More than a decade since his first covers album, and with plenty of fan requests submitted during live performances since then, Paul Dempsey is returning with another 'Shotgun Karaoke' album and national tour.
The Something For Kate frontman and co-conspirator with Bernard Fanning in Fanning Dempsey National Park, Dempsey will release 'Shotgun Karaoke Vol. II' on 24 October (pre-order it), before embarking on a five-date tour in November: Perth, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Melbourne.
Again adhering to the concept of the original 2013 'Shotgun Karaoke' record – raw, intimate, and refreshingly imperfect – Paul approached the recording of the new songs with just his voice and an acoustic guitar.
There were no overdubs, no fixes, no polish – just the kind of honest, in-the-moment performance that captures the spirit of actual karaoke, but with the considerable talent of one of Australia's finest singer-songwriters.
"I don't really care if they work with my style," Dempsey explains of his song selection process with refreshing honesty. "I choose them because I genuinely love the song and think it would be fun to sing."
Dempsey also challenged himself to record each cover in its original key, pushing the singer behind such Aussie classics as 'Monsters' and 'Deja vu' into new creative territory.
"Transposing keys bothers me," he notes with the conviction of a man who has clearly thought about this way too much. "By forcing myself to sing it in the original key, I am forcing myself to do things with my voice that may be well out of my comfort zone. It also contributes to the 'challenge' nature of this whole concept."
The result is 'Shotgun Karaoke Vol. II', which features such pearlers like Cher's bombastic 'If I Could Turn Back Time', Tanita Tikaram's contemplative 'Twist In My Sobriety', Don Henley's nostalgic 'Boys Of Summer', and R.E.M.'s eternally anthemic 'Losing My Religion'.
"There are mistakes and imperfections, and they belong there just like they belong at a karaoke night," Dempsey says "How boring would perfect karaoke be?"
Tickets on sale from 12pm (local time) on 8 August.
Paul Dempsey 2025 Tour Dates
Fri 31 Oct - His Majesty's Theatre (Perth)Fri 7 Nov - Sydney Opera House Concert Hall
Fri 14 Nov - QPAC Concert Hall (Brisbane)
Sat 15 Nov - Thebarton Theatre (Adelaide)
Sat 22 Nov - Palais Theatre (Melbourne)
'Shotgun Karaoke Vol. II' Tracklisting
If I Could Turn Back TimeTwist In My Sobriety
Boys Of Summer
Dog Eared
Because The Night
Light Pollution
Losing My Religion
If I Can't Change Your Mind
Way Of The World
The First Part
