Darren Watson is a New Zealand singer, guitarist and songwriter known for his soulful blend of blues, roots and sharp-edged songwriting. After early success with Chicago Smoke Shop in the late '80s, he built a respected solo career, most recently with powerful and original acoustic blues albums like Too Many Millionaires (2018), and the Tui-nominated Getting Sober for the End of the World (2020).

Darren's latest album 'Darren Watson sings John Hiatt' debuted on the Official Top 20 Aotearoa Albums Chart at #3 in early November 2025. The album has received universally positive reviews, including a review in the March 2026issue of prestigious US jazz & blues magazine Down beat who said it was "... outstanding by any measure."