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Truly Hayes in
the uptempo 'Spin'
(New Straits Times, Malaysia, June 13)
HE is charming, intelligent, talented
and to top it all off, has a beautiful voice. Though his name may sound new to some, his
face is surely familiar.
Darren Hayes is the ex-lead singer of the duo Savage Garden, popular for hit songs Truly
Madly Deeply, I Knew I Loved You and I Want You.
At a recent interview in Singapore, Hayes admits that his debut solo album, Spin, feels
more like his third album than a first.
"This album unlike the past ones, is more fun and light. The last Savage Garden album
(Affirmation) was sad and romantic, so, I decided that this one should be fun so more
electronics were included," Hayes said, looking pleased with the recent success of
his first single, Insatiable.
This 30-year-old from Australia also revealed that although he moved to the United States
four years ago it was not until he moved from New York to San Francisco that he finally
found happiness and tranquillity.
"I realise that San Francisco was the place for me when I was a guest at the home of
producer Walter Afanasieff. It reminded me of Australia and made me feel comfortable. So,
I made the decision to move. There, I could finally do things that I wanted and be
happy."
Tunes from Spin, he says truly reflect the music he grew up listening to.
It's no wonder then that the track Dirty on the album carries similar tunes to those of
pop-king Michael Jackson.
When asked about how much creative control he had in the album, Hayes said, "It was a
daunting experience. We (Hayes and Afanasieff) wrote about 35 songs for this album. It was
hard to finally pick the tracks that would make the album."
"I have always had control of my career. Being co-producer for this album I had a lot
of control," he added.
The second single released, Strange Relationship, is the first track of the album and once
again true to his style, he sings about love and relationships.
"The video clip for the single is currently aired on MTV. It was a one- take shoot.
So, we had to rehearse all the movements beforehand. That made it even more
interesting."
Hayes who left Savage Garden in 2000, seems more confident and energetic today and clearly
does not regret going solo. He will be going on tour to promote the album in August.
"I must say that I do enjoy it more as a solo artiste. It was not that Daniel was
holding me back but he was more of a behind-the-scenes sort of guy and I'm more of a
performer.
"It was scary at first to go solo and it did take a long time for me to build up the
courage. But now that I've done it, it feels right."
"We both had different agendas. It has been great with Daniel as we grew up together.
Basically, since I was more of a performer and he was not, it was best that we parted and
pursued our careers seperately," said Hayes who's known for his distinctive voice.
"Sometimes I feel that I'm not savvy enough to be a popstar as I take every comment
or criticism to heart. I tend to wear everything on my sleeve," he adds.
He goes on to express his love for singing and how performing makes him truly happy. And
what inspires him? "That's an easy one," he said. "What inspires you,
inspires me too."
"Love."
* The writer can be contacted at eena@nstp.com.my
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