Riding high on a wave of success
By Rachel Hancock
Sunday Mail, April 21 2002

SOMETHING For Kate has barely come up for air in the past 12 months, riding on the back of the hit album Echolalia.While the album achieved platinum sales and became Triple J's Album of the Year, the Melbourne three-piece spent the bulk of the year on the national touring circuit, including two sellout tours and the Big Day Out. But for lead singer Paul Dempsey there is no time to rest. Rather than enjoy a much-needed break, Dempsey is jumping back on stage for Singularity, his first solo tour in more than two years.

"I just really enjoy it," he says.

"It's just me with an acoustic guitar."

While Something For Kate favourites such as Monsters and Say Something are likely to feature in the set, the joy of being solo, says Dempsey, is the flexibility to pick and choose. "I tend to play the songs the band has not touched for a few years," he says.

Fellow band members Stephanie Ashworth and Clint Hyndman may also be along for the ride. The band picked up six ARIA award nominations for Echolalia last year but walked away empty handed. While such accolades are appreciated, Dempsey has his own measure of success.

"When you do a show and there are a lot more people there -- and you are playing in bigger venues -- that's when it becomes more rewarding," he says.

One of the highlights in his career was a tour of East Timor in December.

"I had conflicting emotions," he says. "I was really inspired and happy to see what Australians were doing over there to improve the situation but, at the same time, it was disturbing to see how decimated the place is."

* Paul Dempsey appears at Heaven on May 10, supported by Grant-Lee Phillips.