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TIMELINE OF DISCUSSION OF DARREN'S ALBUM
**According to DCN, about 7 months ago (so January 2014?), Otha "Vakseen" Daviss III, tweeted that he met with Darren's manager and that the album is "definitely on the way." He is the owner of Vakseen LLC, a consultant to record labels; the company specializes in A&R management, production, songwriting, artist development and brand marketing.
**In a January 15, 2014, interview with TheBacklot.com, Darren mentioned he could have "put an album out," but he "didn't want to half-ass" his album. He stated: "So I'd like to finish what I've been working on the past few years this year because I think it needs to be done." He also refers to Lea's album and then states his album "will be a little different, it's a different process. I'm the nerdy rock musician who wants to make my nerdy rock and roll so I don't know if it will be the same fanfare, but I'd like to finish it."
**DCN indicated that six months ago from today (so early February 2014), Daniel Kier (a House engineer at the Boom Boom Room, Label manager at Creatchy Records) tweeted that he had a great session with Darren.
**On February 5, 2014, in a Q & A, Darren was asked when will his album come out. He answered: "As soon as I can get it together. Too many things going on. Though I can tell you this for certain: I plan on releasing something this year." (YEA!!!!)
**On March 2, 2014, songwriter Cara Salimando tweeted in answer to a question if she met Darren: "we are working together today! writing songs for him " About the same time, according to DCN, she tweeted she was "writing some very sexy jamz" with Darren and the Elev3n (a NYC music production team).
**On March 17, 2014, at 54 Below, after the performance of Starkids' "Twisted," Darren spoke to some fans. One fan (germericangirl) posted her experience. Her post may be found at DCN (see below link to general news about Darren's album on DCN). She posted: "He basically said that his album is going to be new songs that we don't know and that he might just release some of the songs that we already know separately and that he's just going to disappear for a year next year to finish everything."
NOTE: Please note that several statements were more recently made by Darren, where he indicated that he is planning to be done with his album by the end of this year ("Indie Magazine," April 8, 2014), that he hopes his album is out by the time Glee ends, so sometime in 2015 ("HiGoodbye 3 video, April 16, 2014), and that he thinks his album will be out next year, so 2015 (G4, July 19, 2014).
**So the interview he did with Indie Magazine was posted by DCN in April 8, 2014. (The actual magazine issue seems to be dated April 29, 2014.) DarrenCriss-News Also; darrencrissforindiefuckyeah So in the interview, he said: "Whether it's released or not, I want to be done with this album in some capacity by the end of the year." In this same interview, he commented on his conversation with his brother over Christmas 2013, where his brother said to him: "Just promise me your record won't smell like compromise." Darren stated that he thought: "Oh my god, I've been compromising everything!" Also in this interview, he reflects that with his album, he wants to make a statement of who he is and who he wants to be, and suggests that he wouldn't want to work on an album where he wouldn't touch the writing or producing. (Just for the record, I'm paraphrasing anything that does not appear in quotes. I just realized, because my quote button doesn't work, it may be hard for me to do a timeline, but I'll include links and people can feel free to jump in and embed the actual quote or video with a reference to the source and the date. Sorry about that!)
Here is the general link to DCN for Darren's album: DarrenCriss-News
**"He called fans on the phone and recorded them. Darren's facebook indicated Darren posted the videos on April 16, 2014. In one of the conversations, he talked about his album. So the video of the conversation is on DCN. (See above link to DCN about news regarding Darren's album.) It's the "HiGoodbye 3." At 4:20, he starts talking about his album. He talks about the difficulty of being on a TV show, and trying to make an album. He remarks how it's a different process (to make an album) if you're a songwriter, and you like to produce, and you like to play instruments, and you like to write everything. He comments on how it'll be nice to have more time to give the album the attention that it deserves. I'm paraphrasing, but you should listen to the video. He mentions that he doesn't know if any of the songs that he played on the Listen Up tour last summer would necessarily be on the album. Here's what I tried to capture in quote form (but you should listen to the video for yourself): "I hope this album kind of casts the widest net possible. Hopefully, it will be a pop accessible album, but also weird and quirky enough to where I don't feel that my integrity is compromised."
Another one of my attempts to quote him from the video: "But I feel pretty good. I feel like I have enough songs. It's a matter of producing them correctly. So hopefully that will be out by the time the show is done to where if I'm going to tour that album, you know, I can actually do that." In the context of this comment, I believe "the show" is Glee.
**On June 3, 2014 interview, Adam Anders stated that Darren made an album, but it hasn't come out.
Adam Anders Interview | AfterBuzz TV's Chatting with Cathy | June 3rd, 2014. https://youtu.be/wGDNEgNPQRU (At point 35:00)
**Then we have the quotes from the G4 Convention in London in July 19, 2014. blainedarling has the most detailed notes, which were also quoted and confirmed by Alex Barrett. blainedarling's notes indicate that Darren said "he thinks it's safe to say there'll be a record out next year, but to take that with a grain of salt, that's his goal anyway!" According to her, he also said he is working on his album on a daily basis, recording and writing. Alex Barrett tweeted that Darren said "I think it's safe to say my record will be out next year."
