Darren Stanley Hayes is a UK-based Australian singer-songwriter. Hayes was the front man and singer of the pop duo
Savage GardenSavage Garden were an Australian pop rock performance and songwriting duo. Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones formed the group in Brisbane, Queensland in 1994...
, whose 1997 album
Savage GardenSavage Garden is the eponymous debut album from Australian pop duo Savage Garden. It was released on March 4, 1997. The album sold more than 18 million copies worldwide...
peaked at No. 1 in Australia, No. 2 in United Kingdom and No. 3 in United States. It spawned the singles "
I Want You"I Want You" is the first single released by Australian pop group Savage Garden, released in Australia in 1996 and Europe and America in 1997. It later appeared on their eponymous debut album, Savage Garden. The single hit number one in Canada, and peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the ARIA...
", "
To the Moon and Back"To the Moon and Back" is a single by Savage Garden from their debut album Savage Garden. One of the band's most popular songs, it deals with feelings of alienation from the modern world and the desire to find romantic love during adolescence...
", and Australian and US No. 1 "
Truly Madly Deeply"Truly Madly Deeply" is a song by Australian pop band Savage Garden, released as a single in March 1997. Written by band-mates Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones, the song is a reworking of a song called "Magical Kisses" that the pair wrote together long before recording began on their debut album....
". The duo followed the success of their debut album with
Affirmation (1999), which provided additional hits such as US No. 1 "
I Knew I Loved You"I Knew I Loved You" is a song by Australian pop duo Savage Garden, released as the second single from their second studio album, Affirmation. It was their second number one in the United States after "Truly Madly Deeply", peaking at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on January 29, 2000, and staying...
", and Australian No. 3 "
The Animal Song"The Animal Song" is a song by Savage Garden, released in February 1999. The song was written for the soundtrack of the film The Other Sister, but also appeared on their second studio album, Affirmation, as well as their compilation album, Truly Madly Completely: The Best of Savage Garden...
". Savage Garden sold more than 23 million albums worldwide before parting ways in 2001.
Hayes released his first solo album
Spin in 2002. The album sold two million copies worldwide, debuted at No. 2 in the UK and No. 3 in Australia. It delivered the hit single "Insatiable". Hayes' second solo album
The Tension and the Spark-Related tracks and B-sides:*"Touch" - B-side "Pop!ular" single.*"Zero" - B-side "Pop!ular" single.*"Random Blinking Light" - B-side on "Darkness" single.*"Let's Go" - an out-take from the album which became a B-side for his 2007 single "Me Myself and "....
marked a change of direction for the singer-songwriter, showing experimentation with
electronicaElectronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
and darker lyrics.
NMEThe New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
wrote about its first single, "
Pop!ular"Pop!ular" is the first single released from Australian singer-songwriter Darren Hayes' 2004 solo album, The Tension and the Spark.The lyrics are a tongue-in-cheek send-up of celebrities and wannabes....
" saying it was "A twistered masterclass in career reintervention...This guy is a genius." While
The ObserverThe Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
said "This album is no folly and succeeds, often to the point of all out triumph, on its own terms." Hayes parted way with his record label
Columbia RecordsColumbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
in 2006 and started his own independent record label Powdered Sugar, from which he would release his third solo album
This Delicate Thing We've MadeThis Delicate Thing We've Made is the third studio album by Australian singer-songwriter Darren Hayes. It is a double album that was released on his own label Powdered Sugar on 20 August 2007...
(2007).
In mid-2010, Hayes announced the completion of recording his fourth solo album,
Secret Codes and Battleships, features 3 songs co-written and produced by
Brian WestBrian West may refer to:*Brian West , American soccer player*Brian West , Canadian musician*Brian West , British cinematographer-See also:*Bryan West , England rugby player...
and was mixed by
Robert OrtonRobert Orton is a Grammy award-winning mixer. He has worked with many prominent artists including; Darren Hayes, Lady Gaga, Sean Kingston, Kelis, Livvi Franc, Sean Paul, Robbie Williams, Pixie Lott, Lil Jon, Enrique Iglesias, Usher, Mary J...
, who is best known for working with
Lady GagaStefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
. On 17 April 2011, Hayes signed with
Mercury RecordsMercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
' Australian division and in August 2011 with EMI Services UK. The album was released in Australia on 21 October 2011, 24 October in the UK and 25 October in the US, with singles "Talk Talk Talk". "
Bloodstained Heart"Bloodstained Heart" is a song by singer Darren Hayes, from his fourth studio album Secret Codes and Battleships. It was released in 2011 as the second single from the album in Australia, and is due to be released as the third UK and international single in early 2012.The track was released as a...
