Garden Split Was Savage Says Darren
|
|
When you've sold more than 10 million albums as part of a successful group, you can bet there's going to be a lot of attention focused on your first solo effort.
That's the situation former Savage Garden vocalist Darren Hayes is in.
The good news is it's all working out fine, as his first solo single leapt into the top 10 last week and his album "Spin" looks set to do the same this week. The decision to launch a solo career was more or less thrust on him when his Savage Garden partner Daniel Jones announced he didn't want to continue with the band despite their success. Darren is reported to have thrown a computer across the room when he was told the news! "I was very shocked and I wasn't too happy. I thought it was premature to call it a day, but Daniel hated all the business that goes with being a popstar," Darren told me. "He loved being in the studio and hated all the traveling and touring, I'm more of a natural performer." The band had huge hits with there smooth take on ballads such as Truly Madly Deeply, I Want You and I Knew I Loved You, but once on his own Darren decided it was the perfect opportunity to take full creative control. "It was very challenging being in the situation where all the decisions were mine, but it definitely gave me more ownership. I think the new material is more R&B referenced. I used all the classic Motown records as my inspiration, so this record is true to the music I grew up listening to- like Smokey Robinson, Michael Jackson and Marvin Gaye." With the eyes and ears of millions of fans waiting patiently for new material, Darren naturally felt the pressure to deliver. "You think when you're broken up from a band as popular as Savage Garden you've got to have something to back that up, so it was a little scary." he admitted. Which helps explain the cautious approach to his new career as he's aware that having made such an impact associated with a group name, there may be millions out there who don't recognize his name without the Savage Garden tag. "I'm hoping Savage Garden fans will love my record, but also that there will be people who never bought one of our records but might hear it on the radio and think 'who's that?'" In my mind there's no doubt that the millions that lapped up Savage Garden albums will thoroughly enjoy the new collection. So it looks as though this summer will be one where Darren is happy not to be in the garden! |