October 27, 2014. Alex of DCN notes that the website of The Eleven, a music production team, now lists Darren's name. Alex mentions that this looks promising.
January 2, 2015. Posted on DCN: "He hasn’t been dropped. He is working on the album at his own pace and on his own terms, which -in my opinion- is a good thing. I’d say wait till he’s done with all his Glee commitments, we’ll probably hear more about his plans then. As for the other message asking why he’s not listed on the Columbia Records site… he has never been listed there, only Lea is listed because she already released solo material." http://darrencrissne...nd-there-were-a
March 22, 2015.
According to a tweet by https://twitter.com/gleeisallineed?lang=en
"Darren talked about his 'album' and for now he isn't planning to release it, but he will see."
According to a tweet by https://twitter.com/ruchanklaine
"Darren is putting his album on the back burner, not wanting to be pitted against Glee, and wanting to do music on his own terms."
http://darrencrissne...st/114325244141
March 23, 2015. At the Gleek Reunion, Quote from Darren: "I’ve been working on music for so long, and in the past I would tell people when things would happen not knowing that things would happen in my life such as doing this show and working on other personal projects. So, I kinda put it on the back burner for now just because Glee became so overwhelming and I really wanted to focus on my acting career, which is why I’m going back to Broadway.
The cool thing about music is that you can always work on it, it’s always there. You can always go home and play the piano whereas you have to be a little more timely for projects you’re selection as an actor. I also realized I wasn’t into being, you know, pitted against Glee. So whenever I put something out, it’ll be on my own terms, in my own time so it’s fun and I can be passionate about it as opposed to trying to make a deadline and sell records which is not a good way to make anything."
http://k1tten-boy.tumblr.com/post/114363249735/ive-been-working-on-music-for-so-long-and-in-the
March 27, 2015. Quote from Darren at the Gleek Reunion
"Not for now. I mean, there was so much going on and I know a lot of people are curious about the music that I do. I mean I really like writing music for other people and letting them do their own thing and I’ve done so much over the past couple of years that I just need to be an actor again because, you know, Glee was the longest I’ve ever done a job, ever. It’s kind of crazy. Doing theater my whole life, you know you’re in a show for two months tops, and then you go on to the next thing. So, I’m used to going back and forth, so to do the same thing for five years, it’s a little, I don’t know how to translate this but, taxing? It takes a lot out of you, so I just really wanted to be an actor again and just put all my energy into that. So I imagine I’ll be doing a lot of that. And if the music thing happens, okay, that’s fine, but I just wanted to take a break from that because acting is so important to me that I needed to really pay attention to that. Yeah, so we’ll see, I don’t know, but Hedwig first. First things first!"
— Darren on if he has other projects after Hedwig (during his meeting room at the gleek reunion)
http://darrencrissne...o-much-going-on
July 24, 2015. Quote from Darren at the Giffoni Film Festival
"Troppe cose da fare! (Too many things to do!)
No, I mean, it’s a question we get a lot, and by ‘we’ I mean me and anybody I know. I just… I get busy. You know, Glee took up most of my time and anytime I had time to make an album I was never happy with the amount of time I had, so I’d just go “Okay, I’ll do this later”.
I’m not a man in rush. If I had nothing else going on I’m sure there would have been a lot of music albums out there.
It’s been several years since a lot of you have been following whatever I do, so you know very well that, working in a TV show, playing concerts and stuff, and of course Hedwig came around, and I really wanted to do that, so… It keeps getting pushed back because I have the luck to be able to do that, because there’s other things to do. So much so that it’s becoming kind of a joke.
I know a lot of fans are wondering where it is, and it’s in there somewhere, it’s just… I haven’t made it my first priority."
— Darren Criss when asked about his solo album at Giffoni Film Festival (July 24, 2015)
http://darrencrissne...things-to-do-no
December 9, 2015. Darren posted on his Facebook page a video about "Not Alone." He also posted this message:
"For the first time ever, a fully produced version of "Not Alone" is here. The song and shirt will only be available for the next 14 days through www.represent.com/darrencriss . Many of you have been wondering for years where a full-length album is. I can promise that while I’ve been continually working towards putting one out, I have equally been primarily focused on making it a body of work that I'm proud of. As such, I have in fact, written and recorded dozens of songs, but a majority of them haven't felt quite ready. However, a track that always stood out on its own was a full studio version of "Not Alone." Thanks to Represent, we've found a unique way to release this song, that will help in this goal of putting out a full album."
https://www.facebook.com/darrencriss/videos/10153200716069147/
A quote from the video he posted on his facebook page: "We were in the studio for a while working on a lot of different songs, and I amassed so much material. But it just, a lot of it didn't feel right yet. It didn't feel ready. But "Not Alone" was always in a class by itself."
