Something for Kate formed in Melbourne, Victoria in 1994. The founding memb… Read Full Bio ↴Something for Kate formed in Melbourne, Victoria in 1994. The founding members of the three-piece band were vocalist and guitarist Paul Dempsey, bass player Julian Carroll (later to be replaced by Stephanie Ashworth) and drummer Clint Hyndman.

After recording a 7-track demo in 1995, the band signed to Murmur Records, a subsidiary of Sony. In 1996, they released the 7-track EP The Answer to Both Your Questions, recorded and mixed by Greg Atkinson of Sydney band Big Heavy Stuff.

In November of 1996, the 3-track single "Dean Martin" was released. Early in 1997, the band released a 5-track EP titled Intermission as they recorded their first album, Elsewhere for Eight Minutes, in New Zealand and mixed and mastered it in New York with U.S. producer Brian Paulson. (Brian had previously produced albums for Wilco, Archers of Loaf, Superchunk and Slint, amongst others.) Something for Kate's first full-length album was released in July of 1997. Bass player Julian Carroll was then replaced by Toby Ralph, who toured with the band for the release of the album.

Four singles were released from Elsewhere for Eight Minutes: "Captain (Million miles an hour)", "Prick", "Working Against Me" and "Roll Credit". Bass player Toby Ralph was replaced by Stephanie Ashworth (of Melbourne outfit Sandpit) in March 1998. The band then wrote their second album, Beautiful Sharks, which was released in April of 1999. Beautiful Sharks was recorded in Melbourne, once again by producer Brian Paulson.

Four singles were released from Beautiful Sharks: "Electricity", "Hallways", "Whatever You Want" and "The Astronaut". When the band went on the road with this album they took on an extra touring musician, Wally Gunn, to play the incidental guitar and keyboard parts.

In 2000, as the band were writing for their third album, Murmur released Q & A With Dean Martin, a re-release of the sold-out first EP and single. Also released in 2000 was Big Screen Television, a video collection of 12 of the band's music videos along with some bonus footage.

In June of 2001, the third album, Echolalia, was released. Produced by the band and Trina Shoemaker (whose other recording credits include Queens of the Stone Age, REM, Whiskeytown and Sheryl Crow), Echolalia was recorded at INXS bass-player Garry Gary Beers' Mangrove studio in the Central Coast of NSW.

Four singles were released from Echolalia: "Monsters", "Three Dimensions", "Twenty Years" and "Say Something". When touring this album, the band took on two touring musicians, Pip Branson (ex Sydney band Sidewinder) and Simon Bourke, again, to play the increasing amount of keyboards and extra guitar parts featured on the album.

In 2002 the band released their first DVD, A Diversion, which is a document of the writing, recording and touring of the Echolalia album.

In 2003 the band recorded and released their fourth album, The Official Fiction. Produced once again by the band and Trina Shoemaker at Mangrove studios, it spawned the singles "Deja Vu", "Song for a Sleepwalker", "Best Weapon" and "Moving Right Along".

After supporting David Bowie on the Australian leg of his Reality Tour, the band toured Europe in 2004, taking in Germany, France, Denmark, Scotland, Ireland and the UK, before returned to Australia to release Phantom Limbs, a double album of the band members' and their fans' favourite b-side tracks from over the years.

On the 30th of June 2006, Something for Kate released their fifth album, Desert Lights. Since then, Something for Kate has released 2 singles, Cigarettes and Suitcases which was released on the 5th of May 2006, just under 2 months before the second EP, Oh Kamikaze which was released on the 1st of September 2006.

No Man's Land
Something for Kate Lyrics

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Say good morning, same six signs
Today you'll get your money's worth
To revolve or revolutionise
Or put it in the paperwork

You've been sold a winning hand
Take a bow and raise your glass to no man's land
And it all goes right to plan

Play another round for another chance

A simple as simple mistakes
You hang your trouble in the sky
And one boy scout gone bad
A piece of cake
And let the think tank decide

You bury your head in the sand
As you rise to raise your glass to no man's land
And it all goes right to plan
You play another round for another chance

You bury your head in the sand
Take a bow and raise your glass to no man's land
And it all went right to plan
And you play another round if you get another chance

No man's land

Overall Meaning

The first verse of “No Man’s Land” by Something For Kate immediately sets a disillusioned tone. The singer begins by simply saying, “Say good morning, same six signs” - language that evokes the monotony of daily life. The following line encourages the listener to question whether they’re truly getting “their money’s worth” from the day they’re living, and to consider whether they want to continue to simply “revolve” in this cycle or to “revolutionize” their lives. But then, any thoughts of taking control of one’s life are immediately undercut with the suggestion to “put it in the paperwork” – that is, to follow the existing rules and regulations rather than charting one’s own course.

The second verse intensifies this sense of disillusionment with a series of images that sound bizarre without providing any context. The singer talks about hanging “your trouble in the sky” and a “boy scout gone bad / a piece of cake” but then concludes by telling the listener to “let the think tank decide.” This tone changes only in the chorus, which urges the listener to “take a bow and raise your glass to no man’s land,” offering a sense of camaraderie with those who feel similarly disillusioned or powerless to change their circumstances. And then there’s the final, almost resigned line: “Play another round for another chance.”

Line by Line Meaning

Say good morning, same six signs
Begin your day with robotic routine

Today you'll get your money's worth
You'll achieve financial success today

To revolve or revolutionise
Choose to either conform or make a difference

Or put it in the paperwork
Document your progress for others to see

You've been sold a winning hand
You've been given an advantageous situation

Take a bow and raise your glass to no man's land
Acknowledge your accomplishments in a place without restrictions or limitations

And it all goes right to plan
Everything is going according to your intentions

Play another round for another chance
Attempt again to reach a better outcome

A simple as simple mistakes
Errors are often small and easily corrected

You hang your trouble in the sky
You display your problems for all to see

And one boy scout gone bad
Even those who are thought to be virtuous can falter