KAV TEMPERLEY SHARES NEW SINGLE AND VIDEO ‘MACHINES OF LOVE AND GRACE’
Eskimo Joe frontman Kav Temperley today furthers his sublime solo endeavours, releasing a deeply poetic, ethereal-yet-pounding new single Machines Of Love And Grace. Tackling the themes of connectivity in the digital age, Kav has also today shared an affecting music video for Machines Of Love And Grace, simultaneously capturing the track’s existential narrative and driving instrumentals alongside Kav’s dynamic stylings.
Machines Of Love And Grace was not inspired by the Richard Brautigan poem (although Temperley does admire his work), but by the notion theorists have put forward that humans are outliers on the planet – a virus upon it – because we put so much emphasis on love and empathy, ideals which don’t really exist in the animal kingdom. We are, in effect, machines of love and grace.
Machines Of Love And Grace firmly harnesses a sharp spotlight on Kav’s passion and penchant for songwriting that first endeared him so heavily in the Aussie music scene and beyond, boasting driving alt rock flavours with moments of acoustic calm and lush, stripped-back beauty. With its glistening piano and Kav’s familiar, soothing vocals, Machines Of Love And Grace steadily oscillates between fuzzy riffage and more introspective calm, much like its own brooding and ruminating subject matter, as Kav explains, “The song is about the complex and intimate relationships we have through our phones, seen through the lens of the last two-and-a-half years of the pandemic. Having devices in our hands has allowed us to have dinner with loved ones all over the world, all locked in our houses, and follow every moment of each other’s life; whether we want to or not, it’s often the first thing we see in the morning and the last thing we see before we go to sleep. With the touch of a button, anything and everything is available to us, good and bad.”
Filmed and directed by Eskimo Joe visual collaborator Cooper Gordon, the video for Machines Of Love And Grace perfectly complements the bittersweet themes explored in the song, with Kav intimately playing up the voyeuristic elements of social media and digital connection underpinning proceedings, elaborating, “Voyeurs to each other’s lives, I’m asking the question: do any of us feel like we exist unless we’re posting? And who are we when the camera lights turn off? We now live through these machines in the most intimate way, and we take them anywhere and everywhere we go! For the video, it was an idea of FaceTime without having Facetime,” Kav says.“Themost amazing thing is that the actor and the actress reacting to each other, they never met each other, yet on camera, it’s like they’re having an intimate relationship. It’s absolutely fascinating and plays into the whole theme about the machines of love and grace.”
Founding the ARIA award-winning, four-times platinum band Eskimo Joe at just 19, Kav turned winning a band competition back in the day into a career just shy of 25 years as the frontman, bass player and songwriter for what would go on to become one of Australia’s most beloved bands. The group’s breakout single Black Fingernails, Red Wine spent 62 weeks in the Top 50, with Kav going on to write and record seven studio albums with Eskimo Joe.
Alongside Kav’s extensive career fronting Eskimo Joe, he’s also a seasoned performer both onstage and onscreen, having toured nationally and internationally in Asia, America and Europe, and snagging guest TV appearances on Spicks and Specks, Rockwiz, Good Morning Australia, The Project, Sunrise, The Sound and Rage. With performance highlights including the 2021 AFL grand final in Perth, Sound Relief, Live Earth, the ARIA Awards, Big Day Out, Homebake, Splendour In The Grass and Sundance Film Festival in Utah to name a few, Kav’s also simultaneously embraced and emboldened his role in the industry as an expert and mentor in creativity and songwriting, developing the Create, Explore, Produce songwriting model while also creating various productions for causes and events, and judging numerous songwriting competitions.
Set to hit the road on tour with Eskimo Joe later in the year, the APRA, WAM and OceanFloor Music ambassador is currently in his seventh year of running creative workshops, 2022 finds Kav at his most potent and prolific yet as he gears up to release even more new music under his solo moniker.
Machines Of Love And Grace is out now.