" and "
Black Out the Sun"Black Out the Sun" is the second international single from singer-songwriter Darren Hayes' fourth studio album Secret Codes and Battleships. It was released on 2 October 2011 with the video premiering on Hayes' YouTube channel on 21 August. The song received its first airplay on BBC Radio 2 on 25...
" released before the album.
Including his work with Savage Garden, Hayes has sold more than 39 million albums worldwide.
Early life
Hayes was born on 8 May 1972 in
BrisbaneBrisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
,
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. He is the youngest of three children. He started performing for his mother in his lounge room from an early age. At Mabel Park High School, Hayes appeared in the school musicals Man of Steel (playing Jimmy Olsen) in 1988 and Bye Bye Birdie (playing Albert) in 1989. He also sang at school concerts before graduating in 1989.
Hayes declined an opportunity to attend a performance academy in favour of studying at the
University of QueenslandThe University of Queensland, also known as UQ, is a public university located in state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest and largest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the nation...
. He ended up deferring a degree to pursue a musical career.
1993–2001: Savage Garden
In 1993, Hayes answered an advertisement in a magazine placed by
Daniel JonesDaniel Jones is a musician, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for his part in the hugely popular Australian pop duo Savage Garden, whose international hit singles included the songs "I Want You", "To the Moon and Back", "Truly Madly Deeply", "I Knew I Loved You", and "Crash and Burn"...
for a lead singer for a band called Red Edge. Hayes was successful despite his voice breaking in the audition. The covers band broke up in 1994 and Hayes formed a partnership with Jones, which was initially going to be called Crush. However, there was another band in the UK which had the rights to the name so the pair called themselves
Savage Garden, after a phrase used by
Anne RiceAnne Rice is a best-selling Southern American author of metaphysical gothic fiction, Christian literature and erotica from New Orleans, Louisiana. Her books have sold nearly 100 million copies, making her one of the most widely read authors in modern history...
to describe the world through the eyes of the main character in her novel
The Vampire LestatThe Vampire Lestat is a novel by Anne Rice, and the second in her Vampire Chronicles, following Interview with the Vampire. Many events in the two books appear to contradict each other...
. The Savage Garden is a vision of earth in which the natural laws of the world govern over anything aesthetic or civil.
Savage GardenSavage Garden were an Australian pop rock performance and songwriting duo. Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones formed the group in Brisbane, Queensland in 1994...
started recording their debut album in 1995 with producer
Charles FisherCharles Fisher is an Australian record producer. Often referred to as the song doctor. He is widely known as the producer of Savage Garden's eponymous album which yielded 10 ARIAs in 1997. "I Want You", a single from the aforementioned album also won a Channel V award in India...
. Their first single "
I Want You"I Want You" is the first single released by Australian pop group Savage Garden, released in Australia in 1996 and Europe and America in 1997. It later appeared on their eponymous debut album, Savage Garden. The single hit number one in Canada, and peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the ARIA...
" released in 1996 was the best selling single by an Australian artist that year. The second single "To the Moon and Back" topped the Australian charts at the end of 1996. The third single "Truly Madly Deeply" was their second number one and was the best-selling Australian single of 1997. Their debut album,
Savage GardenSavage Garden is the eponymous debut album from Australian pop duo Savage Garden. It was released on March 4, 1997. The album sold more than 18 million copies worldwide...
, was the best-selling album in Australia during 1997 and the duo won ten
ARIAThe Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Australian Recording Industry Association...
awards.
Hayes moved to New York City to promote Savage Garden internationally while Daniel Jones stayed in Brisbane. The move proved to be successful with "Truly Madly Deeply" going to the top of the American charts in 1998. The
Savage Garden album sold seven million copies in the US on the back of this success.
In New York City, Hayes wrote
Affirmation. He had recently divorced his wife of several years. Parts of the album reflected the pain from the end of the relationship.
Affirmation was released in 1999 and proved to be another hit with lead single "I Knew I Loved You" going to number one in the United States and the album selling six million copies by the end of 2000. The pair played the title track of the album at the closing ceremony of the
2000 Sydney OlympicsThe Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
.
