Something for Kate

Something for Kate
24 February 2008, Something For Kate at the Corner Hotel, Richmond, Victoria.
Background information
Origin	Melbourne, Australia
Genres	Alternative rock Post-grunge
Years active	1994–present
Labels	Sony BMG New Found Frequency EMI
Associated acts	Scared of Horses, Sandpit
Website	Official website
Members
Paul Dempsey Stephanie Ashworth Clint Hyndman
Past members
Julian Carroll Toby Ralph

Something for Kate are a rock band from Melbourne, Australia. Members include songwriter, vocalist and guitarist Paul Dempsey, drummer Clint Hyndman and bassist Stephanie Ashworth. The group was founded in 1994, with Julian Carroll as the original bass player.

Introduction

Something For Kate (or SFK as they are also known) are one of the most popular and enduring Australian alternative/rock bands of the 1990s and 2000s, garnering nominations for 11 ARIA Music Awards^[1] throughout their career. Something For Kate have a very dedicated fanbase, often seen more as a cult following.

In 1999 their second album, Beautiful Sharks was nominated for one ARIA Award while in 2001 their third album, Echolalia was nominated for six ARIA Awards and went on to double platinum sales. In 2003 they were nominated for four ARIA Awards for their fourth album The Official Fiction, which also attained platinum status. Their most recent studio album Desert Lights was released on 1 July 2006, and debuted at #1 on the Australian ARIA charts and by the end of the month was certified gold. In 2007 they released their first 'Best Of' compilation album, titled The Murmur Years: The Best Of Something For Kate 1996-2007.

Paul Dempsey has also produced two side projects, including a newly-released solo album.

Members

Dempsey and Hyndman met at Padua College, Mornington Peninsula. Ashworth joined in 1998 after a distinguished career in the band Sandpit, turning down an offer to play with American band Hole. Ashworth, who has since married Dempsey, is the only current non-founding member.

Previous bassists include:

• Julian Carroll 1995-1997 - Carroll played with the band on 2 September 2004 at a special one-off 10-year celebration gig at Melbourne's Prince of Wales Hotel.
• Toby Ralph 1997-1998

Touring members have included:

• Wally Gunn - Second guitar and keyboards.
• Phillip 'Pip' Branson - Second guitar and violin.
  Ex-member of Sydney band Sidewinder, and currently (2005) playing with band as "Pip Branson Corporation".
• Simon Burke - Keyboards.
• Anthony Petrucci - Second guitar.

The band's name

Early on they used the name "El Presidentè", before changing that to "Fish of the Day". The publican at their first gig suggested they change it. The new words were chosen from a shopping list, Kate being Paul Dempsey's Jack Russell terrier. The band's name is shortened to SFK (as per the band's official website).

Something for Kate and Paul Dempsey have played secret shows under pseudonyms. Some of the names used include:

• George Kaplan and the Editors (referencing The Official Fiction).
• Max Planck and the Horse He Rode In On (referencing The Official Fiction).
• Captain Pinstripe (referencing two of their songs from Elsewhere for 8 Minutes).
• Jerry & the Manmade Sharks (referencing Echolalia and Beautiful Sharks).
• Transparanoia (referencing Desert Lights).

Awards

Something for Kate's third album, Echolalia won the Australian Rolling Stone Readers Poll for Best album, Best band, Best single, Best male vocalist and Best rock album of 2001 while also topping the Triple J listeners poll for Best album of 2001. Their single Monsters from Echolalia came 2nd in the Triple J Hottest 100 songs of 2001.

Discography

Albums

• Elsewhere for 8 Minutes (1997).
• Beautiful Sharks (1999).
• Q & A with Dean Martin (reissue) (2000).
• Echolalia (2001).
• The Official Fiction (2003) #1 Australia.
• Phantom Limbs:Selected B-Sides (2004).
• Desert Lights (2006) #1 Australia.
• iTunes Originals - Something for Kate (2007).
• The Murmur Years (2007).
• Live at the Corner (2008).

EPs

• Demo Tape.
• ....The Answer to Both Your Questions (1996).
• Intermission (1997).

Singles

• "Dean Martin" (1996)

From Elsewhere for 8 Minutes:

• "Captain (Million Miles an Hour)" (1997)
• "Captain (Million Miles an Hour) (Ltd Edition)" (1997)
• "Prick" (1997)
• "Working Against Me" (1998)
• "Roll Credit" (1998)
• Harpoon/Clint (1998) (Split A-side with Jebediah. Two different versions released, SFK's vinyl, and Jebediah's CD version (Harpoon EP) both with different cover art.

From Beautiful Sharks:

• "Electricity" (1999)
• "Hallways" (1999)
• "Whatever You Want" (1999)
• "The Astronaut" (2000)

From Echolalia:

• "Monsters" (2001)
• "Three Dimensions" (2001)
• "Twenty Years" (2001)
• "Say Something" (2002)

From The Official Fiction:

• "Déjà Vu" (2003)
• "Song For A Sleepwalker" (2003)
• "Best Weapon" (2003) (promo only)
• "Moving Right Along" (2004)

From Desert Lights:

• "Cigarettes and Suitcases" (2006)
• "Oh Kamikaze" (2006)
• "California" (2007)

From The Murmur Years:

• "The Futurist" (2007) (promo only)

Compilations

Undone - A Tribute to Duran Duran:

• "Ordinary World" (1999)

The Power & The Passion - A Tribute to Midnight Oil:

• "Dreamworld"

Standing on the Outside - The Songs of Cold Chisel:

• "When the War Is Over" (2007).

