Something for Kate is 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. Something for Kate have widespread popularity in Australia. Their most recent album Desert Lights was released on the 1 July2006, and debuted at #1 on the Australian ARIA charts and by the end of the month was certified gold. They are one of the most popular and enduring Australian alternative/rock bands of the 1990s and 2000s. In 1999 their second album, Beautiful Sharks was nominated for two ARIA AWARDS 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 the fourth album,The Official Fiction which also attained over platinum status -- Something For Kate have a very dedicated fanbase often seen more as a cult following.
In 2007 they released their first 'Best Of' compilation album, titled The Murmur Years - The Best Of Something For Kate 1996-2007]]. in 2008 Paul Dempsey is writing and releasing his first major solo album. (Dempsey released a solo album in 1998 titled Scared of Horses in which he wrote and recorded all the music getting guest vocalists to sing. This album sold out of its pressings and is now extremely hard to find.)
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 is the only current non-founding member. Previous bassists include:
Julian Carroll 1995-1997 (Carroll played with the band on 2 September2004 at a special one-off 10-year celebration gig at Melbourne's Prince of Wales.)
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 Something For Kate may be shortened to SFK (and is on the band's official website)
Something for Kate and Paul Dempsey have played secret shows under pseudonyms. Some of the names used include:
Something for Kate have been nominated for 13 ARIA AWARDS
Something for Kate's third album, Echolalia won the 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.
Something for Kate's single, Monsters from Echolalia came 2nd in the Triple J Hottest 100 songs of 2001.
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.
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.