ESKIMO JOE TOUR DATES
WED 28 SEP| THE TIVOLI | BRISBANE
FRI 30 SEP| ODEON THEATRE | HOBART
SAT 1 OCT| FORUM | MELBOURNE
TUES 4 OCT | THEBARTON THEATRE | ADELAIDE
WED 5 OCT | ENMORE THEATRE | SYDNEY
SAT 15 OCT | FREMANTLE ARTS CENTRE | PERTH
AMY SHEPPARD SHARES DEBUT SOLO SINGLE NOTHING BUT WILD
Internationally acclaimed artist Amy Sheppard is packaging up her pop stylings and fusing them with country influences, today releasing her debut solo single Nothing But Wild. While definitely not her first official foray into the genre, previously already a Golden Guitar Award winner for her vocals on Lee Kernaghan’s Spirit of the Anzacs, Nothing But Wild offers an up-tempo and affably jangly stomper that fans can also catch in action this weekend at the Toyota Tamworth Country Music Festival and KIX Live in the Park, as well as CMC Rocks QLD later this year.
Nothing But Wild gifts the perfect salve for those who have had their wanderlust evaporate throughout the global pandemic, as travel and leaving one’s own four walls have become distant memories over the past few years. Infused with plenty of country-pop flair, Nothing But Wild also sees Amy stylistically explore deeper into hues of sparkling zest and sharp warmth, with plenty of driving beats, smooth melodics and catchy hooks helmed emphatically by Amy’s powerful lilts. Delving beyond her storied tenure fronting the multi-platinum selling band Sheppard, this triumphant solo project has, in fact, been multiple years in the making, with Amy embracing the hurdles that have accompanied her professionally, while also proudly displaying her seasoned songwriting and charming sense of adventure, as Amy elaborates, “Nothing But Wild explores my innate desire to regularly escape the city in order to reconnect with my wild side and natural surroundings. Having a sense of adventure and having someone to enjoy it with invigorates my soul and reminds me of what’s important in life: love, nature and spontaneity. I’ve tried to blend my favourite elements of both the pop world and the country world. I love storytelling, rich harmonies and finding a blend of the live and midi which I find to be captivating whilst still holding authenticity.”
Evolving from a gradual and collaborative process, Nothing But Wild has also emerged from Amy’s previous experience writing and singing with artists like Kasey Chambers, The Wolfe Brothers, Lindsay Rimes and Phil Barton. And drawing inspiration from some stellar country pop queens like Kasey Musgraves, Kelsea Ballerini, Maren Morris and Taylor Swift, Amy knew early on in the process that she was onto something special with this brand new track, as she continues, “I wrote Nothing But Wild in Nashville with Lindsay Rimes (an Aussie songwriter/producer based in Nashville) and Trannie Anderson (Nashville songwriter). It felt so natural and fun to write, I instantly knew it was going to be the lead single.”
Branching out on her own as a solo artist, and reinvigorated as a country pop star in the making, Amy has spent the past three years writing and building towards this debut solo release. And while a country turn on her own may seem somewhat distant from conjuring pop earworms with her siblings and garnering over one-billion combined song streams under the Sheppard moniker, Amy has always had a special place in her heart for country flavours – and she’s only just getting started, as she explains, “I actually grew up listening to a lot of country music. My father is a MEGA country music fan and growing up he always had CMC on the TV. He used to blast country music to wake us up in the morning. In the 90’s, my idols were Shania Twain, Faith Hill and LeAnn Rimes, to name a few. As a member of Sheppard, I’ve been fortunate enough to spend most of my career in the pop world, but along the way we’ve also spent some time in the country music world and we have in fact won a Golden Guitar Award thanks to Lee Kernaghan including us in ‘The Spirit of the ANZACs’ single. We’ve played many country music festivals and rodeos and the thought of entering the country music scene has been on my mind for as long as I can remember. I’m finally doing it.
Be sure to catch Amy Sheppard live in all her solo glory, Friday April 22, in Tamworth for the Tamworth Country Music Festival, as well as Saturday April 23 in Tamworth for KIX live In The Park. Amy will also appear onstage in Queensland this September as part of CMC Rocks QLD.
