Lime Magazine (Malaysia)
Delicate Savage
March 2008 Issue

Delicate Savage
Ex-Savage Gardener Darren Hayes, the Aussie responsible for melting hearts with hits like 'Truly Madly Deeply', is back with a new album.

LIME: Does it feel good being back in the limelight after so long?
Darren Hayes: You know I don't think I've ever been away from the music scene. Maybe from America and other places but in England and Australia, I'm still able to sell records and I feel blessed having such success.

What does your latest album This Delicate Thing We've Made mean to you personally?
It took me three years to finish this album and along the way I met many people and established relationships that are dear to me. I chose this title as a personal statement to show how interconnected we are to others and how fragile relationships can be.

There are 25 tracks on your album. Don't you think that's a lot of songs for an album?
(Laughs) It was a conscious decision to make this a double disc album because I like the idea of concept albums where there's a part one and part two. I had 30 more songs that didn't make the cut otherwise it would have been a quadruple disc album!

You use Myspace to actively get your music out there to your fans. What do you like about it?
MySpace is kind of like how the radio was back I the '90's. It's very accessible for fans to listen to music from anywhere in the world. Also it allows me to connect on a personal level with them, which is wonderful!.

Do you consider yourself more of a songwriter or an musician?
Definitely more of a songwriter but in general I would say I'm more of a performer. I love to communicate with people and performing my songs allows me to do that..

You left a major label to strike out on your own What made you do that?
I was lucky to be part of Savage Garden back in the '90's and getting a record deal from a major label was a big thing. But over the years the people that I worked with on the label got fired or left so when our contract ended, I didn't see a point in staying either. That's when I decided to do it on my own.

Has your success in music over the years changed you as a person? Absolutely! I have been lucky enough to be able to travel the world while touring and that has opened my eyes to different cultures. Meeting new people with so much talent has also shaped me to the person I am today.

Where do you get your inspiration to write such good pop hits?
(Laughs) Well, I can't really pinpoint a source but I would say it's who I am. Music is not a hobby or job to me. It's like oxygen. Not being able to express myself through music would be dreadful which is why I continuously write songs.

After almost a decade in the pop industry, how much do you think has changed?
I think people are really scared now and are too afraid of flopping. That's a shame. When I started with Savage Garden, "pop" was a filthy word because it was an era of rock and grunge but music has changed since then and I think people shouldn't lack the courage to try.

Dropping by Singapore anytime soon?
Hopefully! I actually enjoyed performing there the last time and personally it was one of the first places my family and I visited when we first went overseas and it was memorable.

This Delicate Thing We've Made is in stores.

-------------------

Return to Articles Menu Page

Return to Darren Hayes Fans Homepage