February 25, 2016. Youtube video entitled: “Darren backstage interview at Good Day DC | Feb. 25th 2016 “ https://www.youtube....h?v=RsD-lvEO4-s
At around point 8:00, Darren says that he's doing "a lot of writing, writing, writing."
February 26, 2016. "With 'Glee' in his past, Criss has enjoyed disappearing a little bit to work on personal projects now that he has the time, which he says is ultimately more valuable than any job or paycheck. 'I’m enjoying having the time, and writing my next thing. We’ll see what it is.' "
http://wtop.com/entertainment/2016/02/darren-criss-talks-broadway-today-and-glee/
March 29, 2016
CBC Interview: http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/singer-darren-criss-takes-his-voice-from-glee-to-broadway-and-beyond-1.3511125
“As for his fans — he has nearly two million followers on Twitter — who have been waiting patiently and sometimes not so patiently for Criss to release his long awaited debut solo album, he admits the delays have become a bit of a running joke.
But, he hopes, it will happen, eventually.
‘At this point it's more for the fans who have been very supportive more than it is for me, although if I don't do this soon I'll probably go insane.’ ”
April 15, 2016. The Miami Herald Article The Miami Herald.
“I’m writing a lot at home.”
“But you don’t have to worry about me, I have a standing situation.”
April 20, 2016.
Part review, part interview in bocamag.com. bocamag.com
Q: “Now you said you’re not a singer, but ‘Glee’ fans have been waiting for a debut album. When can we expect that from you?"
A: "I always get that question and the answer is I don't know. I'm too much of a perfectionist I guess. At this point, it's become a joke that it'll never happen. One day it'll appear. [The fans] will be over it by the time it comes out."
August 25 and 28, 2016
loudmouthmuch: Back at it with @darrencriss working on his new project. #fathersontimes
dailydarrennews
August 25 2016
lukeedgemon: Blaine and Papa Anderson together again! Hahaha i love making music with these people!!!
dailydarrennews
August 28, 2016.
September 18, 2016.
Not sure if his haircut is foretelling something about an upcoming album, but thought I would add it here, just in case.
darrencriss The time has come!
dailydarrennews
darrencriss It is done.
dailydarrennews
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September 20, 2016
Interview with ETonline.com
ETonline.com wrote:EXCLUSIVE: Darren Criss Says the biggest Challenge of Playing 'Hedwig' Is Not Being Able to Drink
As for what's next, Criss is keeping future projects under wraps.
"Hopefully 2017 will be a really interesting year, where I'll just drop something and you'll be like, 'When did he do that?'" he teased. "The answer was, 'Right around now.'"
Fans can catch Criss at his performances of Hedwig and the Angry Inch at the SHN Golden Gate Theatre in San Francisco, and at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles in November.
ETonline.com
September 20, 2016
In the video, I believe Darren said:
Darren wrote:Hopefully 2017 will be a really interesting year, where I'll just drop some things, and you'll be like, 'When did he do that?' And the answer was, 'Right around now.'
October 18, 2016
( via dailydarrennews)Darren Criss- Feinstein's at the Nikko - San Francisco, CA - November 30th, 2016
Actor, musician, Emmy-nominated composer and San Francisco native, Darren Criss, will make his Feinstein’s at the Nikko debut with a selection of songs from his upcoming album as well as favorites from throughout his career. Criss is reprising his critically acclaimed Broadway performance as “Hedwig” in the San Francisco and Los Angeles engagements of Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Criss made his Broadway debut in 2014 as J. Pierrepont Finch in the 2014 Tony Award winning Best Musical Revival How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. He is best known for his breakout role as Blaine Anderson on Fox’s Emmy and Golden Globe Award winning series “Glee.” Most recently Criss appeared on the Emmy Award winning FX series “American Horror Story” and will be seen in the upcoming Indie comedy “Smitten” directed by Academy Award winner Barry Morrow. He starred opposite Annette Bening and Kristen Wiig in “Girl Most Likely” and guest starred on “Michael Feinstein’s New Year’s Eve” on PBS. Criss is the founder of NYC’s annual show tunes music festival. “Elsie Fest.”
Wed, November 30, 2016
Doors: 5:30 pm / Show: 7:00 pm
Buy Tickets
October 18 2016
Note: It turns out no songs from Darren's upcoming album were song at the Feinstein's at the Nikko concert in SF (and no mention was made by Darren of an upcoming album at this concert).
Last edited by Poppy on Tue Jan 17, 2017 3:37 pm; edited 6 times in total