Hayes moved to
Sausalito, CaliforniaSausalito is a San Francisco Bay Area city, in Marin County, California, United States. Sausalito is south-southeast of San Rafael, at an elevation of 13 feet . The population was 7,061 as of the 2010 census. The community is situated near the northern end of the Golden Gate Bridge, and prior to...
in 2000. He became the public face of the duo doing most of the media. Hayes announced that Savage Garden had broken up in October 2001 during an
off the record chat with an Australian journalist. When confronted with this information during the early morning hours, before an unrelated interview, Jones denied the break-up of the band. However, it appears that Jones did not believe the reporter was accurately quoting Hayes and denied what he thought was yet another breakup rumour. Still, the fact that Jones took a back seat in all promotional activities for
Affirmation seems indicative that Jones was not content to remain within Savage Garden as it had operated in the past.
Savage Garden had sold over 23 million albums by that stage.
In 2005, manager of Savage Garden, John Woodruff confirmed that Jones had announced his intention of leaving Savage Garden prior to the promotion for
Affirmation. Woodruff criticised the media for their treatment of Hayes. The duo have never issued a united statement regarding the situation, yet Hayes has guaranteed that the group will "never by any chance" reunite.
2002: Spin
Hayes recorded his first solo album,
Spin, which was released in 2002. The album was produced by Walter Afanasieff, the producer of
Affirmation.
Spin carried on in the same musical vein as Savage Garden, with a less soft rock sound and more edgy
R&BRhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
vibe, although the first single "Insatiable" was a
balladA ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
, reaching Number 3 in Australia. Other singles "Strange Relationship", "Crush (1980 Me)" and "I Miss You" also performed well in charts. The album reached the Top 5 in Australia at Number 3, and in the UK at Number 2. It also reached the top ten in Denmark, Sweden and Finland. In the United States, the album failed to make the same impact as Savage Garden's previous releases, reaching Number 35 on
Billboard. It was later re-issued with a bonus disc consisting of some live and studio tracks.
2003–2004: The Tension and the Spark
Hayes spent two years working on his second solo album,
The Tension and the Spark-Related tracks and B-sides:*"Touch" - B-side "Pop!ular" single.*"Zero" - B-side "Pop!ular" single.*"Random Blinking Light" - B-side on "Darkness" single.*"Let's Go" - an out-take from the album which became a B-side for his 2007 single "Me Myself and "....
. Other than the track "I Forgive You", which was produced with Madonna collaborator
Marius De VriesMarius Van Wyk de Vries is an English music producer and composer. He has been behind some of the key albums and soundtracks of recent times, gathering five Grammy nominations, two BAFTAs, and an Ivor Novello award along the way.-Music Producer:...
, the entire album was produced by Hayes and
Robert ConleyRobert Conley is an American record producer, programmer and engineer. He has worked with some of the biggest names in the worldwide music industry, including KISS, Destiny's Child, Celine Dion, Ricky Martin and Darren Hayes.- Life and career :...
(with whom he had previously toured and recorded "Crush (1980 Me)" for
Spin and "Do You Believe" for Specificus). The album marked a bold change of direction from Hayes. Conley's production was almost entirely electronic, with acoustic instruments buried under walls of sequenced sounds. Although artistically this was a huge step forward and earned Hayes the strongest praise of his career, it seemed to alienate a large portion of his audience who were expecting another album of radio friendly pop songs. The first single "Pop!ular" was released on 12 July 2004. This single reached Number One on the US Dance Charts, and fared well in the UK. Hayes' follow-up single, "Darkness", charted in the lower regions of the ARIA top 50 charts.
One of his out-takes from the
Spin sessions, "When You Say You Love Me", was an Australian top 20 single in April 2004 for
Human NatureHuman Nature are an Australian pop vocal group. The group was originally formed as a doo-wop band in 1989 while the current members were at school together in Sydney. So far, the band has had 17 Top 40 hits and five Top 10 hits in Australia since 1996 when their first album Telling Everybody was...
off their
Walk The TightropeWalk the Tightrope is the fourth album by Australian boy band and pop vocal group Human Nature released on 26 April 2004. After a three year absence since their greatest hits album, Here & Now: The Best of Human Nature, the group returned with a more adult-contemporary sound, presaging their future...
album, and was then re-recorded in 2008 featuring Hayes himself. It was also covered by American Idol runner-up
Clay AikenClayton Holmes "Clay" Aiken is an American singer, songwriter, actor, producer and author who began his rise to fame on the second season of the television program American Idol in 2003. RCA Records offered him a recording contract, and his multi-platinum debut album Measure of a Man was released...
for his
Measure of a Man album.
