Philadelphia Gay News
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA
International pop star takes new direction
By Larry Nichols
November 30, 2007

One can excuse Darren Hayes if he appears a little claustrophobic on his latest string of performances in the U.S.

The openly gay singer is in the midst of a promotional swing for his latest album, the double-length "This Delicate Thing We've Made," his first release as an independent artist and since he came out.

Hayes became an international pop star in the 1990s as one half of Savage Garden, the Australian group that scored massive hits all over the world and racked up sales of over 25 million records.

Savage Garden broke up in 2001 and, despite his hit-maker status, Hayes' current tour finds him performing intimate, acoustic sets in small clubs and record stores to reconnect with his American fans.

"It's quite a juxtaposition because I have finished an arena tour in Australia and the U.K. where I sell records," Hayes said. "It's hilarious. I come to the States and I'm still virtually unknown. I love it. I'm doing everything from playing in boardrooms and radio stations to in-store appearances. Talk about extremes — from playing the Royal Albert Hall to playing a conference room in Arkansas is quite the challenge."

Hayes' choice to do an acoustic tour is surprising, considering his new album overflows with upbeat electronica-infused songs that are far removed from his more adult-contemporary Savage Garden offerings like the kinetic dance-clubby first single, "Me Myself and I."
"It’s pretty lucky that I write the type of songs that can be broken down," Hayes said. "I don't know how the Chemical Brothers records would fare broken down to just a piano. I guess at the end of the day, electronic music is like fashion. It's like seasoning that I sprinkle over my songs. I grew up listening to Fleetwood Mac. Stevie Nicks is one of my favorite artists, along with people like Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush — artists that write pretty traditional songs. It’s just that they're presented in an experimental way. I'm a storyteller. At the end of the day, I'm not trendy. I'm not hip. That’s the crux of what I do."

The fact that his new album came to be so eclectic and brilliant is a feat in itself, considering Hayes was at an artistic crossroads when the project started. His first solo album, 2002's "Spin," was a hit, but 2004's "The Tension and the Spark" didn't fare as well. Hayes was veering away from the safer pop sound he had become associated with and experimenting with more sophisticated songwriting.

"When I first started, to be honest, I was quite lost," he said about the new record. "I think the reaction commercially to my last album here in the States got me dropped from the [Columbia] label. It threw me. It absolutely threw me because I knew that my music was better than it had ever been. The 'men in suits’ hated it. I started taking advice from managers, publishers and writers — people that I 'should' be writing with. I hated the experience. They threw me in with people like the Matrix and, as much as I love those people, it was so not me. It took me a while to amass songs. I threw out all of the ones with the hit-makers."

Rather than succumb to pressure from his label, Hayes decided to strike out on his own, start his own independent record label — Powdered Sugar — and record on his own terms.
"I was going to go out like a punk, as if this is the last record that I make. I really think that’s how you should treat record making. I really got into records that I adored. Two of them were 'Sign O' the Times' by Prince and Kate Bush's 'Hand of Love.' Both records had a conceptual feel to them and were a real commitment to a story. That’s the way the idea was born. I wanted to make this my ‘Moulin Rouge.'"

Despite the pressures of being on a major label and his new artistic direction, Hayes said he has no problem being known as the guy from Savage Garden.

"I sold a gazillion records, I had a couple of number-ones and my life was changed forever," he said. "I would never trash that. I'm grateful for the experiences that I had. As a solo artist, my sales are negligible. I'm just in a position in my life where I've been able to use the success that I've had to continue as an artist and performer."

Another big change for Hayes is his recent marriage to his boyfriend Richard Cullen, whom he met in 2003. Hayes never discussed his sexuality while he was a member of Savage Garden, but said that was not due to any pressure from his record label at the time. "It was never really a discussion," he said. "I think everybody at the label knew I was gay. I think it was a very ambiguous time for pop stars in the late ’90s. If you look at my photographs last then, I looked like the bastard child of Depeche Mode and Erasure."
The issue of Hayes’ sexuality was further clouded during those days by his marriage to his then-girlfriend.

"I was 22 when we got married and 23 when we split up," Hayes, now 35, explained. "I wouldn't be the first gay man to have mistaken friendship for love with his best friend, which is what I did. I think we were very lucky that we were young enough to not be invested in each other's lives and not have children. My realizing who I was and my coming out was a really gradual process. I didn't come from a big town. I didn't think being gay was an option. I was really lucky that I was with a really amazing chick, who is still one of my best friends."
Another major change in Hayes' life was his relocation to the U.K. from his native Australia. The singer said there were many reasons but, ultimately, his relationship with Cullen was the deciding factor in his move.

"Obviously, music in Europe is less regimented at radio," he said. "Initially it was, 'Let's go there and spend six months in the U.K. to support the record. But in the process I met Richard and my life took a severe left turn because suddenly I met the person I was going to marry. I never really chose London, I chose Richard."

Having lived most of his life in Australia, where same-sex couples have some rights as "de-facto partners" but cannot adopt, Hayes said the struggle for gay civil rights in his homeland mirror the issues in the U.S.

"I don't support either administrations' stance on gay marriage in Australia or the United States," he said. "I think the situation in the U.K. is absolutely at the forefront of the civil-rights movement. I think it is atrocious that legislation has been changed to block unions. To me, being civilly partnered and able to stand in front of my friends and family and have my community recognize my relationship really legitimizes me. I think in 20 or 30 years' time, the situation will be embarrassing to a lot of people. I think it will be seen almost like race-related civil-rights issues in the '50s. I think it will be quite shameful and embarrassing that this was ever even a question. I think by living my life openly, it's my way of rallying against that, but I don't know if it’s going to change any time soon, to be honest."

Darren Hayes performs at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4 at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St. For more information, visit www.darrenhayes.com or call (215) 222-1710.

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