These 'biographies' of Darren and Daniel were not designed to be deep or insightful. I'm sure there are other places where you can gather more and current information, but that's not what this little corner of the universe is about. I don't know them well enough to give a good bio, nor do I believe that if I did know them better I'd be able to write something fitting. I hardly know myself most of the time, but I like to think that I do know them through their music and that's something secretly written out in corners of my mind that I don't have a map for. I think describing a soul is like trying to paint stars on the sky. I don't have enough paint or a tall enough ladder.
The giant garden gnomes might but they're not telling.
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The following are articles about Savage Garden found in various magazines and newspapers over the years (more will trickle in *slowly*). Since they often have band info or quotes I thought it would fit nicely here and I had some space. If they are too unclear scans let me know and I will write them up. But for now I'm just going to give you the links. Some of them are not very *high* reading material - for this all I can say is I found the most SG articles I could no matter *where* they were.
Teen - August 1997 - cute band alert: Savage Garden
YM - March 1998 - savage garden's blooming
All-Stars - Date Unknown - Savage Garden -
This Aussie Duo is "Truly, Madly, Deeply" a hit!
Superteen - Date Unknown - Savage Garden!
Superteen - Date Unknown - Get Wild with Savage Garden!
Sony Site Offical Bio
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."
This Bio was on the Sony Site up until the time the first tour was finished in 1998.
Savage Garden
Skrivet av: Frida Dahlberg
Skola: Sigrid rudebäcks gymnasiet
In 1993 Daniel Jones, a member of “Quickexit”, put in an advert in the music magazine, Time off.
The article said: “Serious lead vocalist wanted for commercial musical outfit presently financed by major publishing company”.
Darren Hayes was the artist who napped on the advert and a few days later Darren called Daniel for a meeting. Quickexit and Daniel thought that Darren was talented enough to join their band. It didn’t went so well for the band so after two years Darren and Daniel quit. They started the band Red Edge instead and played covers at pubs in hole Australia. After a while they got tired on the covers and wanted to write their own songs. So the changed name from Red Edge to Savage Garden which means “vild trädgård” in Swedish.
The name "Savage Garden" came from an Anne Rice novel (who is an author of ´Interview With The Vampire´ trilogy). Quote Darren, "Anne talks about the world as a savage garden. There are two levels. One is beautiful but in the other, underneath, we´re all savage beasts. We thought that was quite fitting - but we don´t want to sound too poncy. It´s all just pop music!" Quote Daniel, "Originally, we had about four names. Like Dante´s Inferno and Bliss. But every name we chose was already taken - it was really frustrating."
The first single ´I Want You´ was released on July 1st 1996 and quickly went platinum (selling in excess of 70 000 copies. It was also ranked No. 12 in the top 100 selling singles. The next single ´To The Moon & Back´ went all the way to Number One, as did ´Truly Madly Deeply´. Their first album, “Savage Garden”, came out 1997 with songs like, I want you, Truly madly deeply and To the moon and back, which was at that time the most famous songs they’ve done.
In 1999 the second album, Affirmation came out with songs like “Hold Me”, “I knew I loved you”, “Animal song”, “Affirmation” and “Crash and Burn”.
Darren Stanley Hayes was born in Logan City, Brisbane, Australia the 8th of May, 1972. His family remains of June and Robert Hayes, his parents and his older brother Peter John and older sister Tracey Anne. He went to Mable Park Infants and Mable High school and even then he was an strictly vegetarian. Nowadays he lives in San Francisco. His inspirationssource and favorite music artists are U2, Sarah McLachlan, Michael Jackson and Prince. He’s recently divorced Colby Taylor, a case of “Love at first sight”. Darren has got a little normal pet, a cocker spaniel but he also got two unusual pets, kangaroos.
Daniel John Jones was born 22nd of July 1973 in Essex, England. His family remains of Chris and John Jones, his parents and his two older brothers Oliver and Jonathan. He went to school in Shalier Park High and his nickname was “Waggin” because he skipped so much school. When he was 16 he dropped out school in grade 10 to purse a career in music. His favorite artists are Geroge Michael and Sheryl Crow. Nowadays he lives in Brisbane, Queensland; Australia with his girlfriend.
I'm not Swedish and I don't understand it but this site had one of those concise bios of the band that I enjoy. It can answer more of the questions you might have that I'd rather have someone else answer for me.
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