They come from a land Down Under, there are only two members of the group, and they hearken back to days of yore when the synthesizer reigned supreme and bands like Tears for Fears dominated the charts. They are Savage Garden, a duo that has literally burst to the forefront of pop music in a storm of programmed beats and soulful, delicate singing. Savage Garden has enjoyed a two-year whirlwind of No. 1 hits at home and abroad, a massive tour, and adoring fans around the globe on the strength of its self-titled debut album. Quite an impressive showing from a couple blokes from the suburbs of Brisbane, Australia.

Darren Hayes (born in Brisbane in 1972), and Daniel Jones (born in Essex, England, in 1973), met in 1992 in a fairly conventional way: through a "singer wanted" ad Daniel had placed in a local music paper. Darren answered the call, and soon found himself fronting a cover band called Red Edge, despite the fact that his voice cracked during the audition. Recognizing a similar musical vision (and a desire to create original tunes), Darren and Daniel split from Red Edge to concentrate on songwriting. The two had different influences—Daniel favors XTC, Peter Gabriel, and Tears for Fears, while Darren was raised on Marvin Gaye, Prince, Diana Ross, U2, and '80s pop like Duran Duran and the Smiths—but were united on one front: their commitment to success. Personal differences surfaced in other ways, too (e.g., Darren is a vegetarian and doesn't drink alcohol, unlike Daniel), but they remained steadfast in their musical vision.

The pair collaborated on a handful of original songs and recorded a five-track demo, which they then diligently sent off—unsolicited—to more than 150 record companies and management firms all over Australia. The demo fell into the hands of manager John Woodruff, and he was impressed enough to fly to Brisbane and sign Hayes and Jones to his recording and publishing company, Roadshow Music. In 1996, the duo began recording its first album in a Sydney studio. The record took eight months to finish, but in June 1996, more than nine months before the full-length CD would be released, Roadshow issued the single "I Want You"—a song based on a dream Darren had—in Australia, which peaked at No. 4 on the charts. The subsequent single, "To the Moon and Back," did even better, reaching the No. 1 spot. In March 1997, the band, now called Savage Garden (a term taken from an Anne Rice novel), finally released its self-titled debut; having already created a stir with the preceding singles, the album quickly topped the Australian charts. Not surprisingly, the next single, "Truly Madly Deeply," also peaked at No. 1. Later that year, Savage Garden won an unprecedented 10 ARIA awards (Australia's equivalent to the Grammy), including honors for Best Group, Best Album, Best Debut Album, Best Single, and Best Song of the Year. By then the album had been certified multiplatinum. Around the time "To the Moon and Back" was released, word of the band had reached the States. Columbia wasted no time in signing the lads to a worldwide deal, barring Australia and New Zealand where they remain inked to Roadshow. Savage Garden was released Stateside in April 1997 with "I Want You" as its first single. After a relatively slow start, the song started gaining momentum, assisted, no doubt, by high-profile fan Rosie O'Donnell. Rosie—who loves that "chick-a-cherry cola" refrain in the tune—added the band to her show's tape cart, eventually inviting them to perform on the air. Other television appearances followed, including Live With Regis and Kathie Lee, the 1998 Blockbuster Awards, MTV Live, the World Music Awards, the Keenan Ivory Wayans Show, Nickelodeon's Kid's Choice Awards, and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. "I Want You" eventually hit No. 4 on the Billboard chart. The band's next single, "To the Moon and Back," didn't fare quite as well, but proving the third time is indeed the charm, "Truly Madly Deeply" went to No. 1 in December 1997. In March 1998, the album Savage Garden was certified multiplatinum in America. By the spring of 1998, Savage Garden had already finished hugely successful touring jaunts through Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand—next stop: North America. In June, the fellows embarked on their first-ever U.S and Canadian tour (called "The Future of Earthly Delites") with a show in Chicago, Ill. The trek will keep them in the northern hemisphere until the end of August, with plans for a new album penciled in for sometime in 1999.