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Radio : Music : Interviews
Darren Hayes
08 Jul 2011
We spoke to Darren about what to expect from him this time ‘round, the gay label and the importance of being a good role model.
Stop or confirm (or start) a rumour about yourself...
Oh dear. I'm terrible with this stuff. I despise gossip, so I'm afraid I don't have much to offer here. I can clear up a misconception. I think people assume I'm an extrovert, but I'm actually quite shy. I become someone else on stage, but in my private life I'm a real homebody.
Tell us a bit about ‘Talk Talk Talk’ – what can we expect?
I think it's a wonderful marriage between the best of what I can do and a new young modern Swedish pop sound from producer Carl Falk. It's heavy lyrically, but sonically it sounds like Swedish pop music.
It's got a great message in that it really is a call for peace talks between two lovers or friends at war. It's that kind of 'come down off the mountain' moment where you say the things to each other you have been keeping secret.
What are you most proud of about the single?
I'm glad it's relevant without sounding desperately hip. It's modern enough to belong on the radio, but honest enough to still sound like me.
Is ‘Talk Talk Talk’ representative of your forthcoming album as a whole?
I think it's a gentle introduction to a record that is really quite epic and cinematic in sound. 'Talk Talk Talk' is probably the most effervescent moment and a great 'hello' to a new sound.
What’s the album been like to record?
Quite honestly, it was the hardest album I've ever made. It is on par with the first Savage Garden album in that it seemed to take forever and, every time I felt it was finished, it seemed to require more work. There were a lot of laughs and a lot of tears, and it's a deeply personal record. I'm very proud of it.
So, when did you first realise you had musical talent?
I could sing at the age of three or four and believed my father when he fibbed that he was going to do a Joe Jackson and make a band out of my sister and brother and I. He was joking, but I feel like I always knew what I wanted to do. I thought everyone wanted to be a singer and, as I grew up, I realised that everybody did not!
"I try to avoid being categorised as a 'gay artist'. I'm an artist. I'm proud of who I am, but in the same time, I don't want to be put into a box or limited in that way. I make records for people about people."
Do you remember your first ever gig? What happened?
It was Alison Moyet at the Brisbane Festival Hall some time in the mid 80s and she was phenomenal. I thought I was going to lose my mind when she played a Yazoo track.
Do you have a funny/crazy tour story to share with us?
I do not. I am that boring.
What lessons – if any – have you learnt as an openly gay artist?
I don't know that being gay and out has necessarily taught me anything in terms of my career. I try to avoid being categorised as a 'gay artist'. I'm an artist. I'm proud of who I am, but in the same time, I don't want to be put into a box or limited in that way. I make records for people about people.
What’s your take on celebrities who won’t come out of the closet?
I think it's none of our business. I think there is a huge difference between lying about who you are and choosing not to hold a press conference about it. I think it's a really dated view to expect or demand someone to be 'out'. What does that mean anyway? You never really stop coming out. It's a deeply psychological experience and you are ready when you are ready. To force someone to declare who they are to the world if they are not comfortable with who they are is surely only a bad thing.
I think it's far more important to be a good role model. I think of my marriage and my career as examples to young people that there is a happy ever after, no matter who you are. That's my positive contribution - just leading my life and striving forward.
Finish the sentence: A good night out starts with...
Dinner with friends.
It ends with...
Deep conversation and laughs.
"I think of my marriage and my career as examples to young people that there is a happy ever after, no matter who you are. That's my positive contribution - just leading my life and striving forward."
It’s our round – what are you having?
I'm not a drinker, I'm afraid - so probably a diet coke.
What makes you happy?
A gazillion things mostly related to love
What makes you angry?
Ignorance. Intolerance.
When the phone rings, who do you hope is calling?
Family in Australia.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
Don't take any of this personally.
Anything to add?
Poached pears, little bit of cinnamon added to your morning porridge with berries. There you go!
'Talk Talk Talk', the new single from Darren Hayes, is out now. Find out more at www.darrenhayes.com.
Author: Bree Hoskin
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