Back in November 2013 Darius spoke to the Daily Express and revealed the music that had influenced him the most...
NAT KING COLE: The Nat King Cole Story (EMI)
Smile, Straighten Up and Fly Right and Unforgettable capture the smoothness of Cole's voice. He is an iconic influence on black music and his legacy lives on.
JOHNNY CASH: American VI: Ain't No Grave (Mercury)
I love the progression in his voice in the last weeks of his life. There is something haunting in it and in Hurt there's an ache as he mourns his wife's death. He makes these covers his own.
SEAL: Seal II (Warner)
A hark back to childhood this showed Seal's love of lyricism and storytelling. One of the finest love ballads ever is Kiss From A Rose but it wasn't a hit until the Batman Forever soundtrack, proving a
song needs the right marketing.
AMY WINEHOUSE: Back To Black (Island)
It's a classic because of her writing, voice and Mark Ronson's production. It unites a younger generation discovering older-style music and an older generation that loves soul.
COLDPLAY: X & Y (Parlophone)
With this they began to challenge U2. When they perform Fix You it unites people and makes them feel better. They do it in a way that's catchy and timeless too.
BRUNO MARS: Unorthodox Jukebox (Atlantic)
Bruno's captured the zeitgeist of pop culture. Beautifully crafted from the opening of Locked Out Of Heaven to the raunchy lyrics of Gorilla. An album of polished pop songs with instant hooks.