SAVAGE GARDEN HAVE CONQUERED THE CHARTS TOGETHER, BUT WHILE
THEY'RE GREAT FRIENDS AND MAKE BEAUTIFUL MUSIC, THEY DON'T EVER
WANT TO LIVE TOGETHER!

 You both live in Brisbane, but you don't live together.
DARREN: Someone said we lived together but I think they meant when we recorded the album, because we shared a flat in Sydney for about eight months then.
DANIEL: In Brisbane we live as far apart as possible from eachother.
Was it a hard decision to concentrate on music full-time?
DARREN: I was a kid who always did really well in school.  I was at uni, hopping between all sorts of different degrees.  So I think a lot of people were shocked when I turned around and said, "Hey, guess what?  I'm deferring all my subjects and I'm going to be in a rock band!"  In the end my family were nothing but supposrtive, and now they're our biggest fans.  They keep every snippet of into on us.
DANIEL: My parents knew it wouldn't be long before we achieved something within music, but every now and then, I think it scared the hell out of them that it might not happen.  But it's getting bigger every day and things are really starting to open up - not just in this country, but also overseas.
You started out as just two members of a bigger band.  What happened?
DANIEL: We both knew it wasn't going to be long before we were writing songs together away from the other guys in the band.  
DARREN: We were both incredibly ambitious.  We really connected that year and there was a lot of positive energy and positive thinking in terms of us getting together.  I think Daniel and I just shared a common goal, we were interested in the same kinds of music and the way that we wanted a handle it was very similar.
Were you surprised with your sudden success?
DARREN: We went into this expecting to succeed.
DANIEL: It's only just the start.  We've got a long way to go and a lot to learn about our craft and the business, and I only hope that we continue to encounter the good fortune that we've enjoyed so far.  I guess it's up to whether the people like our music now.
DARREN: We're just holding on for the ride, and so far the ride has been amazing!
Have success and fame been hard to deal with?
DARREN: Not really!  Nobody ever stopped me on the street before and said, "Boy you're really cute!", and now it happens all the time.  I love it!  But success is about consistency.  We've only released one album, so we'll have to wait and see what happens with the next one.  U2 are a big inspiration to us - we want to be like them and have longevity, and be able to grow and change and continue to be exciting.
DANIEL: Everyone was so excited about our initial American success and all of the stuff that is happening in Europe at the moment, but down deep I'm a family person.  My family and my life are in Australia and this will remain constant with the realisation of my dreams.
On their relationship:
DARREN: It was like meeting a soul mate that first day.  We both had the same goals.  I walked out of the audition for Daniel's band thinking: "I'm going to be famous one day."  But despite our shared vision, you couldn't find more different people.  I'm more an attention-seeking person, I walk into a room and want to dominate it.  Daniel's the opposite, he achieves respect and power in more subtle and quiet ways.
Do you guys ever argue?
DARREN: Not about music...
Back to that Savage Garden name thing...
DARREN: Anne Rice descibes the world as a savage garden: there are two levels.  One is beautiful but in the other, underneath, we're all savage beasts.  We thought that was quite fitting, because we don't want to sound too poncy.  It's all just pop music.
DANIEL: Originally we had about four names.  Like Dante's Inferno and Bliss.  But every name we chose was already taken - it was really frustrating!"
What's the most romantic thing you've done for a girl?
DARREN: I climbed over a balcony at night and believe me, that's a big feat because I'm not the physical type.
DANIEL: We spent a weekend at a gorgeous resort with lots of flowers.
How do you know when you're truly, madly, and deeply in love?
DANIEL: When you seem disillusioned and your heart kicks in, you mind takes a back seat, and you do stupid things and no-one can work out why you love her.
DARREN: When you're willing to sacrifice something that's really important.
Cool fact: they both love Star Wars!
DARREN: As a child, he loved nothing more than retreating into imaginary worlds and intergalactic voyages.  He's seen the Star Wars movies a million times - and he's desperate to be in the upcoming sequel/prequel.  "But nothing compares to ET.  I can't even count the number of times I've seen the film.  I loved it so much that I built my own ET our of papier mache, then put him in a milk basket that I attached to the front of my bicycle and rode around the neighbourhood with him.  The kids in my neighbourhood made fun of me, but it didn't matter to me."

POPTASTIC!