Fridae

Five years after the massively successful Savage Garden called it quits, the Australian duo is back in the spotlight with the greatest hits collection Truly, Madly, Completely - The Best Of Savage Garden. After selling more than 27 million records with Savage Garden and a successful solo career in Europe, Australia and Asia, singer Darren Hayes tells Fridae in an exclusive interview that despite all his success he had to work hard to deal with his own insecurities.

"There's something really fantastic about succeeding as a freak. I hope that inspires people," Hayes says.

Truly, Madly, Completely - The Best Of Savage Garden features some of the duo's biggest hits including "I Knew I Loved You," "To The Moon And Back" and Truly, Madly, Deeply." As a bonus, the CD includes rare B-side tracks and two brand-new songs performed by Hayes.

The singer tells Fridae that he was extremely involved in the production of the greatest hits compilation. "Ever since Savage Garden split, the record company has wanted to put out a Best Of album," he says. "But they have been very gracious in listening to my request to please wait. I had so much to explore as a solo artist, and I felt that it would send the wrong message."

"Because my third solo record is nowhere near finished I agreed to get involved with the Best Of album. It took a lot of time to get it remastered. Some of the B-side songs that are included were missing. I had to actually phone up a fan in Wales to get a copy of 'I'll Bet He Was Cool,'" he laughs.

Hayes rarely speaks with Daniel Jones with whom he formed Savage Garden. "Daniel wanted out and I was devastated by it. I was very selfish at the time thinking about what his decision meant for me, but now I really respect him for having the courage to walk away from something so successful," he says. "He just worked out a lot of things about the music industry that I worked out only recently. But I really love him, and I have more compassion for him than I've ever had."

Part of Savage Garden's global appeal is Hayes' very personal storytelling. "I'm a really private person. And fortunately I'm not a topic in the tabloids," he says. "But I'm so open in my songs. When I sing songs like 'Two Beds And A Coffee Machine' or 'Dublin Sky' on stage I really relive those moments. It is painful."

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The singer has a lot of gay fans who can identify with his feelings of isolation and being different. "I think I'm an outsider, and never really related to the mainstream," he says. "I think my fans have experienced pain in some way. A lot of my gay fans write me about the painful struggles they go through. I think in the end that's why gay people really respect people who are a rebel and an outcast."

"That's how I felt all my life. I grew up in a middle-class neighborhood, living in a trailer and our family had all sorts of social problems. I had an alcoholic father who was very violent. I was beaten up. The first few years of high school were horrific for me because I was picked on just because I was artistic and sensitive. Ands you know what. There's something really fantastic about succeeding as a freak. I hope that inspires people."

He takes the recent success of DeGeneres as an example of how gay culture in America is changing. "Around the time [Ellen] broke up with Anne Heche she was devastated. She was considered an outcast. It was horrific what she went through and what the media did to her. It was like she was punished because she was gay," he says. "And if you look at Hollywood today, she is back on TV and probably more successful than she has ever been."

But he questions the raging controversy surrounding gay marriage. "I was invited to Elton John's wedding. It was so emotional and so touching and they spoke a lot about human rights," says Hayes. "His wedding legitimized so many gay relationships all around the world that are probably more monogamous than a lot of heterosexual marriages."

Hayes' sexuality has often been questioned in the media but he has refused to speak out whether he is gay or straight. "Just because you sleep with a certain person, it doesn't mean you have to reveal everything to the entire world. The people that are dear to me know if I'm gay or straight. And that's what is important to me," he says. "I think it is very personal choice. I think it is important for gay artists not to lie about it. I think that is insulting."

Hayes will soon start work on his third solo record that will be a more "ambient" record. He hopes to work with famous songwriter/producer William Orbit on the album. He also is scheduled to tour in the United Kingdom, and tour dates in Australia and Asia are likely. "I'd love to do a small tour in North America as well, but there are no plans," he concludes.