Nothing But Wild is out now.
Listen: Nothing But Wild
Watch: Nothing But Wild (behind the scenes video teaser)
AMY SHEPPARD – NOTHING BUT WILD – Official single artwork
AMY SHEPPARD SHOWS
SAT 23 APR | KIX LIVE IN THE PARK, TOYOTA PARK, TAMWORTH NSW | ALL AGES
Free event
THUR 22 SEPT-SUN 26 SEPT | CMC ROCKS QLD, IPSWICH QLD | ALL AGES
Sold out
AMY SHARK ‘SEE U SOMEWHERE AUSTRALIA TOUR’ SELLS OUT 19 DATES WITHIN 24 HRS SECOND SHOWS ANNOUNCED FOR MARGARET RIVER, WAGGA WAGGA & TRARALGON
After announcing her epic 42-date ‘See U Somewhere Australia Tour’ on Tuesday, Amy Shark has today shared the news that almost half of the tour has sold out within the first 24 hours of going on sale, marking a triumphant return for live music. Sold out shows include Margaret River, Albany, Esperance, Kalgoorlie, Merredin, Geraldton, Karratha, Bathurst, Wyong, Wagga Wagga, Griffith, Wangaratta, Traralgon, Warrnambool, Horsham, Mildura, Whyalla Norrie, Mt Gambia and Devonport, and all remaining shows are selling fast. Second shows have been added for Margaret River, Wagga Wagga and Traralgon.
Tickets to all shows are on sale from https://www.amyshark.com
Presented by triple j, Handsome Tours, Select Music and Rage More, Amy Shark will be hitting the road performing in some of the most regional pockets of Australia throughout May, June, July and August this year.
Humbled by her fans response and thirst for tickets, Amy says, “Wow, I cannot believe you’ve already sold out 19 shows! Thanks for welcoming me into your towns with this insane response! I can’t wait to come and play for you all.”
After bursting on to the global music scene in 2016, Amy Shark’s 6 x Platinum single Adore put her on the map as one of Australia’s most formidable emerging songwriters. This was followed by APRA award winning (Song Of The Year) 6 x Platinum and number one Australian airplay chart hit, I Said Hi and the 2019 3 x platinum single Mess Her Up. Shark’s debut/breakthrough #1 ARIA album and Platinum-certified LOVE MONSTER was recognised in 2018 with four ARIA awards (Album of the Year, Best Female Artist, Best Pop Release, Best Producer [Dann Hume]) and was nominated for another five. LOVE MONSTER went on to become the highest selling album by an Australian artist for 2018. Not one to slow down, even in a global pandemic, 2020 saw Amy release her ARIA award winning, 2 x Platinum accredited single, Everybody Rise, which is nearing 37 million streams globally and spent 12 weeks in the top 10 Australian airplay chart. Amy’s latest album, CRY FOREVER was her second #1 ARIA debut holding the top spot for two weeks consecutively. Shark teamed up with blink 182’s Travis Barker on Gold accredited single C’MON and global superstar Ed Sheeran to co-write platinum single Love Song’s Ain’t For Us featuring Grammy award winning artist Keith Urban. Today Amy has amassed 798 Million combined global streams.
Tickets to all shows are on sale from https://www.amyshark.com.
