Success hasn't really changed the attitude of Kisschasy frontman Darren Cordeux, writes VAUGHAN MAYBERRY.

When chatting to musicians, you’re always looking for common links between their lives and yours.

Most times, there is none and you feel a tad inadequate as their talents become more apparent.

But sometimes you stumble across artists who don’t mind highlighting their flaws or talking about the menial things they still have to do every day.

Kisschasy lead singer Darren Cordeux is that kind of guy. The band’s monumental success over the past 12 months hasn’t altered his genuine, knock-about attitude who will have a yarn about just about anything.

"I’m kind of stressed at the moment as I’ve just been doing my tax return," he told timeOUT from his home on the Mornington Peninsula in Melbourne’s south. "It’ll be great if we’re big enough one day that someone else can do it for me but we’re no way near that so I’ll keep working away.

"One thing’s for sure, I definitely made more money last year than the previous three years where I, basically, made nothing."

Darren’s pockets aren’t quite overloaded with cash just yet but Kisschasy’s second album, Hymns For The Non Believer, has sold more than 42,000 copies and made him and the band more than a bit of chump change.

For Kisschasy, their sophomore album has definitely been a career-defining record thanks to three big hits, Opinions Won’t Keep You Warm At Night, Spray On Pants and Sticks and Drums.

There’s even a fourth single doing the rounds now, entitled Ugly Birds In A Beautiful Cage.

Despite the fact their frenetic punk rock sound and catchy lyrical parodies have finally hit a chord with commercial audiences, Darren admits the band didn’t hold high hopes for its success when it was released in the middle of last year.

"It’s bizarre because we were never really happy with the album," Darren says.

"We didn’t think it would sell well at all, but it went gold after five months, which was exciting, though unexpected."

This boon led to an unprecedented tour of Australia that seemed to last forever.

They were invited to support Powderfinger and Silverchair on the Queensland leg of their national tour last year, which certainly brought them a legion of fans in Cairns.

It also allowed them to release a bunch of B-sides on their Too B Or Not Too B earlier this year.

They’re currently having a well earned break from the rigours of touring and promotion and their gig at Cairns Showgrounds on Saturday, August 30 will be their first for months.

It will also be one of their last for a while as Darren and the lads head back to the studio to record album number three later this year.

As chief songwriter, Darren has already started penning tracks within the confines of his artistic heaven, his lounge room.

"It’s going to be a bit more quirky than the last album," Darren admits. "It’ll be a bit more relaxed and not so formulaic.

"I’m also thinking of changing some of the arrangements."

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