Paul Dempsey has turned his hand to one of the most iconic songs of the 80s, offering a stripped-back acoustic take on Don Henley’s Boys of Summer. The song arrives as the lead preview from his upcoming covers record, Shotgun Karaoke Vol. II, due out 24 October via EMI Music Australia.
The Something for Kate frontman has always had a knack for reimagining classics, but his rendition of Boys of Summer might be his most affecting yet. Where Henley’s original was polished with the sheen of mid-80s production, Dempsey pares it right back – voice, guitar, and the raw emotion that has defined his three-decade career.
The track sits at the centre of Dempsey’s new project, a follow-up to 2013’s Shotgun Karaoke. As with the first instalment, the new album sees him tackling songs from across genres and decades, recorded with the intimacy of a late-night living room session. The result is equal parts homage and reinvention.
“It’s not about perfection,” Dempsey said of the series. “Perfect karaoke would be boring. It’s about the glorious messiness of it all.”
Alongside Henley’s Boys of Summer, Shotgun Karaoke Vol. II features takes on Cher’s If I Could Turn Back Time, R.E.M.’s Losing My Religion, Tanita Tikaram’s Twist in My Sobriety, Patti Smith’s Because the Night, and more. Each track was captured at home between bouts of tea, reflection, and – in Dempsey’s words – “self-doubt.”
The release will be celebrated with a one-off live event, Paul Dempsey’s Karaoke Time Machine, presented by The Bob Hawke Beer & Leisure Centre, The Betoota Advocate, and EMI Music Australia. Held under the watchful eye of Shane Prawn – the country’s largest golden prawn – in Sydney on Tuesday 21 October, the show will be a free ticketed event via online ballot.
While the Karaoke Time Machine has the air of tongue-in-cheek performance art, Dempsey’s devotion to the material is no joke. Fans can expect an evening where his unique interpretations breathe fresh life into songs that have lived in the public consciousness for decades.
The new album will also run alongside Dempsey’s already-announced national tour, which kicks off 31 October in Perth and includes major theatre stops in Sydney, Adelaide, and Melbourne. Brisbane’s QPAC date has already sold out. West Australian singer-songwriter Carla Geneve will join him as special guest across all shows.
Geneve’s reputation precedes her. The seven-time WAM Song of the Year winner has built a career on unfiltered songwriting and a magnetic stage presence, sharing stages with Cat Power, Kurt Vile, and Tyler Childers. Her addition to the tour ensures audiences are in for a powerful night of songcraft and storytelling.
Shotgun Karaoke Vol. II Tracklist
If I Could Turn Back Time
Twist 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
Out 24 October via EMI Music Australia
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