2005–2006: Truly Madly Completely and parting ways with Columbia
In 2005, Hayes recorded a track he wrote with Robert Conley called "
So Beautiful"So Beautiful" is a pop song written by Australian singer-songwriter Darren Hayes and Robert Conley. In 2005, the song was released as a single as a part of the promotion of the greatest hits album Truly Madly Completely: The Best of Savage Garden by the pop duo Savage Garden that Hayes was part of...
", which is included on the Savage Garden greatest hits compilation
Truly Madly Completely: The Best of Savage GardenTruly Madly Completely: The Best of Savage Garden is a compilation album released by Australian pop duo Savage Garden. It was released worldwide on 1 November 2005, within the exception of the United States, where it was not available until early 2006....
. The compilation also includes a second track by Hayes called "California". Both of these tracks harken back to Hayes' early sound, although still retaining some of the electronic flourishes from
The Tension and the Spark.
On 9 July 2006, Hayes announced that he had parted ways with
Columbia RecordsColumbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
after ten years and 24 million album sales together.
The
tourA Big Night In With Darren Hayes was the series of shows by Darren Hayes to celebrate release of a Savage Garden Greatest Hits album. The staging was simple with a 'living room' feel, featuring a bar, dining area and wardrobe. The show featured a great deal of audience participation, drawing on...
following this release saw Hayes play the iconic
Sydney Opera HouseThe Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
, certainly a highlight of his career to date. The performance was recorded and released on a DVD entitled
"A Big Night in with Darren Hayes".
2007–2008: This Delicate Thing We've Made
Hayes finished recording his third solo album
This Delicate Thing We've MadeThis Delicate Thing We've Made is the third studio album by Australian singer-songwriter Darren Hayes. It is a double album that was released on his own label Powdered Sugar on 20 August 2007...
in 2007. The album is a double-disc, with 25 tracks. Many of the tracks were co-written with Robert Conley, and a great deal of the album was written with and produced by Justin Shave, who played keyboards for part of Hayes'
Time Machine tour. The album was released on 20 August 2007 on Hayes' own independent record label, Powdered Sugar, while the first single "
On the Verge of Something Wonderful"On the Verge of Something Wonderful" is a song in the electronica and pop genres written by Australian singer-songwriter Darren Hayes and Robert Conley for Hayes' third solo album This Delicate Thing We've Made . The song is the first single to be released off the album; it was released in...
" was released in Australia on 28 July 2007 and in the UK and online on 6 August 2007.
On 9 April 2007, Hayes released the album track "Who Would Have Thought?" from
This Delicate Thing We've MadeThis Delicate Thing We've Made is the third studio album by Australian singer-songwriter Darren Hayes. It is a double album that was released on his own label Powdered Sugar on 20 August 2007...
as a teaser track on his official website, as well as his MySpace profile. This was accompanied by an animation for the song created by his partner, animator and director, Richard Cullen. Around April 2007, remixes of the album track "Step into the Light" were being played in clubs around the world. The album version of "Step into the Light" was released as a teaser on Hayes' official website and MySpace on 30 April 2007.
During the first half of 2007, Hayes performed selected songs from the album in
small exclusive gigsThe Time Machine World Tour is the tour by Darren Hayes as solo artist. This tour supportes the album This Delicate Thing We've Made and consists of the two parts of the tour - promo and main. Promo performances goes in nightclubs and music festivals and has various setlists and songs covers like...
around the world. Tickets for several of these much sought after shows sold out in under ten minutes. In June 2007, Hayes embarked on a small tour of USA and Canada, stopping in New York, Toronto, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles, along with the band
TemposharkTemposhark is an English electronic rock band, formed in London and Brighton by singer-songwriter Robert Diament. Temposhark are best known for their songs Bye Bye Baby, Joy, It's Better To Have Loved and Not That Big; a duet with singer Imogen Heap which appears on their 2008 debut album The...
. The shows were well received with very positive reviews.
On 30 June 2007, Hayes headlined the London Gay Pride at Trafalgar Square. He performed "I Want You" and "On the Verge of Something Wonderful" as well as a medley that included "Pop!ular".
In July 2007, Hayes announced
The Time Machine TourThe Time Machine World Tour is the tour by Darren Hayes as solo artist. This tour supportes the album This Delicate Thing We've Made and consists of the two parts of the tour - promo and main. Promo performances goes in nightclubs and music festivals and has various setlists and songs covers like...
that would start out in the UK, and then move on to Hayes' home country Australia.
On 29 July 2007, "On the Verge of Something Wonderful" was the most selected music video on The Box in the UK.
