Darren Middleton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Darren Middleton
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Middleton on guitar with Powderfinger in January 2010 at Big Day Out, Melbourne
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| Background information | |
| Born | 4 October 1971 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Genres | Alternative rock, indie rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Labels | Polydor, Universal |
| Associated acts | Powderfinger, Drag |
Darren Middleton is an Australian musician born on October 4, 1971. He is famous as the lead guitarist and songwriter for the rock band Powderfinger. He also sang and wrote songs for another band called Drag. Currently, he performs as a solo artist. His recent tours include 'Translations' and 'Splinters'.
After Powderfinger stopped playing together in 2010, Darren started his own music. His first solo album, 'Translations', came out in 2013. Many famous musicians helped him on this album. These included Nic Cester from Jet and Bernard Fanning from Powderfinger.
Darren went to Brisbane Boys' College for school. He began playing guitar there. Bands like Twisted Sister and AC/DC inspired him. He played in clubs in Brisbane with his first band, Sonic Tapestry. Later, he formed Pirate with friends. He met the members of Powderfinger at a Pirate show. After school, Darren joined Powderfinger. He played on all of Powderfinger's recordings. At the same time, he also made music with his band Drag.
Contents
Darren Middleton's Music Journey
How Darren Started Playing Guitar
Darren learned to play guitar because of bands like Twisted Sister and AC/DC. He wanted to learn songs like "I Wanna Rock" and "We're Not Gonna Take It". He did not take lessons. Instead, he taught himself how to play.
Darren formed a band called Sonic Tapestry with his school friends. They played at clubs in Brisbane. Their first show was at the Atcherley Hotel. It was a "Heavy Metal Night". But the band played "80s glam metal stuff" because they didn't know the genre.
Playing with Powderfinger (1989–2010)
Darren first met the band Powderfinger when it had four members. These were Bernard Fanning, Ian Haug, John Collins, and Jon Coghill. At that time, Darren was playing with Sonic Tapestry and another band called Pirate. Powderfinger saw Darren play and asked him to join their band. He said yes.
In the beginning, Powderfinger was influenced by heavy metal bands like Pantera. Even though the band members came from casual projects, their meetings were serious. Darren said they were "confused" about what they wanted to do. Powderfinger often played cover songs by bands like The Rolling Stones, The Doors, Led Zeppelin, and Steppenwolf. They also played songs by Neil Young. They performed in clubs similar to where Darren first played.
Powderfinger released two early EPs and their first album. They did not become famous right away. They even thought about breaking up. Darren thought about going back to university. But then Bernard Fanning wrote the song "Pick You Up". This song helped the band become popular. After that, they decided to stay together. They started making "real money" from their music.
In 2001, Powderfinger toured the United States. They played with the band Coldplay. Darren said this was a great moment. The band also performed on the Late Show with David Letterman. They were promoting their album Odyssey Number Five. Coldplay ended their tour early. So, Powderfinger played many shows in the US by themselves. Then they came back to Australia. They played at the Splendour in the Grass festival. Darren's partner had their first daughter in September 2001. Darren said that year was "a bit of a blur".
Leading the Band Drag (2000–2006)
While touring with Powderfinger, Darren also wrote his own songs. He sometimes worked on them in hotels. These songs later became the ones he sang for his band Drag. Darren formed Drag with Mark McElligott, who was Powderfinger's drummer and sound engineer. Sean Hartman was the bass guitarist from Brisbane. Matt Murphy was a long-time friend.
Drag released an EP called Gas Food Lodging. It came out on October 26, 2003. The band then played several shows in Brisbane. A tour down the East Coast of Australia was cancelled because Darren got the flu. After finishing work on Gas Food Lodging, Powderfinger got back together. They went on to record their album Vulture Street.
Drag reunited in 2005 to make their first studio album, The Way Out. It was released on July 10, 2005. To record the album, Drag spent three weeks in Byron Bay in March 2005. They worked together with producer David Nicholas. The album received good reviews. Rave magazine said Darren's "creative genius absolutely beguiled me". David Nicholas won an ARIA Award for being the producer. The album was also nominated for "Engineer of the Year". After The Way Out, Drag toured Australia. They played with the UK band Athlete. This ended with both bands playing at Splendour in the Grass. After the tour, Powderfinger reunited. Their album Dream Days at the Hotel Existence was released in 2007.
Darren's Solo Music (2012-Current)
After Powderfinger stopped playing in 2010, Darren started working on his first solo album. It was called "Translations". The album came out in November 2013. Many guest musicians helped him. These included Nic Cester from Jet, Bernard Fanning from Powderfinger, and Pete Murray.
In 2016, Darren Middleton started touring again. He played four shows for his new solo project 'Splinters'. Three shows were in Western Australia and one in Victoria.
Darren Middleton's Music Style
How Darren Writes Music
Darren rarely sings or writes songs for Powderfinger. Bernard Fanning usually does those jobs. But Darren sang the song "Over My Head" from the album Internationalist. This happened because Darren recorded himself singing the song before Bernard could. Before that, Darren wrote the lyrics for "JC". Bernard sang that song. However, Darren sang JC several times during the 2007 Upstairs at the Downstairs tour.
Even though Darren writes few songs, his bandmates have praised him. Jon Coghill said in 1999 that "Darren (Middleton) and Bernie (Fanning) are extremely good at writing songs." Darren agrees with this. He told Undercover's Paul Cashmere in 2003 that "We are about writing good music." He said the band used their fame in Australia to share ideas. They wanted people to think, not just believe everything they said. Darren has also criticized "boy bands". He said many of them can sing well, but others write all their lyrics.
What Influences Darren's Music
Darren has said that many Australian bands influence his music. These include AC/DC, Crowded House, and Midnight Oil. International artists like Neil Young, Led Zeppelin, and Ben Harper also inspire him. Darren said, "I went through a bad eighties stage. Bad glam bands. Twisted Sister. Some really bad punk." This was when he was learning guitar.
Darren uses a Les Paul guitar. A music reviewer named Alphonse Leong praised his playing. He said Darren plays it "as well as any of the seminal axe-noodlers of the hippie era".
Awards and Nominations
APRA Awards
The APRA Awards are given out every year by the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA).
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Powderfinger – Bernard Fanning, Jon Coghill, Ian Haug, Middleton, John Collins | Songwriter of the Year | Won |
| "On My Mind" – Bernard Fanning, Middleton, John Collins, Ian Haug, Jon Coghill | Most Performed Australian Work | Nominated | |
| 2008 | "Lost and Running" – Jon Coghill, John Collins, Bernard Fanning, Ian Haug, Middleton | Song of the Year | Nominated |
| Most Played Australian Work | Nominated |
Darren Middleton's Albums
With Powderfinger
- Parables for Wooden Ears (1994)
- Double Allergic (1996)
- Internationalist (1998)
- Odyssey Number Five (2000)
- Vulture Street (2003)
- Dream Days at the Hotel Existence (2007)
- Golden Rule (2009)
With Drag
- Gas Food Lodging (EP) (2002)
- The Way Out (2005)
Solo Albums
- Translations (2013)
- Splinters (2015)
- Tides (2018)
Darren's Impact
Darren Middleton went to Brisbane Boys' College in Brisbane, Queensland. In 2017, the school started an annual songwriting competition. In 2018, they named it after him.
