'The Taming of The Once Insatiable One!'

Superstar and critically-acclaimed Pop artist Darren Hayes is currently in the studio mixing a collection of 25 bold and intriguing Pop songs that are already being compared in scope to the work of musical icons such as Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel and David Bowie.

Hayes, best known by the world as the voice of Multi-Platinum band SAVAGE GARDEN, has made himself a solo artist to reckon with in not only his homeland of Australia, but also in the UK, Europe and Asia. London, England is where Hayes currently resides with his partner, animator Richard Cullen. Hayes released his second solo album, THE TENSION AND THE SPARK to amazing response from critics.

With kudos endlessly abounding it’s obvious that TENSION brought solid credibility to such an accomplished artist. Unfortunately, due to label breakdowns, TENSION and its success never saw the light of day in America. Hayes’ fans clamored for the record and had to buy imports and listen online to enjoy what Hayes created. This gave some awakening to the artist to split ways with Columbia, and gave him the freedom to create without any boundaries. Thus This Delicate Thing We’ve Made has been born.

Freedom has never tasted so good to Hayes, having this in his personal, professional and creative life for the first time in 10 years. It makes all of the winding roads of his past worth it in the end. This Delicate Thing We’ve Made will hit stateside in August of this year.

Taking it from the top and what were your musical influences growing in Brisbane and how many still factor into your music today? "You know I just went and bought them all again on ebay on vinyl. They were and I can state this categorically, mostly black music. Motown including Diana Ross and the Supremes, Temptations, Smokey Robinson. 80's pop especially Michael Jacksons 'Thriller' and anything by Prince. And then strangely enough Fleetwood Mac. Most of those records were hand me downs as we couldn't afford our own records!"

For the Average Joe who may not have heard of you and was thinking of buying your upcoming new solo CD 'This Delicate Thing We've Made,' how would you yourself describe your sound? "Lush. Theatrical. Pop. It's really just a collection of intensely personal but vibrantly recorded pop songs."

Also, your album title 'This Delicate Thing We've Made' is definitely an interesting choice, but maybe it originates from a more personal standpoint for you? Is there a theme to it, perhaps? "There is of course a theme, or an origin of the idea. But it's something I want people to find out for themselves. For me, it's about how precariously we walk along the dotted lines in life. I've seen my friends have babies, I've seen my friends put into caskets. It's been an extraordinary few years and on top of it all, I found the love of my life. So the title is about all of that really. The delicate balance."

Also, please reveal to us why this is an action-packed double CD collection of 25 songs and not a single release CD with the other tracks held over for release at another time? Were you just too creative for your own good, perhaps? "I'm almost definitely too creative for my own good. Creating keeps me from sleeping a lot. Also I wanted to be able to go some places musically that you can't afford to on a single disc. There are experiments and generous helpings in a double album and I needed the full palette of colors this time to express everything I had to say."

How easy (or hard) is it to constantly create a new, vibrant, wanted-by-the-public sound that both builds on and surpasses the musical wonderment's/accomplishments that preceded it within the industry? "It's easy if you don't respond to one of those pressures, which is expectation. I just make music that I adore. I am naive in thinking that if I love it, maybe someone else will too. Ultimately I just love melody. I've been really fortunate that I've got a really loyal and faithful fanbase who just follow my crazy journeys."

Please tell us more (in a quick fashion!) about what was going on in your life when these songs were being written and recorded:

'I Want You' (1996) - "My first ever trip to New York. First time I ever left Australia actually."

'Truly, Madly, Deeply' (1997) - "My first number one in America. My life was so crazy busy I was miserable. A millionaire and constantly depressed."

'Insatiable' (2002) - "Ahh the pressure. Band had split and I was expected to carry the torch. It was never gonna happen!"

'Bombs Up In My Face ...' (2007) - "It was written about the terrorist attacks on the Tube in London in July 7 2005. And the anger that sort of energy injected into the every day person. My life today is in another country with a whole new set of privileges and problems. But it's clearer. And I know which way is up now."

As no united statement has been issued even to this day, please explain to us (as candidly as you may wish) just why Savage Garden broke up in 2001? "Oh God. It's been said a million times but no one ever prints it! He left the band. He was shy. Lol."

Will Savage Garden ever record together again as an original entity, perhaps? "N.E.V.E.R!"

At what point - possibly for the sake of your own soul - did you realize that Columbia Records had to become Powdered Sugar? "Gawd. I was still toying around with the idea of getting into another record contract prior to this album coming out. I had a few meetings and it came down to control. I've been there you know? I've done it. What's important to me now is creative control."

What '80s (and possibly cheesy!) pop/rock song would you love to cover today if asked ... and why?! "Easily 'Dress You Up' by Madonna ... and I just may do that!"

Lastly, Exclusive Magazine love Penguins ... do you?! "More so since seeing 'Happy Feet.' They're monogamous which I find endearing. So I'm a fan!"

Thanx again for doing this for us today, and we wish you all the best for the future "Thank you!x"

www.darrenhayes.com