I Am A Love Addict |
-Its the first time you are making an interview with a Turkish magazine (nope he had another one,oops sorry for interfering), i know you hate it, but your fans in Turkey would like to know about your split with Daniel. Well, I don't know why but when the news of our split was heard in public, everyone thought it was my decision. They thought it was a shame that a 20 million-sold group was to split up. I know most Fans were sorry about it, but it wasn't easy for us either, neither for me nor for Daniel. Truth is, it wasn't really my decision. When we found Savage Garden we were around 18-19 years old and we both thought it would last forever. We have grown up together, but we didn't have any reasons to get old together. All that time i felt like a lover who expects the first step from the other person. I'm an emotional person, i wouldn't want to hurt anyone. Forget about the rumors around. The reason we've split up is just simple, we both needed to progress. -Is it true you couldn't get along well with
Daniel? Were you good friends? Truth is, we didn't really know about each other a lot. Daniel is a superb musician, he is very positive and thoughtful, an ideal person to work with. But when i said "we have grown up together", what i meant was that we learned music together. It doesn't mean we were close friends. I remember the first time i bought him a birthday present, he was shocked. Because it wasn't usual between us. We always thought keeping some distance would help us with our music. -Your solo career has taken off, do you have any idea what Daniel is going to do? I think he might work with new singers as a song writer. I don't know if he will set up a new group. He started some producing lately, maybe he will go into an academy about it. I am not sure, but he might do something with the local groups in Australia. -How do you feel, as you don't have Daniel on board anymore? I found out that standing on my own was a privlege. I still have a lot of fans who love me and appreciate what i do. I still try to do good music. I still live a fast and fun life, actually not much has changed. -Did you find it weird to take stage by yourself for the first time? Last time i saw Daniel was in our Cape Town concert, then we talked on the phone for a few times. Actually i hoped to see him in my first solo concert, but i didn't feel any different either. I felt strong, and contrary to what i thought before, i wasn't so nervous either. My fans were there and they had forgotten about the split of Savage Garden. -Did you think "Spin" would be so successful worldwide, what did you expect? I didn't have high expectations really. Everyone thinks solo artists from successful groups are unlucky, especially male ones. I don't think so, not at all. I can't when i have an example like George Michael. "Spin" tells about what most people need lately, love and serenity. Nearly all the tracks in the album are originated on love and naivity. That's the reason it entered loads of houses and topped the charts. (Insatiable was number 1 for three months in Turkey , in the countries most respected station's airplay. Also in the albums chart "Spin" is second, right after Eminem) If it wasn't so, would i be disappointed? I don't think so because as i said i didn't have high expectations. - I expected an answer like "Sure i did, because Savage Garden came to the point it was with my effort, with or without Daniel". Some people say you are megalomaniac. (I've no idea how they come up with these, but lets go on shall we?) What do you think? I'm not one. Its just not right, that i am blamed like this just because Savage Garden has split up. In Savage Garden, the responsibilities were equal, as well as the output. I've always said that. -Some time ago you recorded the "What's Going On" single with loads of other celebrities. How do you recall that experience? It was weird because i was personally called by Bono Vox. God, i admire him. He has inspired me quite a lot :) I was surprised that he even knew who i am. Also that day we were recording the song, Michael Stipe ( lead singer from R.E.M, just if some people don't know :). ) came to me and said "I like your vocal style, Affirmation is a great album" i was quite surprised at that time as well. I met Gwen Stefani and Britney Spears. Gwen said really good things about me. Also we became good friends with Britney, she is not stupid like some people think, not at all. -Britney said she hasn't heard of a place called Australia, in an interview a few months before. Then Kylie was quite pissed off with that. Did you know that? No I didn't but i wouldn't be surprised. Britney is just like a mirror of American teens. They learn so little in schools. What they think the rest of the world is just England, Russia and Iraq. Thats