Elegant Interviews!




Savage Garden-The Interview
How Well Do Darren And Daniel Know Eachother?
Savage Success
Cute Band Alert - Savage Garden
Antipodes Superstars
Savage Garden on Muchmusic
Savage Stuff
Daniel Tidbits
Out of This World!




Savage Garden-The Interview

Dolly Magazine (Australia) August 1997

They're the No.1 band in Australia, they're hitting it big overseas and one of them is looking for love! Santi Pintado goes to the moon and back with Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones to find out all about SAVAGE GARDEN...

How did you guys meet?

Darren: Five years ago, Daniel put an ad in a music mag for a singer - I answered it. Daniel has been in bands since he was 14 and this is the first I've been in. I was the last of 20 people to sing at the auditions and needless to say, they were all kind of disappointing. I went in there, sang, and it just sort of happened. We clicked on a personal level more than anything and here we are today.

You both live in Brisbane, but not together, right?

Daniel: Yeah, I read that somewhere too!
Darren: Someone said we lived together in Sydney but I think they meant when we recorded the album, because we shared a flat in Sydney for about eight months.
Daniel: In Brisbane we live as far away as possible from each other. *laughs*

Who's the better dancer?

Daniel: I'd have to say Darren, by far.
Darren: Oh, I would've said you! I don't think either of us are good. I did go through a brief period in the late '80's when I thought I was a better dancer than I actually was. There's an episode of Seinfeld when Elaine goes through this very same crisis. You assume you've possibly the world's greatest dancer, smoking it up on the dance floor, and then you realize when you see your friend's 21st video that you're not quite as good as you thought.

Were you surprised when your first single I WANT YOU took off?

Darren: I'd have to say, no - and that's because when you go for something like this, you put a lot on the line and we both sacrificed a lot, whatever it took to do this. We went broke, so I guess we went into it expecting to succeed and when it does happen, it's pure shock!

Where's the weirdest place you've been recognized?

Darren: There's this place in Brisbane mall and every time I go there, I'm usually eating a big kebab and have falafel coming out of every orifice, and someone goes "You're that guy from that band!" and I'm looking SOOOO attractive!

Would you rather hang out with the "Friends" gang or investigate "The X-Files" with Scully and Mulder?

Daniel: Definitely investigate The X-Files
Darren: I find Scully extremely sexy but I'd have to say hang out with the Friends gang because I'd be closer to Courteney Cox, who's a babe. I like the episode when she's this fitness freak going "We're fit, we're fit."

Out of these hip girls, who would you want as a third member of SAVAGE GARDEN: Alanis Morissette, Gwen Stefani, Whigfield or Madonna?

Darren: OK, can I just say right now, I'd get Whigfield and put her in one of those trash compactors. I hate that song!
Daniel: I'd go for Alanis. I reckon she's got a lot of spunk. She's cool, she's tough and she's got a lot of style.
Darren: I'd go for Madonna. Absolutely, love the Maddy.

Which Spice Girl would you pick?

Daniel: I have no idea which is which.
Darren: Probably the one with Pigs in Space pigtails. No, I'd put them all in the same trash compactor as Whigfield.

What's the worst pick up line a girl has ever used on you?

Daniel: "I lead, you follow." I said "OK" and walked out of the club *laughs*
Darren: "I can't understand a single word you're saying but when you sing I get tingles all over my body."

Do either of you have a girlfriend at the moment?

Daniel: I have lots of girlfriends but I'm always open for more. *laughs*
Darren: Let's just say that there is definitely a woman in my life.

What's the most romantic thing you've done for a girl?

Daniel: Spent a weekend away at a resort with lots of flowers.
Darren: I climbed over a balcony at night and believe me, that's a big feat because I'm not the physical type.

How do you know you're in love?

Darren: When you're willing to sacrifice something that's really important.
Daniel: When you seem disillusioned and your heart kicks in, your mind takes a back seat, and you do stupid things and no-one can work out why you love her.

What's one thing you'll never understand about the female sex?

Daniel: Why they get moody every month. *laughs* No, let's not go there!
Darren: I think it's the fact that they're usually right about everything. And as much as I'm killing my male reputation here, they do come up with the goods.

How much do you guys argue?

Daniel: Not a lot. About three times in the last five years. That's not too bad.
Darren: We work so intensely together, we have a survival mechanism where we really don't spend a lot of time together outside work.

Do you have to be in a certain mood to write a song?

