Kae's epic poem Brand New Ancients won both the Ted Hughes Prize for innovation in poetry and a Herald Angel Award. It is published by Picador and toured nationwide until April 2014. After a sell out show at St Anne's Warehouse, Brooklyn, Brand New Ancients received a rave review in the New York Times and came to international attention.
Kae continues to work with music, and featured on the track Our Town, a collaboration with producer duo letthemusicplay (Greco-Roman) They also featured on the track Hot Night Cold Spaceship (Speedy Wunderground) and has collaborated with Sinéad O'Connor, Damien Dempsey and Bastille.
In 2014, Tempest released their debut album Everybody Down (Big Dada, Ninja Tune), which was produced by the acclaimed Dan Carey and was nominated for the 2014 Mercury Prize.
Kae has performed at Glastonbury and all major UK festivals, as well as performing internationally. They sold out the Old Vic Theatre in London for the launch of Everything Speaks… and has appeared on BBC TV and radio many times performing her poems. Kae has been commissioned to write for The Royal Shakespeare Company, Amnesty International, Barnado’s and Channel 4 Television.
Their second poetry collection was published by Picador in Autumn 2014.
In April 2016, Kae's debut novel The Bricks That Built The Houses was published by Bloomsbury and was a Sunday Times Bestseller. It won the Books Are My Bag Best Breakthrough Author Award.
In September 2016, it was announced that Tempest would curate the 2017 Brighton Festival. They released the album Let Them Eat Chaos on 7 October 2016. It debuted at no. 28 on the UK Albums Chart, and was also released in book format (Picador). The album was nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2017. They were nominated for Best British Female Solo Performer at the 2018 Brit Awards.
In 2019 Tempest released their 4th studio album, The Book of Traps and Lessons, and went on to tour it around the world, reaching Australia in January 2020.
Tempest's song "People's Faces" was used for the Facebook commercial "We're Never Lost If We Can Find Each Other", created by the agency Droga5, and released on 9 April 2020.
Sites: YouTube, [url=https://kaetempest.shopfirebrand.com/[/url] and Twitter
Grubby
Kate Tempest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴
Chip-fat grey
And London green with damp
Out on the fifth floor
Where the wind grips your jaw
And holds you in its clamp
There′s a red door
Bordered by mottled glass
Pious lives here
Pious is tired but can't sleep
She twitches, wired
She lies beside a sleeping body
A girl she barely knows
She met her in the pub
And it went the way it goes
The girl′s name is Rose
But Pious is lovesick for her thorn
She left her in the summer
And since then, Pious can't get warm
She's carried her, stuck in her side
Since the day that she was born
She dreamed of her and knew her shape
Long before she saw her form
Well it′s 4: 18
And Pious has been staring at the blinds for hours
She tells herself it′s all her fault
She doesn't love, she just devours
Can′t sleep
So much to do
Trying to get closer to you
And you're so far away
Tryna get hold of what′s true
And what's true isn′t true when it's day
Tell me, how can I sleep?
Got so much to do
I'm trying to get closer to you
And you′re so far away
All that I say and I do
Are things that you do and you say
How come I′m becoming
The one that I'm running from, hunted by?
Slurring my words in the pub, feeling nervous
And overexcited,
Arms round the waist of a girl who might make it
Alright for a night, yeah she takes me to pieces
Then I lie beside her, awake while she sleeps
And I feel much closer to you than i felt
When you were still here
Spilled beer till you reappear
I′m thinking of you
And the things you do to me
I'm thinking of you
And the things you do to me
Pain in my liver, okay, shame
So much shame, can′t bear my frame
Can't bear your name, okay
Can′t bear this game
Let's play new rules, old rituals
Guilt trip, heart strings snap
Want to, can't go back
Too much
Not enough
I can′t get your claws out my guts
I′m thinking of you
And the things you do to me
I'm thinking of you
And the things you do to me
This is my mind, get out of it
You didn′t want it
How come you're still hanging around in it?
