Paul Dempsey

Paul Anthony Dempsey (born 25 May 1976) is an Australian musician. He is the lead singer, guitarist and principal lyricist of rock group, Something for Kate. Dempsey released a solo album, Everything Is True, on 20 August 2009, which peaked at No. 5 on the ARIA Albums Chart. He has also produced and co-written albums for other artists, including Mosman Alder.

This article is about the musician. For the sports presenter, see Paul Dempsey (presenter).

Paul Dempsey
Dempsey on guitar and vocals, September 2006
Background information
Birth namePaul Anthony Dempsey
Born (1976-05-25) 25 May 1976
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
GenresAlternative rock, Australian rock, folk
Occupation(s)Musician
InstrumentsGuitar, vocals, bass, keyboards, drums
Years active1994–present
LabelsSony/BMG, EMI
Associated actsSomething for Kate, Scared of Horses, Give Goods, T-Rek
Websitepauldempseymusic.com

Dempsey has experienced bouts of clinical depression and periods of writer's block, both of which have been publicised. Australian musicologist Ian McFarlane noted that he "has the capacity to lay his soul bare through his music, there is little pretence or adherence to fashionable measures in the band's delivery".[1] In 2006 he married Stephanie Ashworth (ex-Sandpit), who is Something for Kate's bass guitarist.

Early years

Dempsey was born on 25 May 1976 and grew up in Melbourne.[2][3] His father, Charlie Dempsey (born 7 November 1937),[4] and mother, Gillian (née Barrington, born 25 May 1944)[4] were recent Irish immigrants. Charlie died in a car accident when Dempsey was one year old and "too young to remember".[5][6] He and his three older sisters, including Gillian "Jill" (born 1964) and Moira (born 1967),[4] were raised by his mother and grandmother.[6]

After initially learning piano from his grandmother, Dempsey switched to guitar when he was eight, and later taught himself to play drums.[5] For his final years of secondary schooling he attended Padua College on the Mornington Peninsula, where he was interested in playing basketball.[3]

Musical career

1994-2007: Something for Kate
Main article: Something for Kate

In mid-1994, six months after leaving Padua College, Dempsey, on lead guitar and lead vocals, formed Something for Kate in Melbourne, Australia, with schoolfriend Clint Hyndman on drums.[1][7] They soon recruited Julian Carroll to play bass guitar[1] by advertising in local record stores.[3]

Initially named Fish of the Day, the group were renamed after a gig at the Punter's Club, with Dempsey's Jack Russell dog, Kate, serving as the key inspiration.[3] They played two shows before they released a demo tape in 1995.[3] In early 1996, they were signed to the Sony subsidiary label Murmur Records[1] by A&R representative Chris Dunn—all of the members were 19 years old at the time.[3] From 1996 to 2007, the band released five studio alums; four of which peaked within the ARIA top 10. In 2007, the band announced they were on a hiatus.[8][9][10]

2008-2011: Solo Career and Everything Is True

In 2007, Dempsey began writing material for his debut solo album. By 2009, he had commenced recording the album, titled Everything Is True, in Los Angeles with mix engineer-producer Doug Boehm—in April 2009, the process was complete. The first single, "Out the Airlock", was briefly offered as a free download on his website before being officially released on 15 May 2009. The album was released on 14 August 2009 and peaked at No. 5 on the ARIA Album Chart. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2009, Dempsey and the album were nominated for three ARIA Awards; ARIA Award for Best Male Artist, ARIA Award for Best Adult Contemporary Album and ARIA Award for Producer of the Year.[11]

Following the release of his solo album, Dempsey and Ashworth relocated to New York, US, for two years in 2010.[12] While in the US, Dempsey formed a backing band, but also performed solo shows; in a June 2013 interview, Dempsey explained "In our two years in New York I think I played more shows in that two years than I had in the previous 10. I felt like I was being what I regard as a working musician, actually going out and playing music every night or several nights a week. As someone who's been doing it for nearly 20 years, I think it is important to put yourself in situations where you feel like you're doing it for the first time and you still have something to prove to an audience and—most importantly—to yourself."[12]

Dempsey released a solo album of cover versions called Shotgun Karaoke, which was released on 4 October 2013 and peaked at No. 17 on the ARIA Album Chart.