Daniel: I've got to be left alone for at least a couple of hours before an idea comes. So it's going to be scary writing the second album - the phone just doesn't stop ringing!

By: Santi Pintado


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How Well Do Darren And Daniel Know Eachother?

Q. What is his worst habit?
Darren on Daniel: indulging in many bad habits.
Daniel on Darren: He's obsessive, Very obsessive

A. Daniel: My worst habit would probably be...um, having a bit too much fun. I like indulging in all my bad habits.
Darren: Probably getting too emotional

Q. What's his fave tv show?
Darren on Daniel: The Simpsons
Daniel on Darren: Mad About You

A. Daniel: Seinfeld, or The Simpsons
Darren: Seinfeld

Q. Who's his fave muso?
Darren on Daniel: He doesn't have one
Daniel on Darren: Bono

A. Daniel: At the moment, I like Alanis or Seal.
Darren: Michael Jackson

Q. How long does he spend in front of the mirror each morning?
Darren on Daniel: Not as long as me! Probably about 15 minutes
Daniel on Darren: Well, he gets up three weeks before he has to go out!

A. Daniel: 5 to 10 minutes
Darren: Ohhh! Hours and hours.

Q. What's more important to him; Fun, Love or Money?
Darren on Daniel: Love
Daniel on Darren: Fun

A. Daniel: Love
Darren: Love

Q. What's his biggest regret?
Darren on Daniel: I don't think Daniel has regrets!
Daniel on Darren: I don't think he regrets anything!

A. Daniel: My biggest regret would probably be that I didn't listen enough in school.
Darren: Not paying attention in gym classes because I'm totally uncoordinated

Q. What does he always keep in his fridge?
Darren on Daniel: Not much!
Daniel on Darren: I'd say anything but meat.

A. Daniel: Chocolate
Darren: Skim milk and yogurt

Q. If he was a character on The Simpsons, which would he be?
Darren on Daniel: Homer
Daniel on Darren: It's Bart, for sure.

A. Daniel: Barney (laughs). No, maybe not, a cross between Barney and Homer.
Darren: I'd be Bart, probably

Q. What would he really hate us to know about him?
Darren on Daniel: The insect Theory. That is, he has a short attention span and if you bore him, he'll flick you away like an insect!
Daniel on Darren: He's got an attention prob.

A. Daniel: I kind of have a different perception of myself than other people do (laughs)! I'm just not that tolerant. Oh, you mean The Insect Theory? Well, it's not as harsh as all that. That makes me sound evil, and I'm not an evil person.
Darren: (laughs) My personal grooming habits. Let's just leave it at that!

Q. Which would he prefer: vixen or virgin?
Darren on Daniel: Virgin, probably.
Daniel on Darren: Vixen

A. Daniel: Vixen for sure.
Darren: I think for the record I'd say virgin, but deep in my heart of hearts it's always a vixen.


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Savage Success

Hi guys, are you staying in a nice hotel?

Darren: Yeah, we're in Beverly Place in Beverly Hills, basically.
Daniel: (yells out in background) It's so nice to hear an Australian accent!

You're shooting a film clip for I Want You with the same director who did the Oasis videos- how did that come about?

Darren: We signed to Columbia Records out of New York, and they had a fantastic video department there, and basically we had a budget that we could only dream of at home- it was huge! Basically we took the reels and reels of direction, and he was the one.

I Want You is being played on 78 commercial stations- have you heard it play on air in the States yet?

Darren: Ha...ha...ha...no, not as yet, it's funny, it's playing on a couple of stations here, but we really haven't had a chance to listen to the radio. We hopping in the car...actually this week it's (I Want You) the most added track to the radio in America. We were looking in a radio magazine and there was a full page ad of us staring back in full colour.

Have you seen any stars in LA yet?

Darren: No, Daniel thinks he saw Madonna, and I went chasing after. No I don't think so, not yet.

Are you really busy with work or have you had time to chill out and see the sights?

Darren: We've been really busy, actually, it's been pretty full on. I actually forgot about this interview. We just popped into our hotel to have a drink and then the phone rang. Thank God we were here! Apparently we have one day after we finish shooting, we're actually going to Disneyland.

What are your plans after you leave LA?

Darren: We're going to Sydney for two or three days, then we're going back to Brisbane for full on rehearsals with the band, and then a couple of acoustic sets around the place. That weekend prior to the release (of the album) we've got a Hey Hey performance and a bunch of in stores and things around the country.

