Leaving you this weekend dear readers with news on an Aussie icon who doesn’t get half the recognition he deserves in Americana circles – he supported Dylan on one of his tours over there so he’s quite a big deal and a year ago his album ‘Life Is Fine’ gave him his first ARIA #1 in his 44-year career. Just a year later, he’s announced his return with another album due out October, entitled ‘Nature’. At this rate he’ll be releasing one album every three months by 2023. Tonedeaf notes that: “With most of the songs written over the course of several years and dating back to the recording sessions for albums such as The Merri Soul Sessions, Seven Sonnets And A Song, and Life Is Fine, Paul Kelly’s 24th record focuses on human nature’s small place in the natural world. Continue reading “Paul Kelly returns with new album “Nature” – watch the first video”
Paul Kelly is a big deal in Australia – his latest record went straight to number one and he supported Bob Dylan on his 2011 Aussie tour, although he still remains one of his country’s best-kept secrets for UK audiences. (But everyone knows what Neighbours is. Oh the injustice). The new album “Life is Fine” is a collection alive with energy and good humour, described by the Guardian as containing some of his “best songs in years”. Mark Whitfield caught up with him at the start of the UK leg of his current tour and chatted about how the new record came about, writing songs from poetry and why nobody does Hank Williams songs like Hank Williams. 
Paul Kelly is one of the legends of Aussie singer-songwriting, so much so that he’s been Bob Dylan’s support of choice when he’s toured in Australia, but he’s still relatively unknown on UK shores – although to be fair from the fact that his UK dates always all sell out then he’s probably not that best kept a secret. Anyway he’s heading to the UK (and Europe) in September for a handful of dates which include London, Bristol, Manchester, Nottingham, Amsterdam and Paris. And after you’ve perused the finer details, here’s a clip of Paul and Neil Finn playing his 80s antipodean anthem “Leaps & Bounds”