Paul Kelly

 

 

Whether solo or with a band, singer-songwriter and national treasure Paul Kelly has made a unique contribution to Australian music. His songs capture life in this urban, rural, conflicted, hopeful land and have done so since the mid-70s. Some of them—“To Her Door”, “Dumb Things”—have become part of the Australian psyche. The man himself has not been untouched by pain and struggle, but a quiet humanity persists and infuses his music. He is also a generous and prolific collaborator: The Bull Sisters, Dan Sultan, Neil Finn, and most recently, Paul Grabowsky are just some of the artists who have worked intimately with Kelly. Check out Gossip (1986), Comedy (1991), recent release Please Leave Your Light On or one of the excellent 2LP collections.