Darren
Hayes Takes a Solo Spin
(Sunday Times Malaysia, March 17)
With
his first solo album, Spin, Hayes is taking his career to a much higher plane. The 12
songs on his debut album offer an antidote to the darker side of humanity, bursting with
rhythmic spirit and lyrical heart.
As media choices proliferate and attention spans shrink, the shelf life of pop stars grows
increasingly shorter. Some careers seem to last about as long as a flash-cut in a music
video.
Hayes takes a different approach in writing songs - and he has no illusions about the spin
cycle longevity of success. With Savage Garden, Hayes wrote such engaging song - Truly
Madly Deeply, I Want You, I Knew I Loved You (which remained on the AC charts for more
than two years!) and Crash And Burn - that made people drift away in the casual appeal of
their sing-along refrains.
The pop landscape has changed since Savage Garden ruled the pop charts - and it's moving
in a more fragment fashion. Hayes, however, doesn't want to be trapped in the quick-burn,
one-hit phase. Rather than be sucked up in the commercial black hole that has consigned
countless pop groups to the discount racks, Hayes believes in engaging his fans through
the power of entertainment.
"A lot of singers from splintered groups want to take big steps and top what they did
before," says Stephen Yap, Sony Music's director of marketing. "Sometimes, if
you take the big step, you lose fans. That's why Spin is an important stepping stone for
Hayes. He has a pop-friendly voice with solid chart credentials - and he hasn't altered
his winning formula for writing hit songs."
Hayes split from Savage Garden was not acrimonious. His former parter, Daniel Jones, was
keen on pursuing a career behind the scenes in the studio. Hayes wanted to perform and
continue recording. Hayes calls it "a natural progression," and is now set to
make his mark in the next phase of his blossoming career.
Spin is an extension of the kind of songs he is best identified with - like romantic
abandon, sexual desire, and betrayal as well as staying true to personal choices and
taking stock in life's bounty.
Hayes' debut solo album, recorded in San Francisco, where he currently resides, was
co-produced with Grammy Award-winning Walter Afanasieff. He also enlisted a number of
writers to work with him and ended up with 35 songs, of which 12 made the final cut.
Althought he was determined not to stray too far from the pop template that made him a
star, Hayes also wanted to pay homage to the melodic influences of his youth: Motown.
Other than some strings and an occasional guitar, Hayes used no live instruments on the
album. He saw it as a challenge in injecting some soul into machines. A lot of that sweet,
full-bodied sound can be found on the album's first single, Insatiable. The song has
already made a dent in the top 10 charts in Australia and is set to break new records when
it is released worldwide.
Any singer in his shoes might be concerned about his new songs making a connection with
the public. After being in the business for a decade, Hayes sats he "feels
unleashed."
It's not about starting all over, but about understanding his potential and making it work
in his favour.
"We had great success with both the Savage Garden albums, and we're confident that
Hayes will continue that winning streak," says Yap. "From our perspective, it's
all about the song - and that's what makes Hayes a top priority act for us."
Spin, released by Columbia Records and distributed by Sony Music, is now available in
leading music stores throughtout Malaysia
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