On 20 August 2007,
This Delicate Thing We've Made was released in the UK, America and Australia.
Hayes finished touring this release with 'The Time Machine Tour' in the UK and Australia, where he played venues such as The
Royal Albert HallThe Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
and the State Theatre in Sydney. His stage was again designed by
Willie WilliamsWillie Williams is a video director, stage and lighting designer for concerts, theatre, & multimedia projects...
and included a large bridge that could extend over the first few rows of seats. On the final night at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre in Hayes' hometown of
BrisbaneBrisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
the performance was recorded in HD for a DVD release. The Time Machine Tour DVD came out in two editions; the special edition which was limited to 2000 copies and contained a four panel, fold out, gleaming white box, a 32 page color booklet with 300 photos and notes from the artist, and the regular edition. The special edition DVD, which was only available from Hayes' website, was shipped to purchasers on 1 July, and the regular edition which was available in shops was released on 22 July.
Hayes did a mini tour in the US in November and December 2007, making appearances at Borders stores and performing two shows in New York City and Philadelphia.
On 18 December 2007, Hayes announced "
The Side Two TourThe Side 2 Tour was a concert tour by recording artist Darren Hayes. The shows were conceived as special concerts in which Hayes set out to perform in a more intimate setting than that of his previous Time Machine Tour, the setlist was mainly made up of songs that had rarely been heard live...
". The show toured the UK in February 2008 and featured Hayes performing songs from
This Delicate Thing We've Made that were not featured on "The Time Machine Tour", in a more intimate setting.
2009–2010: We Are Smug
On 19 April 2009, Hayes teased via Twitter that he was preparing another album. On 8 May, Hayes announced, via his MySpace page, that he and Robert Conley had produced an album together titled
We Are SmugWe Are Smug is the eponymous debut album of We Are Smug, the duo of Darren Hayes and Robert Conley. The album was released for free download on 8 May, 2009. Both Hayes and Conley share vocal duties on the record, which is very reminiscent of Darren's second studio album The Tension and the Spark,...
. The ten-track album, with a fair amount of experimentation with both lyrics and music, was made available via a link from his MySpace page, and was made free to download to gauge acceptability of Hayes' shifting musical styles. The album is heavily electronic with some heavy beats. It also contains some explicit content. Both Hayes and Conley share vocal duties on this album.
Hayes signed to Sony ATV Music Publishing for a worldwide deal in August 2009. Emma Banks from CAA UK came on board October 2009 to represent Hayes for his touring plans around the new album.
Although the album was completed before the holidays in 2009, Hayes announced in early 2010 that he had more song ideas and he was going back into the studio, which delayed the album another year. Hayes completely finished his fourth solo album in mid-2010, working with top writer/producers from around the world and having the record mixed by
Robert OrtonRobert Orton is a Grammy award-winning mixer. He has worked with many prominent artists including; Darren Hayes, Lady Gaga, Sean Kingston, Kelis, Livvi Franc, Sean Paul, Robbie Williams, Pixie Lott, Lil Jon, Enrique Iglesias, Usher, Mary J...
.
Darren also recorded a song for the Finn tribute album "He Will Have His Way", a cover of "Not Even Close". It was released on
HalloweenHallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
2010.
2011–present: Signing to Mercury Records and Secret Codes and Battleships
On 17 April 2011, Darren announced that he had signed a record deal with Mercury Records/Universal Music Australia and signed to EMI Services UK /Europe. Darren released his fourth studio album on the label on 24 October in the UK and a release date of 21 October for Australia and most of the world and 25 October for USA. The first single titled "
Talk Talk Talk"Talk Talk Talk" is the lead single from singer Darren Hayes' upcoming fourth solo album Secret Codes and Battleships. It was released on the Mercury Records label in Australia and on Hayes' own Powdered Sugar label elsewhere. The song was released worldwide on iTunes on 24 June 2011.The...
" was announced in May and was released on 24 June. The single will contain a cover version of
MadonnaMadonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
's "
Angel"Angel" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her second studio album Like a Virgin. It was released on April 10, 1985 by Sire Records as the third single from the album. Written by Steve Bray and Madonna, it was one of the first songs developed for the project and, according to...
" as the B-side.
It was announced on 20 June via Hayes' Facebook page that his new album would be titled
Secret Codes and BattleshipsSecret Codes and Battleships is the fourth studio album from Australian singer-songwriter Darren Hayes. It was released 21 October 2011 on Mercury Records in Australia, on EMI Records in the United Kingdom on 24 October, and on his own label Powdered Sugar for the rest of the world on 25 October...
