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British born synth-pop artist Darren Ockert is an international man of many talents. Now based in Miami the accomplished indie pop singer, songwriter and producer was born and raised in Lincoln, England. After graduating from the prestigious London School of Musical Theatre, he established a theatre production company called Darren Ockert Productions in London at the Young Vic Theatre. In 1999 Darren became one of the youngest producers to win a prestigious TMA Award for his co-production with the Young Vic Theatre Company of “Arabian Nights,” which played on 42nd Street in New York City at the New Victory Theater.

Darren’s solo-artist career began in 2005 with the album “Anything Is Possible,” which he recorded, produced and released on Shark Meat, his own label. The record received much critical acclaim and landed him a nomination in the 2006 OutMusic Awards for Outstanding New Artist. Darren opened the awards show, held at The Knitting Factory in New York City, with “Out Of The Rain,” the second single from the album. Anything Is Possible appeared on the 2006 Grammys initial voting ballot, and Darren also appeared on the 2007 Grammys initial voting ballot for co-writing and producing Grace Garland’s album Lovers Never Lie (In Bed).

After touring and releasing a series of remixes from “Anything Is Possible,” Darren released the single and music video “Celebrity du Jour” (Shark Meat), which was quickly in rotation on MTV Networks LOGO channel. The music video was directed by award-winning director Edouard Nammour and Susan de Palma.

2012 saw the release of the critically acclaimed “The Rain From London” (Shark Meat), a four-track EP featuring a title track that tips a Union Jack umbrella to London’s famous wet weather. Inspired by ‘80s UK pop, Darren harnessed that energy and infused it with a fresh sophistication for a sound that is memorably powerful and poetic. The EP received five nominations in the 2012 RightOutTV Music & Video Awards and the track “This Modern Life (1984)” won the award for Best Electronic Song. The song “Force of Gravity” was also a finalist in the 2012 UK Songwriting Contest.

In early 2013 Darren released “You Don’t Know Me,” the first single from his second studio album “Short Story Long.” The single and accompanying music video launched Darren’s #YouDontKnowMe Project. The #YouDontKnowMe Project is an interactive forum inviting people to post videos sharing personal stories of overcoming prejudices. Darren hopes that this project can help to destroy stereotypes and help people realize that we are more alike than we are different.
Lyrically, “You Don’t Know Me,” as well as other tracks on the album such as “Don’t Let The Bastards Get You Down,” focus on the pains of being misunderstood or unfairly judged and the struggles of warding off bullies and haters, who are driven by ignorance and false assumptions. The music video for “You Don’t Know Me” premiered on MTV Networks LOGO TV’s New Now Next show.
“Crumbs,” the second single from the album, premiered on VEVO on September 20, 2013 and shows a darker side of the artist, shot as a film-noir style story of two love-entangled couples. Earlier in 2013 fans got a sneak-peek of Crumbs in “Darren Ockert: A Mini Documentary,” a short film by director Hector M. Sanchez Jr. shot while Darren was in the studio recording Short Story Long. The documentary is played at film festivals across the USA and won Best Short Film at the Enzian Film Festival.
“Short Story Long” released on November 12, 2013, features twelve tracks showcasing Darren’s distinct synth-pop sound. Since relocating from New York City to the vibrant tropical city of Miami, Darren has called upon the Miami-based-Colombian producer and DJ Daniel Valencia for additional production.
Darren is a voting member of The Recording Academy (The Grammys) and The Songwriters Hall Of Fame; a member of The American Society Of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), and also member of the Producers & Engineers Wing of The Grammys.

“If you haven’t heard of Darren Ockert by now, then it’s about time you did.”
– FAB Magazine

“You’re about to make room for a new addition to your musical library.”
– Pen’s Eye View