Paul Dempsey is heading to the beach when we call to chat about his appearance at the inaugural Elsewhere event to be held at Nobbys lighthouse on March 14. While he doesn’t class himself as a “beach bum” (he doesn’t get the time), he does love the ocean and gets to the beach whenever he can.
I start our conversation by asking Paul why he thinks Elsewhere [The Lighthouse] sold out within 5 hours of tickets going on sale.
“People love seeing shows in unique locations” he says.
“And Like myself, people love the ocean. Being out in the panoramic view it’s something different too and the organisers have kept it to a comfortable capacity. I think it’s going to have a real party atmosphere, people love that.”
I cheekily hint that Something For Kate’s song Say Something is a must for this gig given the lyrics “I stand like a lighthouse, I have become a lighthouse”.
“Yeah. It didn’t occur to me but a few people pointed it out online” he laughs.
It’s not a definite yes, but I’m sure after a few calls from the crowd on the night it will be hard for one of Australia’s most loved front men to resist playing the track.
It’s been six years since Paul released his first full length solo album, Everything Is True, which was awarded Triple J’s Best Australian Album of 2009. During our chat Paul tells me ticket holders to Elsewhere [The Lighthouse] could be in for a few surprises.
“Yeah, I’ve got a couple of new things to try out” he quips.
In 2005, Paul married band mate and long-term partner, Stephanie Ashworth. Since then the pair have become parents to their son Miller. So I ask him if becoming a father has changed the way he approaches writing?
“A lot of friends have asked me that and the answer is, no it hasn’t. My writing is kind of born out of curiosity. The only thing thats changed is that there are less hours in the day, but at the same time it hasn’t changed anything. If anything it just expands your outlook a little bit because you can see the world through a different set of eyes.”
I then ask Paul (as I do with most people we interview for Newcastle Live) if he minds answering a few questions submitted by our community. He obliges.
Q and A
I’ve read that you’re working on a new solo album… Any hints of when it will drop?
It should be sometime this year. I’m still writing for it. Last year was ridiculously busy with Something For Kate’s 20 year anniversary celebration and I’ve also been producing a few albums.
I basically haven’t allowed myself the time to work on my own stuff. But now I’m getting it down.
Has producing other peoples releases changed the way you approach your own recordings?
I still usually work with producer for my own stuff. I like producing because I can be objective when perhaps they [the artists I’m producing] can’t. But I can’t be objective about my own stuff so I still like working with a producer.
The last time I saw you play you said you recorded the Shotgun Karaoke album in a day at a studio down the road from where you lived. Is that true?
That was actually recorded in an afternoon. The way it came about was quite accidental actually. I started recording videos of me playing covers back stage before Something For Kate gigs. In stair wells and hallways. People said you’ve got to put this out. So when I decided to record I wanted to stay true to the original spirit of it. I was never really into the idea of a covers album so I thought if I’m going to do it, I’m going to keep it simple.
Will you be bringing a selection of guitars and effects when you roll into town for Elsewhere?
Just my usual Maton acoustic and a spare incase I break something. The solo shows are all about stripping it down to the bare essentials. I think it has more power that way. The Something For Kate shows are all about the gear and effect. It’s a full blown rock show but for the solo stuff I like to keep it simple.
Paul Dempsey plays Elsewhere [The Lighthouse] on March 14 with Melody Pool, Steve Smyth, Mark Wells & Jack Dawson. Tickets are sold out.
