The following interview with Darius was published in the Sunday Post newspaper on 9th June 2002.
Were you always destined to be a singer?
I think so. I started entertaining people at a very young age. At four I was singing in the kindergarten musical version of Peter Pan. You could hear my little voice bellowing out, and I think then my mum and dad realised singing was something I was good at and wanted to do.
They were very supportive, encouraging me to take up instruments like the recorder and piano. Then I rebelled and dropped those instruments and started learning others.
I bought a battered tenor sax, but I also learned to play the guitar because that was something you could play and sing at the same time.
Who were your influences?
The first time I heard Extreme’s song More Than Words, with just a voice and acoustic guitar, I thought it was amazing. Musically, I was mainly influenced by the records in my mum’s collection — The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel and Bob Dylan.
Then, when I was old enough to have my own tastes, I liked George Michael. I really loved Alanis Morrissette, too. She got me through my ‘teenage angst’ period.
My parents were my biggest influence, and being a big brother had an impact on me, having somebody who is very different to you but also sharing a special bond.
How do you feel, looking back on Popstars?
It was a great experience. I wasn’t going to do it at first, but friends egged me on. At first I thought the audition was for a solo act, then I realised it was for a group. I didn’t really understand the whole thing would be on TV either.
These days, we’re all so aware of reality TV shows, but that was two years ago and the whole idea was new to me.
It was a great opportunity to learn and work with the best in the business — people like Nigel Lythgoe and Nicki Chapman.
How did it change you?
I think I’ve grown up faster in the two years since Popstars than at any other period of my life. It taught me that you really can’t take anything for granted. It also made me appreciate how important it is to stay close to the people you hold dear.
There were people who stood by me and supported me through the Press backlash. I’d been very naive, saying and doing the things I did, not realising that six months later it would all be edited to make good TV. But I have no regrets.
How hard was it to try again on Pop Idol?
It was a huge decision. After Popstars there were various record deals on the table but I was revising for exams. My university made it clear I couldn’t take time off to accept the record deals, I’d have to finish my year. By that time, of course, the deals weren’t there any more. I had to decide whether to go back to university or carry on with my musical ambitions.
Everybody advised me against it, but I had a gut feeling. I’d agreed with my parents I wouldn’t do it, but on the morning of the audition I went to them and said I really needed to do it and I’d never ask them for anything again. I got a hug from my mum — and their blessing.
Would you have given up if you hadn’t gone on to the final stages of Pop Idol?
Absolutely not. I never think “what if”. You just play the hand you’re dealt. I’d already written Colourblind and had made a demo tape of it. All those weeks of the final stages of Pop Idol were very strange because all the time I was sneaking away to the studio to work on my demos then going back on TV doing Pop Idol on the Saturday.
I wrote Colourblind just as the Pop Idol auditions started — it was always the way I wanted my solo career to go. It’s an upbeat summery song.
How do you feel about being labelled a sex symbol?
I don’t take it seriously. When I did the Tom Jones routine singing It’s Not Unusual it was a bit of fun, but by that stage I didn’t care. It was the sort of thing you do in the shower or in front of the bedroom mirror.
It’s still awe-inspiring when people scream at you. But it isn’t real. This is such a fickle business. To be cynical, a lot of it is all about marketing, but I’d rather just focus on the music.
As far as having screaming fans goes, I enjoy it when it happens, but I don’t miss it if it doesn’t.
Has sudden fame changed you?
I insist that everybody just treats me like Darius from Glasgow who happens to sing songs and be on TV sometimes. I hate the idea that someone is a celebrity and should be treated on a different level.
When I flew to Glasgow the last time I had a chauffeur-driven car from the airport and he was wearing a hat and everything and I was thinking, “What’s that all about?”
When I’m in London, I use the Tube like everybody else. I want to live as normally as possible.
How important is Scotland to you?
Our home town is always important. I like coming back to Scotland.
I took my mum to the Scottish Woman Of The Year dinner recently. It was a way of acknowledging all she’d done for me, even though doing it in such a public way was a bit surreal.
Obviously, because of the business I do have a place in London I share with friends, but I prefer to see myself as a long-distance commuter from Glasgow.
When I’m away I really miss the simple things such as having dinner with the family and talking through the day. I also miss reading bedtime stories to my six-year-old brother, seeing his eyes light up with excitement, then start to droop when he’s tired.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I’d like to be doing what I am now, writing music and performing, singing and being happy. I always enjoy being in front of an audience. Doing Pop Idol, singing all those different sorts of songs, you were taking on different personas and, in a way, acting.
Right now I have to concentrate on writing an album. I made a decision to write all new stuff, so I’ve got up to nine songs to write in a very short time.
What do you really think of Simon Cowell?
I think he’s great. I have so much respect for him, even though the public at large tend not to. I really look up to him.
When you see what he’s achieved he’s very successful and very good at what he does. What’s more, he’s a gentleman. Behind the scenes he can be really charming, exactly the sort of person you’d enjoy having a drink with. We parted very amicably and he’s wished me lots of luck.
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