2012-present: Something for Kate and solo work

In September 2012, the sixth Something for Kate studio album, Leave Your Soul to Science, was released and debuted at No. 5 on the ARIA Album Chart. The band commenced a national Australian tour in support of the album in June 2013. Dempsey revealed his ongoing enthusiasm for live performance prior to the tour: "I enjoy getting out and playing more than ever. I get more impatient and frustrated that I can't do it more often."[12]

Dempsey released a second solo album called Shotgun Karaoke, which was released on 4 October 2013 and peaked at No. 17 on the ARIA Album Chart.

In regard to the changes that the internet has had on the music industry, Dempsey said in November 2014 "A ton of things have changed and a ton of things haven't changed. I think the only brand new hurdle is that most music is now simply there for the taking and a large proportion of the population seem disinclined to assign any value at all to the hard work and resources that went into creating it. Other than that, the only thing that matters is the only thing that's ever mattered (in my opinion) and that is getting out there and playing your arse off in front of people anywhere you can, anytime you can. It’s better than radio, it's better than the internet, it's better than a review and it's better for you and your band. If you want to be a musician, go be a musician. Be prepared to lose money and play to no one [but] hopefully it'll get better as you get better."[13]

Other projects

In late 1997, Dempsey filled in as a guitarist for Brisbane band Fur, and Perth-based band Ammonia.[14] He also played drums for two Bluebottle Kiss shows and for his sister's band, John Smith.

In 1998, he recorded an album of songs that he had written for a side project with other musicians called Scared of Horses.

In 2003, he produced and played drums, bass, guitar and keyboards on The Givegoods' 2003 album, I Want to Kill a Rich Man. The Givegoods was the project of Tom Morgan (Smudge) and Andy Calvert, with assistance from Evan Dando (The Lemonheads) and Juanita Stein (Waikiki and Howling Bells).

Between 2006 and 2010, Dempsey produced the album The Gleaner for Melbourne singer-songwriter Brendan Welch.

In 2010, Dempsey played a variety of instruments on several of Melbourne dance artist T-Rek's albums, and contributed keyboards on Melbourne band The Nation Blue's album, Protest Songs.[15] In April 2010, Dempsey produced and mixed the third studio EP, Heavy Harm, by Sydney rock band, Papa VS Pretty.[16]

In October 2011, Dempsey performed with the Black Arm Band, Archie Roach, Mavis Staples, Ricki Lee Jones and Joss Stone in "Notes From the Hard Road and Beyond", which was part of the Melbourne Festival and was held at The Sidney Myer Music Bowl. Dempsey played guitar and performed a duet with Stone, sang with Staples, and performed a rendition of "A Hard Rains Gonna Fall" with Australian singer-songwriter Shane Howard.[17]

In January 2014, Dempsey produced the debut album, Humdrum Star, for six-piece Brisbane band, Mosman Alder. The album was released on Dew Process Records.[13]

In late 2014, Dempsey commenced production work on a new album for Mike Noga, former drummer of The Drones. Based on the experiences of fellow musicians like Davey Lane (You Am I), Noga launched a Pozible campaign to pay for the anticipated recording costs of A$16,000. Noga explained seven days prior to the close of the campaign in late November 2014 that he asked Dempsey to produce the album "Paul and I have been friends for many years now and we've discovered that we work pretty damn well together. I'm somewhat "loose" when it comes to songwriting and he is the exact opposite, so put us together in a room and it all evens out quite nicely. He also knows a hell of a lot about recording equipment which I profess to know absolutely nothing about ... He hears things others don't."[18]

Television

Dempsey appeared as a panellist on RocKwiz on 24 February 2007, performing a solo version of "Monsters" and George Michael's "Careless Whisper" with Kate Miller-Heidke. He also appeared on Good News Week on 26 October 2009, performing the song "Fire" by Bruce Springsteen as part of the "Strange But True" segment.[19] Dempsey appeared on RocKwiz again on Sat 8 June performing a solo version of "Survival Expert" from Something for Kate's album, "Leave Your Soul to Science" and Hall & Oates "Out of Touch" with Emily Lubitz.