. Five track names have been mentioned in interviews with Hayes; "Don't Give Up", "Blood-Stained Heart", "Cruel Cruel World", "God Walking Into the Room" and "Black Out the Sun".
Darren announced on Twitter on 22 July that he was shooting a second music video. On 14 August, Hayes revealed in a radio interview that "Black Out the Sun" will be the second single from
Secret Codes and Battleships. Since its release in the UK,
BBC Radio 2BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
has selected the track to feature on their A list the week commencing 1 October 2011. He later confirmed on Twitter that this song will be the single for the UK and other international markets, while "Blood-Stained Heart" would be the second single in Australia.
On 1 September, Celebrity blogger
Perez HiltonMario Armando Lavandeira, Jr. , better known as Perez Hilton , is an American blogger and television personality. His blog, Perezhilton.com , is known for posts covering gossip items about celebrities...
recommended "Bloodstained Heart" to his followers, saying "Darren Hayes is back with a song closer to his Savage Garden days than anything he's done of late. A beautiful, powerful, emotional, big, sweeping, pop song with meaning!" He will play key dates on his "The Secret" Tour in the UK and Australia beginning on 15 October in Liverpool.
Personal life
Hayes married a childhood sweetheart, makeup artist Colby Taylor, in 1994. They were still married when
Savage GardenSavage Garden were an Australian pop rock performance and songwriting duo. Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones formed the group in Brisbane, Queensland in 1994...
"skyrocketed to fame around the globe in the late 1990s." They separated in 1998 and were divorced in 2000. Much of the lyrics for the band’s second album,
Affirmation, dealt with his divorce. He recorded
Affirmation in San Francisco mid-1999 and eventually bought a house there. He also maintains a base in London since 2004.
Hayes was upset when
Simon AmstellSimon Marc Amstell is a BAFTA nominated, award-winning English comedian, television presenter, screenwriter and actor, best known for his roles as former co-host of Popworld, former host of Never Mind the Buzzcocks and co-writer and star of the sitcom Grandma's House.-Early life:Amstell was born...
, an openly gay U.K. comedian asked Hayes about his sexuality before he had actually been out. He was outraged by Amstell's lack of respect for his privacy but later said that event made him realize that he needed to be honest.
Hayes started
coming outComing out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
as gay to friends and the head of his label,
Sony, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
in the early 2000s. He married (via a civil partnership) his boyfriend of two years,
Richard CullenRichard Cullen is a British animator and music video director.-Career:He trained as a theatre director at the Rose Bruford College in London, and later studied film theory at the University of Westminster....
, on 19 June 2006 in London. Though public speculation about his
sexual orientationSexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...
had been present throughout his career, he is famous for keeping his personal life private. He announced the event the day prior on his official website. Before the announcement Cullen's name had appeared on the website as the designer of the cover for Hayes' single "
So Beautiful"So Beautiful" is a pop song written by Australian singer-songwriter Darren Hayes and Robert Conley. In 2005, the song was released as a single as a part of the promotion of the greatest hits album Truly Madly Completely: The Best of Savage Garden by the pop duo Savage Garden that Hayes was part of...
". Hayes and Cullen live in
LondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Hayes is a well-known
Star WarsStar Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
buff and has been since childhood. He also collects
Star Wars memorabilia and he even auditioned for a role in
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the SithStar Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith is a 2005 American epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas. It is the sixth and final film released in the Star Wars saga and the third in terms of the series' internal chronology....
.
Discography
Studio albums
- 2002: Spin
- 2004: The Tension and the Spark
-Related tracks and B-sides:*"Touch" - B-side "Pop!ular" single.*"Zero" - B-side "Pop!ular" single.*"Random Blinking Light" - B-side on "Darkness" single.*"Let's Go" - an out-take from the album which became a B-side for his 2007 single "Me Myself and "....
- 2007: This Delicate Thing We've Made
This Delicate Thing We've Made is the third studio album by Australian singer-songwriter Darren Hayes. It is a double album that was released on his own label Powdered Sugar on 20 August 2007...
- 2011: Secret Codes and Battleships
Secret Codes and Battleships is the fourth studio album from Australian singer-songwriter Darren Hayes. It was released 21 October 2011 on Mercury Records in Australia, on EMI Records in the United Kingdom on 24 October, and on his own label Powdered Sugar for the rest of the world on 25 October...
External links