Videography

All music videos were directed by Bart Boghesi unless otherwise stated.

There have been two official video releases, a VHS only video titled Big Screen Television (also referred to as The World According to Bart) and a DVD titled A Diversion. The DVD features a short film with a soundtrack composed by Paul Dempsey, and 29 live video clips from various concerts.

The film clips from "Subject to Change" to "Whatever you Want", along with a live version of "Truly" (recorded at the UNSW Roundhouse), appear on Big Screen Television.

• "Subject to Change"
• "Dean Martin"
• "Captain" (1997)
• "Prick" (1997) - Directed by Toby Ralph
• "Working Against Me" (1998)
• "Roll Credit" - First appearance of Stephanie Ashworth
• "Electricity" (1999)
• "Hallways" (1999)
• "Whatever You Want" (1999)
• "The Astronaut" (2000) - Directed by Morgan Christie
• "Monsters" (2001)
• "Three Dimensions" (2001)
• "Twenty Years" (2001)
• "Say Something" (2002) - Directed by Morgan Christie
• "You Only Hide" (2002) - Video clip featured on the band's DVD as an extra
• "Déjà Vu" (2003) - Directed by Grant Marshall
• "Song For A Sleepwalker" (2003)
• "Best Weapon" (2003) - This was a "non-commercial single" and the film clip featured the band playing live at the Enmore Theatre in Sydney
• "Moving Right Along" (2004) - Directed by Rupert Glasson
• "Cigarettes And Suitcases" (2006) - Directed by Matt Weston of Syndicate Films
• "Oh Kamikaze" (2006)
• "California" (2007)
• "The Futurist" (2007)

Covered songs

• Truly by Sub Pop band Hazel
• Genie in a Bottle by Christina Aguilera
• The One I Love by R.E.M.
• I Won't Back Down by Tom Petty
• Ashes to Ashes by David Bowie
• Dreamworld by Midnight Oil
• Ordinary World by Duran Duran
• Harpoon by Jebediah
• Hanging on the Telephone by Blondie
• The Killing Moon by Echo & the Bunnymen
• Feel like the Bad Guy Midget
• I Got You Split Enz
• Rock the Casbah from the Clash
• Close To Me by The Cure
• Born To Run by Bruce Springsteen
• Sunglasses at Night by Corey Hart
• Instant Street by Deus covered by Paul Dempsey solo
• If I can't change your mind by Sugar covered by Paul Dempsey solo
• Refugee by Tom Petty
• Don't get me wrong by The Pretenders covered by Paul Dempsey solo
• Ship of Fools by World Party covered by Paul Dempsey solo
• When the War Is Over by Cold Chisel
• Grounded by Pavement
• Everybody Knows by Leonard Cohen
• What Jail Is Like by The Afghan Whigs covered by Paul Dempsey solo
• Time To Pretend by MGMT covered by Paul Dempsey solo
• Bette Davis Eyes by Kim Carnes covered by Paul Dempsey solo
• So Like Candy by Elvis Costello covered by Paul Dempsey solo
• Careless Whisper by George Michael covered by Paul Dempsey duet with Kate Miller-Heidke

Bands that have supported Something for Kate

• Caustic Soda.
• Death Cab For Cutie.
• Augie March.
• Grant Lee Phillips.
• Art of Fighting.
• Big Heavy Stuff.
• Crooked Fingers.
• Adam said Galore.
• Gelbison.
• Blueline Medic.
• The Working Title.
• Further.
• Alex Lloyd.
• Damn Arms.
• Angus & Julia Stone supported Paul Dempsey Solo show on 29 May 2006 at The Annandale.
• Deloris.
• 78 Saab
• Gota Cola
• Expatriate
• Lucky Jim in London, 2004
• The Mutts in London, 2003
• Cloud Control, 2007

Bands that they have played support for

• Silverchair - European tour.
• Powderfinger - In Australia and Europe.
• David Bowie.
• Pavement.
• Swervedriver.
• You Am I.

Side projects

In 1998, Paul Dempsey released a project under the name Scared of Horses titled An Empty Flight, in which he wrote and recorded all the music, featuring vocals from a number of personalities from different indie bands. This album sold out of its pressings, and a physical copy is now extremely hard to find, but it is available on iTunes. In 2008, Dempsey began work on his first major solo album, completing recording in April 2009, releasing Everything Is True on 14 August 2009 through EMI.

In 2004, Something for Kate joined People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in its fight against animal cruelty.^[2] As part of their involvement, the band produced an adverstisement protesting Kentucky Fried Chicken's (KFC's) alleged cruelty to animals.^[3] Further, in 2007, the group signed PETA's petition calling for an end to Canada's seal slaughter.

Notes

1. ^ ARIA Awards: History by Artist (Something For Kate), retrieved on 2009-08-24
2. ^ "Something For Kate protest against KFC"
3. ^ "SFK join forces with PETA - KFC cruelty resurfaces"

External links

• Official web site
• phantomlimbs.net A Something for Kate Discography & Tour Archive
• SFK For The Novice Something For Kate fansite
• Behave short film