Darren Hayes announces UK comeback tour

Darren Hayes has spent the last four years working on his fourth solo album and he is finally ready to showcase the material he has described as his "best work" yet.

This return to the stage marks Hayes' first full UK performance tour since his 2007 sell-out show at Royal Albert and the ex-Savage Garden singer is promising a mix of new material with the classics from his back catalogue.

Hayes is currently promoting the album's effervescent lead single 'Talk Talk Talk', which entered the Australian ARIA charts at #79 earlier this month. The track, produced by Carl Falk (the man behind Nicole Scherzinger's UK #1 hit 'Don't Hold Your Breath'), is a bittersweet dance ballad about reconnecting in a relationship.

Watch the music video for 'Talk Talk Talk', which was directed by Darren's husband Richard Cullen:

The forthcoming album "Secret Codes & Battleships" has been described as a solid combination of pop recalling highlights from Darren's 14-year discography.

"I feel like it's a record that is playing to my strengths and it's playing to my strengths because I'm comfortable with who I am," he said in a video interview. The A-list roll call of collaborators on board "Secret Codes & Battleships" include Steve Robson (hitmaker for Take That), Phil Thornalley (Pixie Lott), Walter Afanasieff (Mariah Carey) and long-term collaborators Justin Shave and Robert Conley.

"I think every artist sits in front of the camera and says the thing that they're doing is the best thing they've ever done. Sometimes they're lying, sometimes they're accurate - who knows? I think I've been lucky enough to have moments in my career that were high points, and I think this is one of them."

As one half of Savage Garden and a solo artist, Darren has amassed over 26 million album sales worldwide - including two US #1 hits. One of the duo's most popular hits 'Truly Madly Deeply' was just named as US Billboard Magazine's #1 Adult Contemporary song of all time, beating the likes of Bee Gees and Elton John.

On his own, Hayes has garnered a cult following with pop music fans and much critical acclaim for his solo albums such as 2004's "The Tension and The Spark" and his 2007 electro pop concept album "This Delicate Thing We've Made".

Darren's "Secret Codes & Battleships" shows will be held at the 02 Academy in Liverpool (15 October), Glasgow (16 October), Birmingham (18 October) and finally at London's 02 SBE on 19 October. Tickets go on sale 24 July.