| When you've sold more than 10 million
albums as part of a successful group, you can bet there's going to be a lot of attention
focused on your first solo effort. That's the
situation former Savage Garden vocalist Darren Hayes is in.
The good news is it's all working out fine, as his first
solo single leapt into the top 10 last week and his album "Spin" looks set to do
the same this week. The decision to launch a solo career was more or less thrust on him
when his Savage Garden partner Daniel Jones announced he didn't want to continue with the
band despite their success.
Darren is reported to have thrown a computer across the
room when he was told the news! "I was very shocked and I wasn't too happy. I thought
it was premature to call it a day, but Daniel hated all the business that goes with being
a popstar," Darren told me.
"He loved being in the studio and hated all the traveling and touring, I'm more of a
natural performer."
The band had huge hits with there smooth take on ballads
such as Truly Madly Deeply, I Want You and I Knew I Loved You, but once on his own Darren
decided it was the perfect opportunity to take full creative control.
"It was very challenging being in the situation where
all the decisions were mine, but it definitely gave me more ownership. I think the new
material is more R&B referenced. I used all the classic Motown records as my
inspiration, so this record is true to the music I grew up listening to- like Smokey
Robinson, Michael Jackson and Marvin Gaye."
With the eyes and ears of millions of fans waiting
patiently for new material, Darren naturally felt the pressure to deliver.
"You think when you're broken up from a band as
popular as Savage Garden you've got to have something to back that up, so it was a little
scary." he admitted.
Which helps explain the cautious approach to his new career
as he's aware that having made such an impact associated with a group name, there may be
millions out there who don't recognize his name without the Savage Garden tag.
"I'm hoping Savage Garden fans will love my record,
but also that there will be people who never bought one of our records but might hear it
on the radio and think 'who's that?' "
In my mind there's no doubt that the millions that lapped
up Savage Garden albums will thoroughly enjoy the new collection. So it looks as though
this summer will be one where Darren is happy not to be in the garden!
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