Personal life
Stephanie Ashworth, on bass guitar with Something for Kate, April 2006. Dempsey and Ashworth were married in Las Vegas during 2005.[6]

Dempsey has suffered bouts of clinical depression[20] and has also complained about periods of writer's block.[3] In a 2010 interview he explained:

I think a lot of people who suffer from depression feel guilty. They feel like being selfish, they feel like they shouldn't talk about it because they sound like they are whining. I think it is important to not be like that and talk about it, so that people think that it is OK to talk about it. If anybody sees me talking about it and therefore thinks that it is alright for them to talk to their friends about it, than that is a good thing. I get a lot of emails and a lot of letters from people who tell me that they are going through the same thing or that they had battles with depression as well and that it gave them some sort of strength or consolation to know that someone else that they respect goes through that as well. It is a lot of people! It is one in five people in Australia.[20]

In 2005, Dempsey married bandmate and long-term domestic partner, Stephanie Ashworth in Las Vegas, Nevada.[6] They are parents to a son, Miller, who was born in May 2011.[21][22][23] In 2010, the couple had relocated to New York City, for two years and Dempsey revealed his intention to return to the American city in a June 2013 interview.[12]

In a November 2014 interview conducted by Mosman Alder, Dempsey replied to a question about whether he believes in the possibility of a soul or an afterlife by saying, "No more than I believe in the 'possibility' of a tooth fairy"—the interviewer described him as "a man of science and a sinful heathen-atheist". Later in the interview, Dempsey said that he is a fan of the astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, whose writing he has read, and whom he has seen in a live discussion with Brian Greene that was held in New York City.[13]

In November 2014, Dempsey said that his all-time favorite band is Fugazi.

Discography

Studio albums
Title Album details Peak chart positions
AUS
[24]
Everything Is True 5
Shotgun Karaoke
  • Released: October 2013
  • Label: EMI Australia (3755469)
  • Format: CD, digital download
 17
Strange Loop
  • Released: May 2016
  • Label: EMI Australia (4777227)
  • Format: CD, digital download
 5

Extended plays
Title EP details
Counterfeits and Forgeries
  • Released: August 2009
  • Label: EMI Australia (5099968551322)
  • Format: Limited Edition CD
iTunes Live from Sydney
  • Released: 16 October 2009[25]
  • Label: Paul Dempsey
  • Format: DD

Singles
Title Year Album
"Out the Airlock" 2009 Everything Is True
"Ramona was a Waitress"
"Fast Friends"[26]
"Bats"[27] 2010
"We'll Never Work in the Town Again"[28] non album single
"Morningless" 2016 '"Stange Loop
"The Sky's Gone Missing"[29] 2018 VAST

Awards and nominations

National Live Music Awards

The National Live Music Awards (NLMAs) are a broad recognition of Australia's diverse live industry, celebrating the success of the Australian live scene. The awards commenced in 2016.

