The Real Reason You Don't Hear From Savage Garden Anymore
Remember the mid to late '90s when you couldn't turn on a pop radio station without hearing "Truly Madly Deeply"? Still to this day, that's arguably Savage Garden's signature song; at this point, you can't even mention '90s music without mentioning the smash hit. But where are bandmates Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones today? Here are the real reasons we don't hear from Savage Garden anymore.
They broke up
In 2001, Jones made the tough decision to leave Savage Garden, reportedly because he didn't enjoy the pop star lifestyle.
"It's just not for everyone and you don't know that until you do it," Jones told Perth Now. "The one thing I never wanted Darren to think was that it was personal against him. My decision of walking away from the limelight wasn't directed towards anyone but my own self and my own happiness. Years later, I don't miss that lifestyle.
"The decision I made back then is still the right decision for myself. It's who said what sometimes, it can get out of control but the reality is I never loved the lifestyle of the band or the existence of touring. I've never said anything other than that."
Even though they split, they still have only respect and admiration for each other. "We still have a lot of respect for each other," Jones continued. "We don't really have a relationship any more because of the distance, he's moved on and I've moved on, but we still have a great respect for one another. I still hear him speaking highly of me and that is reciprocated."
And they won't be reuniting
Savage Garden fans in both Australia and the U.S. have been hoping for a reunion from the duo for years; but it doesn't look like that's going to happen. In fact, Hayes spoke with a journalist from the Daily Telegraph and quickly shut down that idea.
"No, never," he remarked about rekindling that Savage Garden flame. "I once said I'd only do it if it cured cancer. And that's still how I feel."
Hayes used to get offended when people would ask about more music from the Australian pop duo, but he's learned to take it as a compliment—even if it's not going to happen.
"I've softened a lot to the [re-formation] question nowadays," Hayes explains. "I take it as a huge compliment when people ask if we'll get back together. What they are really saying is, 'You changed my life. I have wonderful memories associated with what you did back then.' We've also been lucky in that people also respect it ended for a reason. You'd no sooner ask a couple who broke up to get back together just because you liked going to the movies with them."
Hayes went solo
Just a year after Savage Garden's split, Hayes decided to embark on a solo career. He released his first solo album, Spin, in 2002 and three more followed. Spin was the most successful in the U.S. but his solo career wasn't anything compared to the success of Savage Garden. It wasn't easy for him; he described the transition from being part of a duo to a solo artist as "utterly brutal, unexpected, exhausting and hard work!"
"It was not my decision to end the band, although at the time it was reported as such, so I was left to deal with the aftermath of that for many years," he continued. "It's only been in the last five years or so that the truth has finally been accepted as fact that it was Daniel's desire to leave the spotlight. I had never imagined the band would split and I had never planned to be a solo artist. But in an instant, I had a choice. Evolve or dissolve. I'm incredibly proud that I picked myself up and continued on. The body of work I've created in the years since are my most proud achievements because they represent my resilience and the ability to keep moving forward eve in the face of great resistance."
Jones started a record label
Since he wasn't comfortable being in the limelight himself, Jones decided to help other artists. According to Perth Now, Jones started his own label called Meridien Musik. With the label, he was able to sign local artists as well as help them through his writing and production skills. Unfortunately, Meridien Musik didn't go as planned and it wasn't very successful.
"The reality was I spent a whole lot of money on different projects that never really went anywhere," he explained. "I couldn't keep doing that forever, otherwise I'd end up with no money. It was one of those things, I had every good intention to give back but the reality was it didn't go so well."
So he started flipping properties
Jones' record label didn't go well; but he may have found another niche in real estate. He lives in Las Vegas with his wife Kathleen De Leon and their two daughters, where they flip houses. Jones even gets down and dirty, helping with the renovating himself.
They made a pretty impressive profit off a massive home at the 2 Point Club in Anthem. The seven bedroom, nine bath home has views of the Las Vegas strip, which was a major selling point! Jones sold the house for $4.4 million, according to the Review Journal. That's nearly a $2 million profit since he purchased it for $2.5 million in 2011.
According to Perth Now, they're not just keeping their real estate business in the U.S. They've also had some hot properties in Australia. They owned two apartments in the Towers of Chevron Renaissance building for several years and they've been able to carry out some huge renovations. They eventually hope to sell the units.
"We renovated earlier this year and laid new floors, painted throughout and purchased new appliances. It was a 100 year overhaul," Jones said.
Hayes has been campaigning for LGBT rights
Hayes has never been quiet about his sexuality, and now, he's keeping himself busy by fighting for everyone in the LGBT community. Hayes lives in Los Angeles with his husband, Richard Cullen, and they've gotten married a few times now to show their support for others fighting for their right to get married in a same-sex ceremony.
"The ability to marry in the United States is a tremendous civil right and one we believe everyone in the world should have access to," he wrote on Facebook (quote via news.com.au). "We got married to be an example for all those who are in equally committed relationships yet can't yet enjoy this basic protection under the law."
He also spoke out by penning an open letter to Australia's Prime Minister, Malcom Turnbull. He asked the PM to spend money on members of the LGBT community "who are depressed or suicidal as a result of living in a world where they are considered second class citizens" in the honest letter.
Hayes has been busy with other things
When he's not campaigning for equal rights for members of the LGBT community, he's working in other creative ways. Hayes told a journalist at Entertainment Focus that he's "never stopped making music" — he's just doing it in different ways.
"At the moment I'm writing a musical with all original songs which is very different from a recorded album for radio," he dished. "I don't have any desire to release or write music for radio at the moment. Maybe one day, but no time soon."
That's not all Hayes has been doing, though.
"I've just finished three years of training in improvisational comedy at The Groundlings Theatre and School in Los Angeles. It's been an incredibly liberating experience and, coming from a theatrical slant with my own solo career, it's been a natural extension for me. It has resulted in a 52-episode comedy podcast called The He Said He Said Show that I produced last year, a Star Wars spoof web series I co-wrote and co-starred in called Going Dark: A Sith Story and now I'm writing a musical. I'm a very busy boy."