An Australian music supergroup of sorts is in the works with the announcement of Fanning Dempsey National Park – a new project from, as the moniker suggests, former Powderfinger frontman Bernard Fanning and Something For Kate‘s Paul Dempsey. The singer-songwriters began alluding to something in the works via social media late last week, with each posting photos they had taken of the other while together in the coastal Californian city of Sausalito.
“We’ve been cooking something up together,” said Dempsey in a post on Sunday night – accompanied by a photo of he and Fanning eating dinner side by side. The project’s name was then officially confirmed, with more details of music to come. “You can follow us… to stay informed about all of our devious plans,” Dempsey shared in the announcement post.
Paul Dempsey and Bernard Fanning – ‘Under Pressure’
Fanning and Dempsey first toured together in the late 90s, with Something For Kate supporting Powderfinger on the ‘P2K’ tour. They would continue to cross paths and bond over the ensuing 25 years, including Fanning making a guest vocal appearance on Something For Kate’s most recent studio album The Modern Medieval in 2020.
Bernard Fanning’s most recent release was a reworked 2022 version of his 2005 hit ‘Wish You Well’, in which he collaborated with rapper Baker Boy. Dempsey, meanwhile, was last seen duetting with Shannen James on her 2021 single ‘Fashionably Late (Every Day New Year’s Day)’. Their most recent solo albums came in 2017 and 2016 respectively, with the release of Fanning’s Brutal Dawn and Dempsey’s Strange Loop. The pair have continued to perform live, with Dempsey recently selling out a Shotgun Karaoke covers show at Melbourne’s Brunswick Ballroom.
Further Reading
Watch Baker Boy and Bernard Fanning Play a Last-Minute Show in ‘Wish You Well’ Video
Listen To Paul Dempsey & Bernard Fanning’s Cover Of ‘Under Pressure’