Do you get recognized on the street much?

Darren: It's starting to happen now, it's quite funny, it's just really flattering actually. Mainly people walk past, then they look at you, and then they do a double take, and a couple of times they'll come up to you when you're eating a kebab, lettuce between every possible tooth, and they'll say, aren't you that guy from...

Do you have a message for your fans back in Australia?

Darren: Hang in there, thanks for your support, because we love it, and we're counting on you coming to see us, basically.

What are you doing for the rest of the day?

Darren: We have two very lovely stylists, sitting in our room right now, we're just about to go and get dressed for them, and think of ways to make me look thin and Daniel look muscular and then we've got more meetings with production people tonight, and then we've got like a 7 am start for a video shoot tomorrow morning.

Write to: Savage Garden, GPO Box 145, Brisbane, Qld, 4001.


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Cute Band Alert - Savage Garden

Do you believe in destiny? singer Darren Hayes and multi-instrumentalist Daniel Jones do.

"It was almost like meeting a soul mate," says Darren of that fateful first encounter. "We both had the same goals. I walked out of the audition thinking: I'm going to be famous one day." They dubbed their duo Savage Garden-and set up on a path to international pop stardom. The amazing Australians' self-titled debut (Columbia) has already given us the irresistible hit "I Want You." Despite their shared vision,"you couldn't find more different people," dark haired doll-boy Darren says. "I'm a more attention seeking person-I walk into a room and want to dominate it. Daniel's the opposite-he achieves respect and power in quiet ways."

Opposites they may be, but both are way into their new-found celebrity. "It's changed my life," says blond boat-floater Daniel. "You know, you do a TV show and their all hyped up, and you jump into and try to relax-it's intense, but I like the extremes of emotions." Adds Darren:"Nobody ever stopped me on the street before and said,'Boy you're really cute!' and now it happens all the time. I love it."
Write to: Savage Garden, c/o Atlas/Third Rail Management, 9169 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90069.


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Antipodes Superstars

They're young, Australian, oh so cute and they have a thing for cherry cola. They also have one of the hottest songs to ever hit the dance floor.

If the electro-disco strains of Savage Garden (aka singer Darren Hayes and drummer/keyboardist/guitarist Daniel Jones) and the smash single I Want You aren't making you move your body, then you're either deaf or dead.

The decidedly modest Jones say that the rumours are true: I Want You is about a fair lass who caused a little bit of heartbreak. "But she doesn't know," he says coyly, "so I can't really tell you her name."

Interestingly enough, Jones adds that during post-promotion, the song didn't stand out as the band's best. "When we recorded it, it said: Here's a good song," he remembers. "It didn't say: Here's a fantastic smash hit!!" Good thing the boys didn't listen! "It's a bit of a novelty song," he adds, "but it's a good introduction."

Becoming international poster boys courtesy of their label's relentless promotion strategy also with the introductions! "I suppose you could call us poster boys," Jones replies. "We certainly are compared to Marilyn Manson!" They say that beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, but we're with the savages on this one!!


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Savage Garden on Muchmusic

May 22, 1997

*This is a transcript from when Savage Garden were on MuchMusic, not Electric Circus.

After doing an acoustic version of 'I Want You', MuchMusic VJ 'Master T' interviewed Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones of Savage Garden.

'T' : Hey, what's up man, how ya doing
Darren : Good (fixes mike)

'T' : Darren, how ya doing, nice to meet you

Darren : Nice to meet you, too

'T' : How are ya, Dan, ya all right?

Daniel : I'm all right, thanks.

'T' : All right, so, here we are. So, when does it stop for u guys? You guys have just been huge in Australia, and now your busted North America as well. One thing about you guys I noticed from the reading, is that you guys basically set out to make a pop record.

Darren : We did, I mean, Daniel & I have known each other, like, for about five years now. The first time we met, I guess we clicked & it was a big dream of ours. We sat in a room & we decided to write songs & write an album. A year had passed & we had written about 40 songs. So, um, ya know, that was about 3 yrs ago, & our album in Australia was released about the same time it was in Canada. This is all happening very quickly for us. We're really excited.

'T' : That must be kinda scary in a way like, ya write all these songs & ya have a vision about where you want to go, and if it doesn't happen...well, fortunately it did! I mean...