Year Nominee / work Award Result
National Live Music Awards of 2016[30] himself Live Voice of the Year Nominated
Victorian Live Voice of the Year Won

EG Awards/Music Victoria Awards

The Music Victoria Awards (previously known as The Age EG Awards and The Age Music Victoria Awards) are an annual awards night celebrating Victorian music.[31]

Year Nominee / work Award Result
EG Awards of 2009 himself Best Male Artist unknown
Everything Is True Best Album unknown

References
General
  • McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Whammo Homepage". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86508-072-1. Archived from the original on 5 April 2004. Retrieved 23 February 2014. Note: Archived [on-line] copy has limited functionality.
Specific
  1. McFarlane, 'Something for Kate' entry. Archived from the original on 6 August 2004. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  2. "'Back to Normal' at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 23 February 2014. Note: User may have to click 'Search again' and provide details at 'Enter a title:' e.g Back to Normal; or at 'Performer:' Something for Kate
  3. Kingsmill, Richard (2002). "Something for Kate". The J Files Compendium. Sydney, NSW: ABC Books. pp. 273–6. ISBN 0-7333-1066-4. Archived from the original on 10 March 2013.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  4. "NameSearch Results". National Archives of Australia. 27 May 2003. Retrieved 24 February 2014. Title: DEMPSEY Charles John born 7 November 1937; Gillian (nee Barrington) born 25 May 1944; Gillian born 21 October 1964; Moira born 12 May 1967 – Irish
  5. Harris, Craig. "Paul Dempsey | Biography". Allmusic (All Media Network). Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  6. Murfett, Andrew (21 August 2009). "The Measured Minstrel". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  7. "There's Something about Kate". Sydney Morning Herald. 12 September 2003. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
  8. Nimmervoll, Ed. "Something for Kate". Howlspace – The Living History of Our Music. White Room Electronic Publishing Pty Ltd (Ed Nimmervoll). Archived from the original on 27 January 2011. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
  9. Lawrence, Greg (11 August 2003). "Something for Kate". WHAMMO Interviews. Worldwide Home of Australasian Music and More Online (WHAMMO). Archived from the original on 12 August 2004. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
  10. Hung, Steffen. "Discography Something for Kate". Australian Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung). Retrieved 27 February 2014.
  11. novanation (2009). "PAUL DEMPSEY". novanation. dmgRadio Australia. Archived from the original on 5 March 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
  12. Collins, Simon (3 June 2013). "A tale of two cities for Dempsey". The West Australian. Archived from the original on 9 November 2013. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  13. Alder, Mosman (28 November 2014). "Artist on Artist: Mosman Alder Vs Paul Dempsey". Mess + Noise. Mess + Noise p/l. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  14. McFarlane, 'Ammonia' entry. Archived from the original on 3 August 2004. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  15. Misselize (16 March 2010). "Paul Dempsey". Faster Louder. Faster Louder Pty Ltd. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  16. Papa Vs Pretty (2010). "Recording EP with Paul Dempsey – VBlog 1". Vimeo. Vimeo, LLC. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
  17. http://www.blackarmband.com.au/post-no-2/
  18. Johnstone, Rose (24 November 2014). "Melbourne muso Mike Noga is crowd-funding his third album". Time Out Melbourne. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  19. HoneypotExplosion (4 November 2009). "Good News Week – Strange But True – Paul Dempsey". YouTube. Google, Inc. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
  20. Austrade (9 June 2010). "Paul Dempsey, The Austrade Interview". Undercover. Undercover. Archived from the original on 26 February 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
  21. Newstead, Al (10 October 2012). "We chat with Paul Dempsey of Something For Kate". Tone Deaf. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
  22. Fallon, Naomi (4 October 2012). "Back where they belong". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
  23. Adams, Cameron (7 July 2011). "Something For Kate's Paul Dempsey". Herald Sun. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
  24. "Paul Dempsey AustralianChart". AustralianCharts. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  25. "iTunes live from Sydney". Apple Music. 16 October 2009. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  26. "Fast Friends - single". Apple Music. November 2009. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  27. "Bats - single". Apple Music. 5 March 2010. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  28. "We'll Never Work in the Town Again - single". Apple Music. October 2010. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  29. "YouTube: Paul Dempsey - The Sky's Gone Missing - VAST Project". ABC. 3 October 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  30. "Nominees 2016". NLMA. 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  31. "The Painters and Dockers to be honoured at EG Awards 2009". The Dwarf. 7 October 2009. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
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