AMY SHARK ‘SEE U SOMEWHERE AUSTRALIA TOUR 2022’
Presented by triple j
THU 19 MAY | BUNBURY REGIONAL ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE, BUNBURY, WA
FRI 20 MAY | MANDURAH PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE, MANDURAH, WA
SAT 21 MAY | THE RIVER, MARGARET RIVER, WA
SUN 22 MAY | THE RIVER, MARGARET RIVER, WA *2ND SHOW ADDED*
THU 26 MAY | ALBANY ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE, ALBANY, WA
FRI 27 MAY | ESPERANCE CIVIC CENTRE, ESPERANCE, WA
SAT 28 MAY | GOLDFIELDS ART CENTRE, KALGOORLIE, WA
SUN 29 MAY | CUMMINS THEATRE, MERREDIN, WA
TUE 31 MAY | QUEENS PARK THEATRE, GERALDTON, WA
THU 2 JUN | RED EARTH ARTS PRECINCT (THEATRE), KARRATHA, WA
SAT 4 JUN | THE ROEBUCK BAY HOTEL, BROOME, WA
THU 9 JUN | DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE, DARWIN, NT
SUN 26 JUN | THE GARDEN HOTEL, DUBBO, NSW
TUE 28 JUN | BMEC, BATHURST, NSW
WED 29 JUN | THE ART HOUSE WYONG, WYONG, NSW
SAT 2 JUL | CIVIC THEATRE, NEWCASTLE, NSW
MON 4 JUL | WAGGA WAGGA CIVIC THEATRE, WAGGA WAGGA, NSW *2ND SHOW ADDED*
TUE 5 JUL | WAGGA WAGGA CIVIC THEATRE, WAGGA WAGGA, NSW
WED 6 JUL | GRIFFITH REGIONAL THEATRE, GRIFFITH, NSW
FRI 8 JUL | CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE, CANBERRA, ACT
SAT 9 JUL | ALBURY ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE, ALBURY, NSW
TUE 12 JUL | WPACC, WANGARATTA, VIC
THU 14 JUL | RIVERLINKS EASTBANK, SHEPPARTON, VIC
SAT 16 JUL | GIPPSLAND PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE, TRARALGON, VIC
SUN 17 JUL | GIPPSLAND PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE, TRARALGON, VIC *2ND SHOW ADDED*
TUE 19 JUL | LIGHTHOUSE THEATRE, WARRNAMBOOL, VIC
WED 20 JUL | ULUMBARRA THEATRE, BENDIGO, VIC
THU 21 JUL | WENDOUREE CENTRE FOR PERFORMING ARTS, BALLARAT/WENDOUREE, VIC
FRI 22 JUL | HORSHAM TOWN HALL, HORSHAM, VIC
SAT 23 JUL | COSTA HALL, GEELONG, VIC
WED 27 JUL | MILDURA ARTS CENTRE, MILDURA, VIC
THU 28 JUL | THE BAROSSA ARTS CENTRE, TANUNDA, SA
FRI 29 JUL | MIDDLEBACK ARTS CENTRE, WHYALLA NORRIE, SA
SAT 30 JUL | CHAFFEY THEATRE, RENMARK, SA
SUN 31 JUL | SIR ROBERT HELPMANN THEATRE, MT GAMBIER, SA
TUE 2 AUG | PRINCESS THEATRE, LAUNCESTON, TAS
THU 4 AUG | PARNAPLE ARTS CENTRE, DEVENPORT, TAS
FRI 5 AUG | HOBART CITY HALL / MAC 02, HOBART, TAS
FRI 19 AUG | BILOELA CIVIC CENTRE, BILOELA, QLD
SAT 20 AUG | MONCRIEFF ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE, BUNDABERG, QLD
SUN 21 AUG | GLADSTONE ENTERTAINMENT & CONVENTION CENTRE, GLADSTONE, QLD
WED 24 AUG | PILBEAM THEATRE, ROCKHAMPTON, QLD
THU 25 AUG | MECC, MACKAY, QLD
FRI 26 AUG | TOWNSVILLE ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE, TOWNSVILLE, QLD
MON 29 AUG | TANKS ARTS CENTRE, CAIRNS, QLD
ABOUT HANDSOME TOURS:
Handsome Tours is a boutique promoter with 20+ years experience in touring some of the world’s finest artists across Australia & New Zealand; working with acts including Gang Of Youths, Phoebe Bridgers, The Kid LAROI, The xx, Stormzy, The War On Drugs, Bon Iver, Middle Kids, Skegss and Fontaines D.C.