Interviews
Interview (2020)
As he prepared for the release of 'Home Time', his 17th album, Darren Hayman speaks to Ben Howarth about his most personal album and his reflections on the end of his epic, award-winning 'Thankful Villages' project.
Interview (2012)
Ben Howarth talks to former Hefner front man Darren Hayman about his new album 'The Violence', which takes as its main theme the seventeenth century Essex Witch Trials
Interview (2009)
The former front man with Hefner, Darren Hayman has just released his tenth album, 'Pram Town', a set of songs all set in the new town of Harlow in Essex. In what is our fifth interview with him, he speaks to Ben Howarth about it and his love of song writing
Interview (2007)
One-time Hefner star Darren Hayman meets up with Ben Howarth to talk about his just released second solo album, 'Darren Hayman and the Secondary Modern' and also his former band
Live
Brudenell, Leeds, 24/6/2011
Helen Tipping enjoys a night of acoustic rock and razor sharp humour from former Hefner front man Darren Hayman at a solo show at the Brudenell in Leeds
Camden Head and Bush Hall, London, 19/10/2010...23/11/2010
Despite the former Hefner frontman's claim that he had gone off playing gigs after being attacked in the street after a show in Nottingham earlier this year, Ben Howarth watches Darren Hayman play five very different shows over a month in his native London
Lexington, London, 5/3/2009
Anthony Dhanendran watches former Hefner singer Darren Hayman, at the London Lexington to promote his new album with his current band the Secondary Modern, play a set of witty, but memorable kitchen sink pop
Luminaire, London, 30/3/2008
With fine support from the Wave Pictures and his former Hefner bandmate Jack Hayter, Ben Howarth Darren Hayman play a powerful set of both old and new songs at the Luminaire in London
Luminaire, London, 12/11/2007
At a gig to promote his just released second album, Ben Howarth watches ex-Hefner frontman Darren Hayman play an impressive collection of old and new songs at the London Luminaire
Features
Ten Songs That Made Me Love... (2014)
In 'Ten Songs that Made Me Love...', Ben Howarth writes of his favourite songs by singer-songwriter and ex-Hefner front man, Darren Hayman
Reviews
12 Astronauts (2019)
New collection of songs by Darren Hayman celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Moon landings by sharing a very personal perspective of the twelve men who have walked on the moon
Thankful Villages Volume 3 (2018)
Impressive final album of Darren Hayman’s three part long term project about the fifty-four Thankful Villages where every soldier returned alive from the First World War
Thankful Villages Volume 1 (2016)
Poignant and ambitious new album, the first in three volumes, from Darren Hayman, in which he visited and wrote a piece of music for each of the fifty-four Thankful Villages where every soldier returned alive from the First World War
Florence (2015)
Modest but appealing album from the ever-productive Darren Hayman, which he recorded entirely solo while staying in Florence in Italy
Chants for Socialists (2015)
Fragmentarily successful latest album from former Hefner front man Darren Hayman, which sets to music 19th century designer William Morris’ forgotten Marxist poems
January Songs (2012)
Remarkably creative and consistent double album of songs from Darren Hayman, who set himself the challenge of writing and recording a new song every day over the month of January last year
The Ship's Piano (2011)
Simplistically melodic and tender collection of piano ballads and love songs from prolific former Hefner front man Darren Hayman, which was recorded largely at home as he recovered from being assaulted
Great British Holiday EPs (2008)
Surpisingly consistent collection of four EPs that former Hefner frontman Darren Hayman recorded while on holiday at various seaside towns across the United Kingdom
Related
Interviews
A Little Orchestra
Interview
John Clarkson chats to Bobby Barry and Natalie Hudson from the ten-piece A Little Orchestra about their debut album 'Clocks', which features contributions from Darren Hayman, ballboy's Gordon McIntyre, the Loves' Simon Love and Swedish singer-songwriter Lisa Bouvier
Rotifer
Interview Part 1
In the first part of a two part interview with indie pop outfit Rotifer, Ben Howarth speaks to Austrian front man Robert Rotifer about their recent album, 'The Hosting Couple', and the departure of Darren Hayman on bass to be replaced by Mike Stone from the Television Personalities
Darren Hayman
Interview
Former Hefner front man Darren Hayman in what is our sixth interview with him speaks to Ben Howarth about his latest album with his band the Secondary Modern, 'Essex Arms'
Indietracks Festival
Interview with Stuart Mackay
The Indietracks Festival takes place in a heritage train museum in Derbyshire, and this year will feature over fifty indie pop acts including the Wedding Present, Milky Wimpshake, ballboy, and Darren Hayman. Jamie Rowland speaks to organiser and founder Stuart Mackay about his festival
Silver Springs
Interview
Silver Springs include in their line-up members of Tompaulin. Anthony Strutt talks to them a gig playing support for ex-Hefner frontnman Darren Hayman about their plan to release their debut album
Darren Hayman
Interview
Former Hefner frontman has recently returned with his first solo album. 'Table for One'. He talks to Ben Howarth about why Hefner decided to part company and the new album
Hefner
Interview
While the music press continues to go ga ga over the style-mag punk of the Strokes, or the faux-blues howl of the White Stripes, our homegrown resident indie sensations Hefner have only gone and quietly snuck out the album of the year. Following on from t
Hefner
Interview
Hefner could claim to be the most popular “indie” band in Britain today. They have gained a huge following among regular John Peel and Steve Lamacq listeners on Radio 1 . In recent years their positio
Live
Fortuna Pop! Fifteen Years of Fun
Scala, London, 1/11/2011...3/11/2011
At indie pop label Fortuna POP's fifteenth birthday celebrations, Anthony Strutt enjoys sets from among others Bearsuit, the Primitives, Tender Trap, Darren Hayman and Allo' Darlin'
At the Edge of the Peaks
Picturehouse, Holmfirth, 29/8/2011
Despite slight sound problems, Dixie Ernill enjoys the Wedding Present's mini festival At the Edge of the Peaks at the Picturedome in Holmfirth which also includes sets from Darren Hayman and Cinerama, frontman David Gedge's other project
Fortuna Pop! Winter Sprinter
Lexington, London, 6/1/2011
...and on the last Darren Hayman and the Secondary Modern, the Wave Pictures and the Leaf Library
Indietracks Festival
Midland Railway, Butterley, Derbyshire, 267/2008...27/8/2008
At the second ever Indietracks Festival, which takes place in a railway heritage site in Derbyshire, Jamie Rowland enjoys sets from indie pop/rock acts such as Herfner's Darren Hayman, the Bobby McGee's, the Wedding Present and ballboy
Albums
Hefner
Dead Media
Ben Howarth examines the case for Hefner's much criticised-at-the-time 2001 electronic-influenced and final album, 'Dead Media', which has just been reissued in a new double CD edition
Hefner
We Love the City
In our 'Re:View' series, in which our writers rrflect on albums from the past, Ben Howarth looks at Hefner's 'We Love the City', which originally released in 2000, has just been reissued in a new double CD edition
Hefner
The Fidelity Wars
In the latest in our 'Re : View' slot in which our writers examine albums from the past, Ben Howarth looks at Hefner's 1999 album, 'The Fidelity Wars', which is about to be re-released
Features
Condemned to Rock 'n' Roll
December 2011
In his 'Condemned to Rock 'n' Roll' column Ben Howarth examines Darren Hayman's ten inch vinyl EP, 'Christmas in Haworth', and online musical advent calendar
Alternative Personalities
Vostok 5
In an occasional series to promote the more unusual activities of musicians, Ben Howarth writes about Vostok 5, an exhibition on people and animals in space put together by Darren Hayman and four toher London based musicians