Solo Spin
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There is a long line of
musicians waiting outside the door of a hidden Hollywood rehearsal studio, nestled off
Sunset Boulevard. Some are young and eager, others look as exited as if they were lining
up at McDonald's for another burger. Some flew form Chicago and other states just for the
audition. Inside, Darren Hayes' voice soars as he rehearses his first solo lingle release, Insatiable, and a blistering cover of Marvin Gaye's Sexual Healing in a stripped acoustic style with only keyboards and three backup singers. As the drummers, keyboard players and guitarists file in, Hayes retreats to a corner to munch on a chicken salad. "I'd rather not introduce myself, I think it's too intimidating", he whispers. "Actually I'm sure they wuldn't even know what I look like. They probably picked up an old Savage Garden CD and wouldn't have a clue who I am." As he runs is fingers through his hair, Hayes ponders over the mounting pile of resumes. "This schedule today is driving me insane," he says in exasperation. Since the break-up of Savage Garden, which was brewing during recording of the duo's second albumAffirmation and finally confirmed publicly last year, Hayes as a solo artist finds he's playing maestro over a host of new roles - details that were previously covered by former partner Daniel Jones. "This is making me grow up," says Hayes. "this was something Daniel used to handle. "He was definately better at the business side - talking to accountants, arranging schedules. I'm like a kid with a really short attention span, so I'm having to come to terms with making all the decisions. "I guess I"ve always managed to shirk the responsibility and get by on a wink and a charm, but not anymore" Not to mention the always effervescent 29 year old is yet to learn the art of firm diplomacy. Each musician welcome the chance to express themselves in elaborate 15-minute jam sessions but as the auditions run hours overtime, Hayes is tired and restless though still too polite to ask them to stop. "I feel awful because some of them have come so far for the audition," he says. The engines are beginning to rev for the release fo Hayes' album Spin tomorrow. Considering Savage Garden's total world sales of 20 million albums, Hayes has Olympics standards to maintain. But the tracks on Spin present only minor detours to a familiar sound. Slightly slicker and a little more soulful, for the most part Spin is a comforting mix of romantic ballads and slightly up-tempo dance/pop. The songs were co-written by Hayes and Walter Afanasieff (Mariah Carey, Ricky Martin and the previous Savage Garden album) and Rick Nowels (Madonna and Dido). As the face and voice of Savage Garden, especially in the US where Hayes has lived for the loast four years, there seems little to worry about. "The split caused far mor headlines in Australia than over here," Hayes said. "I guess I just assumed that everyone probably knew". "Daniel was never in any pictures, never did any interviews. When Affirmation came out he was nowhere to be seen." Whaile Jones remained in Brisbane, Hayes relished in the chance Savage Garden gave him to fulfil the American dream he nurtured as a child. "When I was a kid I would read all these comic books with ads on the back that asked you to send US dollars only," he says. "I have always wondered about this faraway place. Then in the 1980s that fascination moved to it's music - Michael Jackson, Madonna, Cyndi Lauper and Prince. "The Us shaped the way I listened to music and how I write songs. I knew the first minute I landed in New York I was going to live here. " I remember doing crazy things like going into a drugstore and taking pictures of the candy, and being fascinated with the ads on television. Every second one was about stomach ailments, and then you eat the cheese and realise why - the food is so terrible. "Its been four years now. I have a greeen card and a house and a mortgage. My heels are dug in and now I have friendships and relationships and attachments to this country. "It's the centre of everything I do at the moment>" But Hayes has hardly adopted the rock'n'roll lofestyle. Instead he lives in a sedate area of Northern California, just outside of San Francisco ( a nearby neighbour is the famous George Lucas compound, the Skywalker ranch). "There is the water and a fores nearby. I go for hikes, I cook, I do yoga. It's a quiet little haven. He is a health fanatic, who generally touches nothing stronger than a soy decaf latte,and the auditioned are quizzed on their drinking and drug habits. Says Hayes' Australian-born manager Leonie Messer:"There is no point hiring people who aren't of the same mindset." The musicians selected today will be with Hayes for the next two years on promo runs throughout Australia, Europe and the US, and then a concert tour in 2003. While spending his musical life mining from afar the influences of US soul and pop, Hayes now relishes the chance to hand-pick musicians whose resumes include a who's who of soul greats such as James Brown and Chaka Khan. "I really want the band to have osme soul, that's the music I listen to," he said. "It's been liberating to grow with people who really bring out all these early musical influencs in me". |