Darius World

Top Billing.co.za 24 January 2003

At 21 this charismatic 6’3 hunk from Glasgow is fast becoming Britain’s rising star in the music world. Darius Danesh delighted the Pop Idol fans with his weekly brilliant performances, sexy voice and hip shaking dances and ended up taking third place in the competition behind Will Young and Gareth Gates. The son of Iranian born Dad and Scottish Mum, his parents chose to name his three sons after Persian kings - with two younger brothers Aria (18) and Cyrus (6). Darius released his smash hit single “Colour Blind” in August 2002 which went straight to number 1 in the UK singles charts. And now Top Billing brings you an exclusive interview with this young star as he releases his debut album “Dive In”. For more about this talented artist log onto www.darius-danesh.org.uk

At 21 years old a 6'3" hunk from Glasgow, Darius Danesh, is fast becoming one of the music world's rising stars. He first became known after a somewhat infamous appearance on TV's Popstars. Then he went on to enter Pop Idol with a new look and attitude.

Interviewer Ursula Stapelfeldt: Darius Danesh thank you for joining us on Top Billing and welcome.

DD: Thank you for having me on Top Billing.

US: From the life you had before to the one you are leading now, that's quite a change. Tell us how you dealt with it.

DD: I always knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to be a songwriter and I wanted to be a singer songwriter in the way that I grew up listening to artists that inspired me and charged me. I grew up listening to great albums, to the Beatles where every song on an album was a work of art and the album as a body of work was amazing, you know. I want to be part of the creative process not a commercial one. And so I realized that I had to write the material myself. I had to have an involvement in the production and I have to be working with people who creatively inspire me and that I am privileged to work with. And so I look at Popstars and Pop Idol and see them as my training, with lessons that I have to learn to better understand the business, to better understand the industry so that I could be a better singer songwriter.

Voice over to piece of music video: Darius has been writing songs since the age of 13. He began with a diary then moved on to poems and lyrics and before long was teaching himself to play the guitar.

US: Did the whole Pop Idol experience help develop your songwriting skills in any way?

DD: Pop Idol as an institution isn't interested in songwriting. It sees that there should be separate groups of songwriters, producers and the artist. You throw them into a room and out comes a product. My argument is that, that is great for a commercial fix and you get a great big fix and it sells records. But what happens long-term? And that was my feeling from Popstars 2 years ago. When I didn't win in Popstars I didn't care. I wasn't going to cry about it because I realised that in the long-term it had to be for me, it had to be the lyric and the melody that would haunt me in my sleep and I want to share with you, for you to really get a sense of who I am and want to hear the next song as opposed to a great pop record that sounds great on the radio, that you go and buy but the album isn't great, it isn't setting up long-term.

Male voice over to video clips: 'Darius attributes his love of diverse music styles to his parents. His mother is Scottish and his father Persian and he exposed his son to Arabian as well as classical music. This short stint in the Scottish opera singing Carmen and the Trojans. His unusual name is also from his dad and is that of a Persian prince.

US: Your single came out and shot straight to number 1 in the UK singles chart. Were you expecting that kind of meteoric success?

DD: Well the funny thing is that I entered Pop Idol, I turned up with my guitar and I wanted to sing my song. The song was Colourblind and they didn want to hear anyone play an instrument and they didnt want to hear an original piece of music. Certainly not an original piece of music that I had written myself. And a year to the very week that I turned up with my guitar to sing Colourblind, that the judges didn;t want to hear, that song became number 1.

Colour blind video is then shown with comments: This is the first track from the album Dive Inwhich jumped to number 6 in the UK charts in the first week of release.

US: You've just returned from Los Angeles where you shot the music video to Rushes. Tell us what was behind the concept, behind the video.

DD: The music video for Rushes, the new single, is all about adrenalin rushes. The song is about the great feeling of adrenalin whatever it might be. Whether as in the video it's a red 748 Jacuzzi motorbike which goes from zero to 60 miles per hour or whether it be in the car with your friends driving through downtown L.A. in a brand new range rover drop top. I loved every minute of it. It was really really exciting and I really hope that you enjoy the music as I'm having a great time doing it.

Voice over: ''With his 5 album contract courtesy of Mercury records Darius Danesh has defied his critics and dived head first into his music career.

DD: The album is called Dive In and its hopefully an album of great songs from feel good, great guitar pop tracks to beautiful poignant ballads to album tracks that are very moody, evocative and kind of funky. I really hope you enjoy it. And Dive In is an invitation to the music for South Africa and for the other countries that Ill be visiting and playing my music to. Dive In is an invitation to me.