SO, IS SAVAGE GARDEN THE "NEXT
BIG THING?" It's almost the poisoned chalice of pop to carry such a tag. For every
silverchair or INXS, there are 20 would-have-beens-if-they-could-have-beens, those who
were heralded to make it overseas but never quite got there.
If you're over 20 and never listen to top 40 radio, this duo from brisbane has probably
failed to register. But for eight months they have been rearranging the local pop charts,
coming from nowhere to sell 200,000 singles. Their first, I Want You , was the
biggest-selling Australian single last year, and their follow-up, To The Moon & Back,
reached number one.
Their third single, Truly Madly Deeply, is out now and their self-titiled debut album will
be released later this month. The big news, however, is the signing in New York by
international big-hitter Sony. I Want You has since reached the US top 20 and they are
about to embark on a promotional campaign that will carry them across America and Europe.
For two young men from the burbs - Darren Hayes, the dark haired singer, is 24, and Daniel
Jones, the blond-haired keyboard player and electronics wiz, is 23 - it's now about
keeping their feet on the ground and their minds on the job. "We come from strong
family backgrounds" says Hayes. "If we're ever in danger of getting big-headed,
theres always someone around to put us in our place".
Indeed, they are proud of their suburban ordinariness and the unashamedly pop style of
their music with it's broad teenage appeal. They wonder, jokingly, of course, whether they
should work up a bit of a "bad boy" image - drugs, drink, the whole
deal.
"Come back in a year and see what we're like" says Jones.
They met more than four years ago while playing in a covers band and started writing songs
together. While having an ear for the commercial, they also fancy the exotic. The bands
name is derived from author Anne Rice's description of a vampire's world being beautiful
but primitive, like a savage garden.
Hayes and Jones are managed by veteran rock identity John Woodruff, whose involvement
with bands dates back to the rough and tumble days of The Angels and Cold Chisel.
Woodruff, like a lot of others, was sent an unsolicited tape of their material. He heard
the potential, rushed to Brisbane and signed them.
After the initial success here, he started hawking them internationally, thinking that
Europe, with its penchant for commercial pop music, would pick them up. He was pleasantly
surprised, however, by the bidding war that erupted in the US. Three of the biggest, Sony,
A & M, and Arista ended up vying for the band.
"It comes down to having the right songs at the right time" Woodruff admits. The
American rock scene, after it's fascination with grunge and alternative rock, has
rediscovered pop in its more innocent forms. "The big names, the Pearl Jams and
Soundgardens, will remain strong, but American radio has embraced the pop end of the
market again and this fits perfectly."
Woodruff agrees Hayes and Jones are handling their success well. "They're very sane
with it. But what can you say? You buy one ticket and hope the ride feels good. This one
does"
MIKE SAFE
SAVAGE GARDEN
CENTRAL MAIL Sign-Up Now! For Your Own
Free Web-Based
Email Account
@savage-garden.net. Check Your Mail
.gif){kind=small}