Two weeks ago we reported that Something For Kate had announced the first details of their upcoming sixth studio album, Leave Your Soul To Science. A long-awaited return from the Melbourne trio, following band frontman Paul Dempsey’s solo tangent in 2009, but their first studio album since 2006’s Desert Lights.
Along with the confirmed release date of September 28, the band also hinted that we’d soon see further announcements about material from the album as well as “secret show info” and “pre-sale ticket offers”. Today, they make good on that promise with the release of the lead single from the upcoming Leave Your Soul To Science.
‘Survival Expert’ is the band’s first new single in nearly six years, and no, it’s not a tribute to Man Vs Wild‘s Bear Grylls (or is it?). A more restrained affair from the band, closer in line to Dempsey’s solo material, singing in a restrained falsetto as a gently swelling backing of pincered guitar chords and punctuated piano gradually rise against metronomic beats.
Along with unveiling ‘Survival Expert’, Something For Kate have announced two very special shows to give fans a preview of their new record in the live setting. Writing on their website:
“To celebrate the forthcoming album, Something For Kate will play two very special shows. These intimate, limited capacity shows will preview tracks from the new album as well as SFK favourites from previous albums.”
Dempsey along with bassist Stephanie Ashworth and drummer Clint Hyndman will kick off at the Annandale Hotel in Sydney on Monday 20th August, then take to the stage at the Melbourne’s Northcote Social Club the next evening.
These are the first headline dates for the band, though they’ve already been announced to appear as part of some of Australia’s biggest homegrown festivals later in the year. First confirming they’ll be appearing alongside the likes of The Saints, Missy Higgins and You Am I at the Queenscliff Music Festival in November; before announcing they’d be joining the bill for QLD’s Coolum Beach music festival, Golden Days, while Homebake’s announcement last week plugged Something For Kate into their 2012 lineup.
Given it’s September release, people should be well familiar with the new album by then, but these two preview shows will mark – as the band put it – “the first opportunity in over four years to see Something For Kate live on stage at close quarters.”
We’ve known about Something For Kate’s upcoming sixth studio album for a little while now, with the trio drip-feeding info from the Dallas, Texas studio where it was being recorded; as well as offering a few juicy pieces of video footage; and we here at Tone Deaf are already pretty excited about Something For Kate’s first new album in six years.
You can have a listen to the first taste in lead single ‘Survival Expert’ and check the details for those concert preview dates below:
SOMETHING FOR KATE // ALBUM PREVIEW SHOWS 2012
Tickets on sale 12pm midday EST, Tuesday 7th Aug
Monday 20th August – Annandale Hotel, Sydney
Tickets: www.annandalehotel.com ;
Tuesday 21st August – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne
Tickets: www.northcotesocialclub.com; 1300 724 867
