hayes put so much effort into it, that earlier last week
he ended up injuring his hip during filming at the State Theatre.
"I did three physical things last year which have made a big difference," he
said. "Whether I use that kind of dancing in my career or not remains to be seen, but
it was a great thing to do because it makes you more confident about your own skin. John
Woodruff (the man who discovered SG) says I even walk differently now."
Insatiable, which will begin being played on the Australian airwaves in mid December, was
written with International hit maker and producer, Walter Afanasieff, who previously
coproduced SG's second album Affirmation. Although he was originally slated to work with
more R & B style producers, Hayes says he and the San Francisco-based producer have a
natural chemistry. "It was time for re-invention for both of us because I didn't want
the album to sound like anything else Walter had done either," Hayes said. "He
has become part of my family in the US - I hang out with him and his kids and keep him
from being too much of a spoiled brat."
Establishing a sense of family within his new surrounds has been important for the
Brisbane born performer. While he is making preparations for the Hayes family to spend
Christmas with him in the US next month, he talks excitedly about his already established
close circle of friends in San Francisco, which includes his former publicist and now
assistant manager Leonie Messer, and Afanasieff.
"Walter has been the epicentre for a lot of my social network in San Francisco,"
he said. "It's not Hollywood or Los Angeles at all, it's gardeners and plumbers as
well as musicians, Theres something about where I live that makes me not want to go out
that much. I love cooking and getting people over for dinner and having those great
all-night conversations that happen when you get different people together. Very few of my
friends have anything to do with the business which is pretty important."
As for mending bridges with Jones, Hayes is confident they will again be close friends
despite the war of words which errupted in the media after the split was pre-maturely
reavealed in Australia.
"I am sure we will," Hayes says "I have decided not to play into the media
frenzy about it anymore and I am fine with everything that has happened. This is about two
people doing exactly what they should have done and be doing. Daniel is an incredibly
talented person, an amazing producer and musician. Most relationships you are in continue
to evolve or you break apart. I believe Daniel and I came together for a reason and now
its time to take it to the next stage."
Hayes is scheduled to return to the US this week to complete photography for the album and
begin promotional duties there and then in Japan. He will also be rehearsing a new band
for his return to Australia in March to launch Spin.
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