Darren : (laughs)

Daniel : (laughs) That was a risk I guess we were prepared to take. Ya know, we thought, hey, if we're going to do this, let's go out 100% here and just make it happen. Bottom line is, we enjoy writing songs & that's why we do it. I mean, w/o success, we'd still be writing songs. W/ success we're doing it and enjoying it more. So, it's good fun.


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Savage Stuff

Australia, the mysterious continent perched at the bottom of the globe, might best be known for Koala bears and Crocodile Dundee. But perceptions are about to change. The sound of Savage Garden is about to turn all those myths you might believe about Down Under inside out.

Here is a band with a sound that is refreshingly different. Savage Garden is at the forefront of a musical movement currently surging away from guitar and angst-driven alternarock into a world that is unashamedly pop. Yet, unlike a lot of the music associated with this genre, Savage Garden, by virtue of the duo's hooky and provocative songwriting, offer substance within the group's irresistible pop-sheen. Amidst the turbulence of sub-electronic grooves and funk guitars, there's an undeniable authenticity in Savage Garden's biting irony, linguistic gymnastics and canny juxtaposition of musical styles. For singer Darren Hayes and instrumentalist Daniel Jones, the rehearsal is over.

The pair met 4 years ago doing time on the local bar scene in Brisbane. The story goes like this: Daniel advertises for a singer. Darren answers the call. They click. They leave the band and, deciding to collaborate on their mutual musical vision, go into hibernation, writing songs and sending out demo tapes at a feverish pace. "We connected right from the start," recalls Darren, "We were both so determined, so ambitious that meeting seemed almost like coming home."

Response from publishers and record companies came fast. Soon they were sitting in a recording studio, sleeves rolled up and heads to the control board in the process of recording an album that would take almost 8 months to complete. "It was the biggest learning experience," explains Daniel. "We were still desperately trying to come to terms with the fact that we had begun the journey. We were in the process of actually doing what we had dreamed about all our lives."

The passion and enthusiasm for the music that Daniel describes is evident in the sweeping diversity of style and emotion on their eponymous Columbia debut. Incisive wordplay, sweet love songs, and an avant-garde sonic palette all merge together in a smooth bed of lush electronics and moody rhythms, a refreshing and intelligent mix of tradition and technology. This fusion of sounds perhaps explains the chemistry between Daniel and Darren, who have often been described as chalk and cheese.

"I Want You," the pulsing 80's Europop-influenced first single became a huge hit in their own country as the highest-selling Australian single for 1996. The follow-up second single, "To the Moon & Back," quickly went to Number 1, surpassing the sales of the previous debut single. Suddenly an international deal with Columbia Records materialized. As Darren explains, "it seems like only yesterday I was sitting there praying for this. It has literally come from nowhere. If I sat and really thought about this I'd probably go crazy. We are just holding on for the ride, and so far the ride has been amazing."

The genuine thrill and unaffected enthusiasm this pair exhibit (they are after all, only in their early 20's) comes through in the music. One listen to the album and you know Savage Garden is going for broke. Brimming with urgency of love itself, many of the album's tracks explore the intricacies of relationships. "To the Moon & Back" addresses the insecurities of a teenage girl while musically it suggests a theme much older and wiser. In Darren's plaintive vocals and in Daniel's surging melodies, one can feel the confusion, the hurt and longing. The mood swings in the opposite direction with the aptly-titled "Truly Madly Deeply," a love song distilled from the purity of the heart. Acting as contrast and compliment, there's the biting snap of the bass guitar alongside wailing guitars and nasty sentiment in "Break Me Shake Me"and the overwhelming feeling of betrayal in the brooding "A Thousand Words."

The diversity of the songs has as much to do with the differences in the pair's personalities as it does to the recording process. As Daniel explains, "Universe" was originally just an instrumental track. It was written for guitar and sounded like Clapton meets Steve Vai. Then Darren got his hands on it and now it sounds like Motown." Indeed, the sexy groove and sweet crooning give the song a distinct Smokey Robinson feel.

"We understand that we have had a couple of hits in our home town and it's only now that we're venturing out into the world. I think we realized from an early stage that this career is not predictable. You never know where you'll be tomorrow and there are no guarantees that we will achieve all the goals we have set out. We have had some amazing breaks and good fortune. All we can do now is continue to write songs and do what we do best."


