Daniel was interviewed by the Danish National Radio P3 for a show called Popshop on 22nd February 2000 and it was aired 5th April 2000.
(Thanks To Susanna (Crystal Minds) For Typing Up This Transcript!)

[Dan.jpg][DanKarl.jpg]


(I missed taping the first few seconds of the interview, as my remote lost control of my new tape-recorder - taping for the first time - As I remember the radio host asked why it´s usually always Darren that does the interviews.

"(Crash And Burn playing in the background)

Daniel Jones: Darren writes the words and when questions comes up I sometimes find it difficult to actually answer, because I have comments on the musical level of the actual song, so I think we have come to an agreement or understanding that we do what we do best. And I spend a lot of time rehearsing the band and doing a lot of preproduction work and experiments with demo-dancemixes, while Darren is out there being the face to the band, perhaps being a little more of the spokesman and celebrity for the band, and I´m not into being a celebrity. I like music and that is how we work.

Radio Host: It´s usually Darren Hayes who answers questions from the press while Daniel is fiddling with the music, but today it´s different. Popshop has met the “shy part” of Savage Garden. Darren Hayes is the popular boy of Savage Garden, the one with jet black hair and sharp blue eyes. No one usually notice Daniel Jones and he doesn´t like being a celebrity, and this is how they like to split the work. There is nothing glamorous about Daniel Jones. He looks like your next-door neighbors son or he could have been the sound technician of Savage Garden the day I met him in a TV-studio to talk about star dreams.

Radio Host: Which dreams did you have before you became a star?

Daniel: It was that of successful music. I definitely felt that I was going to be a part of something successful in music and I would say that a lot of successful people..... that means achieving what you want to achieve, it doesn´t mean making more money or having a better job than others, it just means, you know, if you set a target and go for it, that´s success in my opinion, and I think that if you are honest with yourself and feel whether or not you´re gonna get there.... I and I think, looking back, I always felt like it was going to happen and it was - just slowly you know – it adventuated. It wasn´t money motivated, although now I do have helped my family, and I do have a comfortable home – it´s not ridiculous – but it´s comfortable and I don´t drive a Farrier. I don´t know – I suppose I´ve never really thought about it that much. I guess I just wanted to perhaps have my music heard by the lot of people through out the world that so far have, and there are probably more who haven´t heard it, but would like to. That´s the best satisfaction as a songwriter – to have people you know – stop and listen to something that you do. So that was probably one of my biggest dreams. It wasn´t really money motivated, but when you do something successful, usually the money will follow.

(End of C& B and IKILY starts)

Radio Host: What was your perception about being a star, what was being a star to you?

Daniel: I didn´t ..... That´s why it´s so fascinating, that nobody really knows what it´s like, because there is a very selected few that get the opportunity to be able to stand up and show off what they do. So the illusion of it was what entreated me, as I didn´t know what it was going to be, and it was addictive to try to find out what it was going to be like, so I think it was probably more the illusion of being a star – whatever entreat is.

Radio Host: So was it getting on TV and all the big galas that was kind of entreating?

Daniel: Yeah, it must be nearly social conditioned to just understand that. That was the journey to stardom and I wasn´t even conscious to wanting any of that kind although... I was conscious of the endless hours - yes – just didn´t realize what I actually went in to – to become a star – or how much work or how much TV you had to be on and the pressure of being....... (IKILY playing so loud drowning his voice!!!) I think now I´m starting to understand what the illusion actually really is. It has become a reality.

Radio Host: What was the first sign of stardom that you experienced?

Daniel: A concert that we did i Australia after out first single – IWY – was released and I had never heard...like we had played similar sorts of venues before, but only playing cover versions – other peoples music – and we got there that night, and we got set up and we were backstage and all of a sudden we hear this amazing “Wauw” from the crowd, like “was there so many people here to see us” and we all sort of stuck a head out behind the curtain, to look out at the sea of faces all day. Because we wrote a song – it was just a fantastic feeling and then I realized the journey has begun.

Radio Host: What was the next step – was it getting bodyguards and being escorted all the time and stuff like that?

Daniel: A lot of it was about being escorted everywhere but I don´t think bodyguards have really been an issue with us, and I hope it doesn´t get to that level really. I mean, I would like to feel that we are somewhat approachable to normal people, but just have probably a little bit of more interest in music, you know. So I would probably start backpedaling if I had to have security and bodyguards and things like that all the time. I mean at concerts we have security to – you know – keep everyone in control, so yeah no security guards for me. The luxuries were probably to be in a position where you can do what you want for a living and actually be rewarded for that, and sometimes over-rewarded, you know it´s like – are we really worth that much money – it´s debatable – yes we have written TMD, but someone else has written – you know – something more beautiful or less beautiful or made someone survive on an operating table as a doctor, I mean what is it worth. Sometimes I have difficulties understanding exactly what it is we do, but it just keeps coming back to my love for music, and the expressions and emotions I see it stir up in other people always makes me exited.

Radio Host: It´s very difficult to talk to Daniel Jones about subjects such as making big money because he is a humble and very “down to earth” person but eventually I made him tell how he spend his money.

Daniel: Actually I did help my parents. It was the first thing I did. They´ve been so supportive to us, so I just paid off their house, and you know, said thanx for bringing me up kind of well.

Radio Host: But you didn´t go out buying anything?

Daniel: Oh yeah, since then I bought houses, cars, boats and property and land and everything ..laughing.

Radio Host: What´s the best thing you´ve got from your money. I know that your success in music means a lot to you, but if you had to choose one thing or one possession?

Daniel: You know what, it´s the cheapest thing I ever bought, and it´s actually a dog. It´s a golden retriever puppy and you know – you can burn the house down or crash the car BUT I REALLY LOVE THIS DOG...laughing loudly.

End of interview (Playing TMD)".

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