This is my body, let go of it
You didn′t want it
How come you're still fucking controlling it?
This is my night, get lost in it
This is my bridge, stop crossing it
This is my face, stop smiling
This is my space
You′ve been gone so long
How come I still find you hiding, fighting me?
I'm fighting my darkest parts
I'm frightened
Nightmares tighten
My hands round my own throat
′Cos you′re the snake charmer and I'm the old rope
No hope, just go now, please just leave
Still in the air that I breathe
I′m stranded, arms outstretched for a body, anybody
Here's a body, but I wake up and I can′t stand her
I feel so grubby
Don't want, can′t stop, just love me
Breath like a cigarette stubbed in the gutter
Come close, no wait don't touch me, ugly
Pushing for a phone call, beep beep
Looking through names for the one that feels most dangerous
I can't believe you′re in love again
I can′t open my heart to anybody but strangers
I'm thinking of you
And the things you do to me
I′m thinking of you
And the things you do to me
I'm thinking of you
And the things you do to me
I′m thinking of you
And the things you do to me
The lyrics of Kate Tempest's song "Grubby" delve into the complex emotions and experiences of the singer, Pious. The song describes Pious' restless state and her infatuation with a girl named Rose, whom she met in a pub. Pious is lovesick and unable to find solace or sleep beside Rose. The lyrics convey the deep longing and desire she feels for Rose, which consumes her thoughts and actions.
Pious is plagued by self-doubt and guilt, believing that she devours love rather than truly experiencing it. She struggles to bridge the distance between herself and Rose, feeling frustrated by their physical separation. Pious reflects on the intensity of her feelings for Rose and how they have changed her. The lyrics suggest that she is becoming the very person she fears and runs away from, haunted by her own actions.
The lyrics continue to explore feelings of shame and emotional turmoil. Pious wrestles with the weight of her regrets and the inability to free herself from the emotional hold Rose has on her. She expresses her desperation, yearning for a fresh start without the burden of guilt or old patterns. Pious wants to break free from the cycle of pain and self-destructive behavior.
As the song progresses, Pious confronts the lingering presence of Rose in her life. She challenges Rose's control and demands her own autonomy. Pious asserts her ownership of her mind, body, and emotions, urging Rose to release her grip. However, despite her efforts to move on, Pious acknowledges she is still haunted by Rose's memory and their tumultuous relationship.
The lyrics conclude with Pious grappling with her own inner demons and insecurities. She battles with her darkest thoughts and fears, feeling trapped and overwhelmed. Pious yearns for love and connection but finds herself unable to trust or open up to others. Her emotional state is marked by a sense of loneliness and the desire to be understood.
Overall, the lyrics of "Grubby" capture the complex psychological landscape of the singer, Pious. They explore themes of love, longing, guilt, and the struggle for personal freedom. The song conveys a raw and visceral portrayal of the human experience, highlighting the complexities and contradictions that can exist within relationships and within oneself.
Writer(s): Kate Tempest, Nile Rodgers, Bernard Edwards, Daniel De Mussenden Carey
Contributed by Daniel D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jaroslav Korbel
This performance recording is better than the album recording. Fantastic.
Mo Poppins
Kate Tempest is such a gifted and brilliant storyteller. Her facility with language is mindblowing.
Audrey Reisner
So good
Vriheddd
my fav
Rita Tatam
She was fantastic.He is now. Well, s-h-e is mind blowing and so ? Whatever. This person is absolutely fine.
IIev
they :) are fantastic
arthritisKing
looks like Jillian from workaholics had a gig lined up before they ended the show.
David
Who's that asian girl on the keyboard?? She was with GEoRGIA, opening for The Kills last year.
NovemberXXVII
Hinako Omori. Dunno if you care 4 years later but I'm %99 sure that's Hinako Omori.
Joseph
finking of you and the fings you do to me...