Playgirl Magazine (US)
July 2007 Issue
Delicate Savage - Darren Hayes muses on music, maturing, and macho men
By Colleen Kane

Thanks to Hilary for typing this up and to Hails for the scans!

Delicate Savage - Darren Hayes muses on music, maturing, and macho men.
Writer: Colleen Kane

Darren Hayes first achieved fame in the mid-90s as one-half of Savage Garden. Now an electronic solo artist, Darren is releasing his latest record This Delicate Thing We've Made this month on his own label. The tour will bring Darren's happy return to the US after a five-year absence. And an older, wiser, more positive Darren admittedly dances to his own tune (as long as it's a remix).

Playgirl: Do you draw a different crowd now than with Savage Garden?
My audience is changing pretty rapidly since I embraced Myspace, actually. My core fans have been incredibly loyal since I went solo, but now I'm getting an amazing mix of people who love similar artists like Imogen Heap, Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel, Air, etc. So it's lots of messages from people saying "I used to HATE your band but I LOVE who you've become."

Do you have superfans? Someone drove all the way from Michigan to attend one of your recent NYC Performances!
My fans are all pretty super cool. I seem to have lost a lot of the "pinup" crowd... and I'm totally cool with that! These days, if someone is into what I do they are there to listen first and foremost. I'm getting a lot of electronic music fans, gay fans, and people who are into "artists" as opposed to "celebrities".

Responses to your shirtless picture on Myspace were overwhelmingly positive... Was that a one-off photo, or do you have a collection of them?
[Laughs] That one was a one-off. I work hard to stay fit, but I've never been into my lumps, my lumps, my lovely, errr... manly humps as a marketing tool.

How do you feel about being in Playgirl?
Thrilled and slightly aroused.

How was it growing up in Australia?
Australia is a land of extremes. Lush forests and harsh deserts; burning sun and crisp blue oceans. It's a paradise, but one that doesn't necessarily yield easily. It's a nation built on first settlers and the unfairly glossed-over aboriginal culture who occupied the land for thousands of years before it was stolen from them. Most significantly, Australia has quite a masculine and highly macho facade that influences the way we express ourselves.
As a result, I'd say it's almost like [I'm] a cross between the farm boy from Ohio and the street-savvy kid from the Bronx. Australian men tend to keep their feelings hidden and keep a stiff upper lip. I came from [a family of] carpenters and builders. That work ethic and "get on with it" attitude definitely made me tough enough to face the entertainment industry. I think being Australian gave me a sense of adventure and a chip on my shoulder. Almost like [being] the runt of the litter. My country is so far away from the rest of the world that in order to break away you have to try that little bit harder. And I certainly did.

What was it like maturing in the public eye?
Well, I'm 10 years on from the experiment; and I can honestly say that it stunts your growth emotionally. I was so lucky that my fame was about songs and my voice as opposed to who I was dating or what scandal lay beneath the surface. I look at these celebrities like Lindsay Lohan and I just wish that someone would send them to college! I'm lucky that I was 24 before I achieved any kind of notoriety, and by that time I had a university degree and had lived some life.

Things seem to be going much better for you lately. True?
It's like day and night. It's ironic that when I sold the most records I was the least happy. I was naive to how cutthroat the record business was. These days, all those men in suits who controlled my life have lost their jobs, and I'm still here. Only [now] nobody makes me feel worthless if I "only" sell a million records!
Being independent has brought so much joy to my life. Obviously meeting my soul mate had a huge part to do with my happiness -- but not so much in a Hallmark way as in a strengthening sense. Being happy emotionally and personally gave me the courage to do this on my own.

You recently got married. Any plans for kiddos?
Well, I'd definitley love to be a dad. But I do think it's a full-time job, and right now music is my child. Adoption is obviously our only option, and I like the idea of one day giving a home to a child who would benefit from the opportunities that we could provide. And the love!

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