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Daniel Tidbits

- "All Around Me" is based on Daniel's never dying obsession for Meg.
- Daniel used to play soccer, and his dream was to play Wembley Stadium.
- When Daniel was a kid, he was fascinated with Canada, so his mum bought him books about Canada
- The greatest buzz he ever got was his first time hearing "I Want You" on the radio.
- When asked what his nickname would be if he was a "Spice Guy" he said, "Skinny Spice".


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Out of This World!

TV Hits Magazine (Australia) March 1997

They've taken you "To The Moon & Back" with two platinum hits and now they're set to take you even further with their upcoming debut album. We grabbed Savage Garden's Daniel Jones to see how our fave pop duo is coping with their cosmic success.

TV Hits: Hey Daniel. Congratulations on the band's huge success!

Daniel: Thank you, it's great. I don't know how you're supposed to feel about it. Once it happens, you just sort of go "Yeah" and sit back and say "This is great!" You don't want it to stop. This is addictive. It is, because after the success of one song, you just go up for it and you want it again. I think when you become disillusioned by what level of success is satisfying it is when you usually trip up. It's a great feeling, it's awesome to be at the top.

How are you guys keeping from getting big headed about fame?

Well, I know this sounds a little cliched, from being busy! We're constantly doing things, constantly keeping our minds on the whole project. So, you know, we'll pace ourselves all that time. Some days we need to come down a little more than usual (laughs) but, you know, overall it's pretty good. There's so much work to do and there's so much to actually make this happen, that you don't quite realize it, you know. So, yeah, we're pretty cool. We're not going to get big heads. Not just yet, anyway!

Were people surprised "To The Moon & Back" wasn't "I Want You Part 2"? Yeah, definitely, and at the same time they're giving us quite a bit of credibility for it because they're saying, "OK, obviously it's great that you don't risk doing the same thing, you're going out there with different intentions for different songs all the time." And I think Savage Garden will slowly become about songwriting more so than the sound. People love songs, no matter who sings them really. If it's a good song people love it and that's what we've got to do.

And now that you're multi-millionaires (!), how have you spent all your money?

Oh, it's gone back into the business. We had so many debts before we started so we're just going back straight into paying people we owe money to. But that's happened and hopefully, we'll get on top of it and be able to live a little comfortably. I love jet skis and motorbikes and that sort of stuff. So I'm going to buy myself lots of little toys down the track. And lots of clothes, of course.

Do people treat you differently now that you're famous?

A little. It's strange how it works. I think people are a little bit overwhelmed if they see someone they've seen on TV in front of their face. Like, they're not quite sure how to handle it. They kind of think, "You've been in my house on my TV and now I can approach you, no problem." People think, on initial contact, that they actually know you!

Have you had any psycho fans?

Erm, we're getting a couple of letters from this one particular person at the moment. It's a little scary and it's slightly...erm...I can't tell you all of it, but we're making sure to keep an eye on it. I mean, this person could be very creative, she could help Savage Garden. All the ideas she has are very creative, I'll tell you that.

Do women throw themselves at you now that you're a big pop star?

Um, no. (laughs) That's a "no" of regret. Um, but it's not any harder to go out and meet a nice girl! And I've never done that old, "Hey babe, I'm from the Garden!" pick-up line thing, either!

Has success given you confidence with the babes?

Yeah, it has, only because in the last year or two, we've met so many people. You just break into conversations with people you've never met and that gives you confidence, meeting a lot of people. So, my advice to everyone is just go out and meet everyone and be friends with everyone and talk to people because you just get so much out of it. You know, there's no point sitting at home thinking about it, just go and do it.

Tell us about your new album.

It's completely finished, and we're just waiting on two tracks to be remixed over in America. So, they'll be back here soon and then the fun part in getting all the artwork will start to happen and it should be out in about March. We haven't got a name for it yet ... maybe we should run a competition for it? We need a name!

How's the overseas response going?

We've actually had some fan mail from Indonesia and Malaysia! And in America, they're playing "I Want You" throughout Texas, San Antonio, Waco, LA, New York, they picked it up on an import and radio have just gone crazy. It's a big, big thrill for us!

If you could go "To The Moon & Back", what would be the first thing you would do?

Build a McDonald's drive-thru! (laughs) We'd just sit there, hovering over the moon, eating all the cheeseburgers and quarter-pounders!

Do you have a message for all your fans?

Yeah, thanks a lot to all the TV Hits readers. People have really got behind us and told us we can actually do this, so we're going to pay these guys back a hell of a lot of times. We're getting an official fan club started up now, too, and we can't wait for you guys to hear our album.


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