Forte Magazine
|
|
Munching on strawberries at his family home in Brisbane, Darren Hayes muses about the '80s influences on his debut solo album Spin. It was obviously a decade Darren enjoyed. "We had a real reverence for superstars in the '80s," he says. "Before the internet and tabloid journalism, there was a healthy distance between our heroes and us.
"As a kid, Madonna, Michael, Cyndi and Prince were my superheroes because they were infallible in my innocent eyes. Ther was an untouchable nature to them. Now, with reality television, we demystify everything and I don't know if that's a good thing. I think even being a pop star these days is a vocation you can train for. The '80s were an era where real stars had magic." From his Savage Garden days to his solo singles ("Insatiable", "Strange Relationship"), Darren prides himself on producing songs that are honest and real. However, he admits his songs are not as autobiographical as they used to be. "It has changed over time," he says, now munching on a banana. "My lyrics used to be completely literally but then I got annoyed with people who assumed they knew everything about me. So, on Spin, I've weaved in and out of fantasy and reality even though the fantasies are based on real desire." Speaking of reality versus fantasy, there were reports that Darren's record company in the US had stopped releasing singles from Spin because Americans were confused by Darren's newly blonde hair. "That whole story was bullsh!t," he sighs. "I am signed for another seven albums with my record company so, God, I'll be there til the day I die. "Sure, 'Insatiable' wasn't a number one hit in America, so shoot me, but what other Australian artist has had a top 30 hit in the US this year, aside from Kylie and myself? Internationally, no one talks about the fact that, in two weeks, in the UK, Spin will sell more copies than Affirmation ever did. It looks like being the most successful record of my career. "We're releasing the next single "I Miss You" in America towards the end of the year but we'll probably remix it because American radio is different to the sounds on my album. It's either Lincoln Park or Ja Rule. There isn't a lot of room in the middle for pop music with a capital P. Even Kylie's album - God bless her, I love her and am so proud of her - but it's not even in the top 200 at the moment. Her single was a big hit but Americans treat pop music like a novelty; they don't necessarily invest in it. I made a record that was intentionally a pop record because that's what I wanted to do." Like Kylie and her sell-out Fever tour, Darren brings his take on pop to the masses with a series of live shows. So, what can fans expect? "There will be surprises," Darren promises. "It's quite a modern presentation. Yes, there will be some Savage Garden songs - because that's the reason I'm famous, really - but it's not a Savage Garden show. Considering Spin is such an electronic album, it's been a lot of fun to make those two worlds collide. For me to get up and sing "Affirmation" with its original guitars, it'd be like a concrete brick sitting in the middle of my show; it would seem so out of place. So, yeah, there is a DJ who pops on with some loops and samples as well as surprise arrangements. It's going to be really cool." Looking down the track, Darren admits to a master plan. "Some of my favourite artists are people who have endured and remained consistent like U2 and Madonna", he says. "I'm not talking about being the most financially successful but I do respect artists who continue to top themselves with records. "Over the course of the next 20 years, hopefully, I'll have four or five classic songs in my collection. At the moment, I might have one. Which one? I don't want to say just yet. For me, I want to look back and see that I never went away, I never buckled and I never sold out. I want to always be proud of the previous step I just made. "I feel my career is blossoming again; I don't really know where it's going but there's real ambition here. I have an enthusiasm I haven't had since I was 18 so we'll see where it goes." Catch Darren Hayes at The Palais in Melbourne on Saturday, August 31st. Spin is out through Roadshow. Shane Robert Cooper |