Savage Garden's Darren Hayes Goes It Alone
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Living in San Francisco, Darren Hayes has the rare fortune of being a multi-platinum pop artist who doesn't get accosted every time he
ventures past his front door. After all, Hayes, better known for his
role as the lead singer of Savage Garden, has already been there and done that. In his native Australia, where he is hounded by gossip columnists who follow his every move, Hayes and longtime collaborator Daniel Jones are national superstars with a slew of ARIA Awards (Australia's equivalent of the GRAMMY® Award), gold plaques, and No. 1 singles (most notably "Truly, Madly, Deeply") under their belts. So why, with a proven hit-making formula, guaranteed international stadium tours, and 10 years of struggle and growth, would Savage Garden all of a sudden call it a day?
"It's something I would have done for the rest of my life, honestly,"
says Hayes. "But I think and know that Daniel wasn't ever that
comfortable in terms of being a public person and being in the
spotlight. It was something that was always in the back of our minds … that eventually, this partnership may wind down."
Jones' passion lay in the behind-the-scenes work and the production end of things, which has now become his main focus. While Hayes, albeit strained from the pressures of non-stop touring, was more than willing put himself through the teen-pop mill -- again. Today, on the eve of the release of Spin, his solo debut, Hayes is seemingly at ease explaining the duo's parting, though it was not ever thus. "I definitely went through a period of thinking, 'Am I responsible for the success that I've had? What part of it has been me?' And I had about five minutes when I thought, 'What the hell am I going to do for the rest of my life?' Then I just thought … 'I want to continue on, I want to do this.' It was terrifying, but also exhilarating and empowering." "I had about five minutes when I thought, 'What the hell am I going to do for the rest of my life?'" The split was made official almost two years ago, and, at the time, Hayes certainly had plenty of clout with which to negotiate a solo deal. But rather than make an immediate transition, he opted to take a break and write the songs that would eventually comprise Spin. "After writing the first song, I remember thinking it was very affirming. So I spent a year sleeping in my own bed every night and driving to the studio to write. I wrote 40 tracks for the record. I was pretty anal about the whole thing and definitely took charge of my life." Hayes' unique brand of electro-pop ditties have sold an astonishing 20 million copies worldwide -- a fact that astounds Hayes as much as anyone. But as he prepares to venture out on his own, the experience has not left him jaded. " I feel 18 again," he says. "I even look like I did then -- I would dye my hair black and have this persona when I was in Savage Garden -- now, my hair's back to its natural color, and I feel as hungry as I did then. There's a kind of wide-eyed wonderment I have about the world and music at the moment, because I feel like I've begun again." |