a mistake made because of lack of knowledge, not stupidity after all. -Is it true that you used to dye your hair inspired by Bono Vox? Yes, absolutely : ) But i was quite bored with it so i decided to have my natural color. Blond fits me better i guess. -I'd say it looks more natural. So are you still have fan of Marvin Gaye? Yes, I'm 30 and its normal for someone at my age to have him as an icon. He is still really big in Australia. Apart from him, George Michael, Temptations, Michael Jackson and Supremes have always impressed me. I am a total Michael Jackson fan at the moment as well : ) "Whats Going On" is a Marvin Gaye song and it was important to me because it was sold to help people in Africa. -What do you think of your comparison with Michael Jackson? I take that as a compliment : ) He is the best vocal of all times. I believe people who make that comparison do it in a good way. -Michael Jackson is connected to Sony, like you are. He is in a cold war with the chairman Tommy Mottola lately. Why do you think he blamed Mottola for being racist? I don't really want to talk about this. I respect them both. (Maybe he is affected by the fact that the interview is made in Sony Music San Francisco ) -Why did you choose to live in San Francisco? Australians prefer England. I think London is far too crowded for me and i never really want to live there. San Francisco is not a celebrity town either. Its impossible for me to walk in the streets without being noticed, but i can be as free as i want to here. Also the best producers, songwriters, musicians i know live here. -It is said that Kylie is the pop hit of the year. What do you think? It's impossible to disagree. She worked for all her life and now she has what she deserves. I'm sure she cant live life as full as she'd like. But it was her choice. I'm happy for her. -Also they refer to you as the "male version of Kylie"? Unfortunately I don't have such a nice butt : ) -Ok, what do you think of Natalie Imbruglia then? I hope you don't expect me to compare them : ) I'm a total Natalie Imbruglia fan. Her albums never leave my stereo. -Like every Australian, were you a fan of "the Neighbours"? Yes : ) When i was 13-14, i really wanted to be in Jason Donovan's place. In the series they were both friends and lovers with Kylie. So were they in real life. But i'd rather like a relationship like they had, not just for kissing Kylie : ) I've always looked for perfect love anyway. -Something like that, what you call perfect love, you have never lived that i suppose? Nope. All my songs in "Spin" is related to that search. So is Insatiable. Im addicted to things like love, naivity, dedication. - You don't have a girlfriend but I'm sure there are tons of groupies around you. Is that so? I reckon everyone in in backstage as a fan. Even if the other person tries to get me laid, i start talking to them about my music, so they change their minds and become more serious. Everyone around me know im an emotional person, so first my manager wouldn't let people like that to be around me anyway : ) -Do you remember the first concert you've been? Oh, it was a fabulous Alison Moyet concert. The second was a Michael Jackson concert. -It was said that you'd play a part in Star Wars Episode 2. What happened then? When concentrated on my album, i couldn't find the time to get together with George Lucas about it. Thats kinda good, because what happened to Nsync could as well happen to me : ) Just kidding, people wouldn't probably mind if it was me. I couldn't do it for Episode 2 but Lucas promised me for Episode 3 : ) -Robbie Williams is in the cast for Episode 3 as well, did you know that? Ah, no. Then we will act together and give another chance to people who compare us : ) -Would you think of some other movie, if not Episode 3? Sure. I love acting and videos are not enough for me anymore. But of course music is in first place always. -Maybe it could be a Baz Luhrmann musical? Yes, he is a musician as well. Moulin Rouge and Romeo&Juliet was great movies. But i don't know what he has in mind for me. -What will you be doing in near future then? In July, ill be touring Australia, then Europe in September. I will be preparing a DVD. New singles and videos will come out soon. I hope to contribute to some charity concerts. Meet my fans. The list goes on : ) -You don't plan coming to Turkey anytime soon then? I might, i should. My fans in Turkey have always supported me. I really want to meet them, so i hope everyone there keeps asking Sony Music when my concert will be : ) -Thats all. Thanks for your time, i know you are really busy and this interview was really important, thank you. It was important to me as well, because being known in Turkey, considering i was born in a small town in Australia proves I'm on the right way : ) |