Harts

He loves video games, Vegemite on toast, and is a self confessed musical late bloomer, rising star Darren Hart may have the attention of Prince but he is still just as excited to be playing at the Queenscliff Music Festival later this year, confessing this has been an ambition of his for years.
Darren Hart, aka Harts, the one-man music-making machine, answers the phone to have a chat in his Brisbane hotel room while on the last leg of his Breakthroughtour, confessing music didn’t come easy for him.
“I didn’t grow up loving music or wanting to be a musician, it wasn’t until later in high school when friends started getting into music around me. I was about 15 or 16 when I fell in love with music,” he says.
Oddly enough Harts actually began learning drums after seeing an ad for lessons in the school newsletter, initially thinking the drums would become his signature. It wasn’t long before Harts craved a more melodic instrument and switched to guitar. It was also around this time Harts decided not to conform to a genre and started to draw on his influences such as; Jimi Hendrix, Prince, Mcfly, Buddy Guy to name a few, who all contributed aspects to Harts unique sound.
“I basically learnt playing guitar from watching Hendrix videos and imitating him – that’s embedded in what I do now. It’s up to me to try and hone everything I’ve learnt from my influences and really break out and do my own thing – which is what I think I’ve done with the last album and the EP Breakthough.It’s stronger and has more of a sound that’s unique to me,” he says.
“My sound is something I have experimented with over time and realised what could be unique to me? What can I do that someone isn’t doing out there? What can I do that’s better? I just wanted have a point of difference and offer something unique, I wanted to take the music that inspired me to be a musician and take different styles and create something unique that I could call Harts or my unique sound.”
This year has been an absolute whirlwind for Harts and he can’t wait to take the stage at the Queenscliff Music Festival after confessing he has wanted to be on the line up for years. The festival takes place in November from the 27thto 29th. The festival will see Harts share the stage with artists such as Angus & Julia Stone, Hey Frankie and Kingfisha.
“I love seeing people enjoy themselves, enjoying the shows and enjoying the long guitar solos I put into a live set. I really love meeting people after the gig, they’re just so thankful that you came to their town or city and everyone’s just got a really positive vibe and it’s really encouraging and gives me that confidence boost. That’s definitely the biggest positive for me,” Harts says.
The tour wraps in a few weeks and Harts will be back in his bedroom studio trying to finish his next album, assuring me that he will be releasing some new material before the end of the year, with international dates ahead. Also on Hart’s bucket list… a gig in Geelong.
When & Where: Queenscliff Music Festival – November 27-29
Written by Jariah Travan