Darren Hayman - Background

Background

Hayman first made a name for himself as the lead singer and main songwriter in UK indie rock band Hefner, who were big favourites of the late John Peel. The band split in 2002, their discography numbering four studio albums as well as a number of compilations and a live album.

Hayman then released one album with The French and an EP with The Stereo Morphonium. Both were electronic projects.

The debut Darren Hayman solo album Table for One was released in early 2006. The following year Hayman released Darren Hayman & the Secondary Modern, his second solo album and his first album with a backing band. The band included singer-songwriter John Howard and Pete Astor, founder of The Loft and The Weather Prophets.

In 2009, Hayman released the first part of his "Essex Trilogy", Pram Town. The second installment came in the shape of Essex Arms in 2010, Hayman's first release on Fortuna Pop!.

During January 2011, Hayman undertook January Songs, a project to write, record and release a song for every day of the month, collaborating with other musicians.

Hayman has also released a companion album to Essex Arms, entitled The Green and the Grey, comprising B-sides and unused tracks from the album sessions. This was followed by piano-driven album "The Ship's Piano" and the 10" EP "Christmas In Haworth". He was also a member of the Vostok 5 collective, a group of musicians creating a 9-track record and an art exhibition about people and animals in space.

The third and final part of Hayman's "Essex trilogy", The Violence, was published on 5 November 2012. It is a concept album based on Matthew Hopkins's witch trials and the English Civil War.

As of 2012, Hayman was performing solo, with his ever-changing backing group the Long Parliament (formerly the Secondary Modern), or occasionally as part of an indie bluegrass supergroup, Hayman, Watkins, Trout & Lee.