Aussie-born Darren Hayes rose to fame as half of Savage Garden, topping charts—and winning all sorts of awards—with singles “Truly Madly Deeply,” “To the Moon and Back” and “I Want You.” Since his split with bandmate David Jones in 2001, Hayes has been a successful solo artist, and his third album is scheduled for release early next year. Before that, however, Hayes is marking a decade in the business with the requisite retrospective—Truly Madly Completely: The Best of Savage Garden—and world tour, which sets down in Bangkok in July.

I could always sing. I remember being five and thinking that everybody could sing like me.

I was always performing. All the way through school, people paid attention to me when I sang. I liked the attention, I guess that’s why I did it.

I was 19 or 20 when I first got into a band. That was Red Edge, where I met David Jones.

Everything is first-person experience. Everything is personal, relationships, a need to vent.

I look at the world and I feel so much, and I’m glad I have a profession where I can let it out.

The people I’m influenced by aren’t really in the charts now. People like Annie Lennox, Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel. In terms of pop, Madonna is amazing, and U2—they have staying power.

I tend to be a bit of a loner when it comes to making music.

When I first started, I wanted to be Number 1 and make a lot of money. Today I’m mostly concerned with the quality of my life and the quality of my music. I want to be able to look back 10 years from now and be proud of my work.

There’re a lot of unhappy faces in show business, and I think life’s
too short for that.

I was genuinely really touched by the reception last time I was in Bangkok. I’ve been around for a while but I haven’t really had a hit in a while—and I’m comfortable with that—but when I was in Bangkok everybody was really nice.

I’ve got a bit of a short-term memory for shows: I always think every show is the best.

I’ve been watching a documentary I did about four years ago that’s coming out later this year and there’s all this footage of me in Mexico coming offstage going, “That was the best show ever!” and yet in Nottingham I’m saying, “I think this was the best show ever!” I think if I ever stop feeling that way, it’ll be a really sad thing.

Music is so different today than it was 10 years ago. In the beginning Savage Garden didn’t fit in, really. We were pop when everything else was grunge.

I don’t fit in, and I think that’s a good thing.

“California” and “So Beautiful” were recorded to be part of a Savage Garden best-of album, so I didn’t want to get too far away from the Savage Garden sound. They’re good songs, but musically they’re worlds away from where my heart lies.

I’m really glad I can say that, 10 years in, I still do this because it makes me happy.