Paul Kelly has detailed his new album Fever Longing Still, which marks his 29th studio album across a near 45-year career. It serves as his first album of all-original new material in six years, following 2018’s Nature, as well as the follow-up to 2021’s holiday-themed Paul Kelly’s Christmas Train. Kelly co-produced the album himself alongside longtime collaborator Steven Schram and engineer Matt Gunn at Auckland’s Roundhead Studios.
In a press statement, Kelly compared Fever Longing Still to his 1986 album Gossip – which featured some of his best-known songs, such as ‘Before Too Long’, ‘Darling It Hurts’ and ‘Leaps And Bounds’. “There has been a long gap since the last album of new songs, and I realise now that this record is a bit like Gossip – an album with a long gestation, where the songs are all quite different to each other in style,” he said.
“I never know what the themes are until I am in the middle of doing a record. I don’t set out with an album in mind. Over the past 20 years, I[‘ve] just [gotten] the band together and put down a batch of songs. I put them in what I call my ‘odd-socks drawer’ on the computer, and as they accumulate, I see which ones work together.”
Paul Kelly – ‘Taught By Experts’
To coincide with the album’s announcement, Kelly has shared its lead single ‘Taught By Experts’. The song originally appeared on the 1992 album Smoke, which Kelly made with Melbourne bluegrass band Uncle Bill. A solo version appeared later that year on Kelly’s live album Live, May 1992. It was sporadically played throughout the 90s, and later made a return during Kelly’s A to Z concert series in 2006.
“I’ve been circling that song for years,” said Kelly. “We thought we should try it with a chiming electric guitar part, and when we did that, we knew that was it.” Kelly also went on to note that the musical direction of Fever Longing Still was largely dictated by the longstanding Paul Kelly Band: lead guitarist Ash Naylor, rhythm guitarist (and Paul’s nephew) Dan Kelly, keyboardist Cameron Bruce, bassist Bill McDonald and RocKwiz Orkestra drummer Peter “Lucky” Luscombe.
“Looking back on what we’ve done with these songs, it’s really a band record,” Kelly added. “Pete has been with me for more than 30 years, Bill and Dan for 20. Even the ‘newbies’, Cameron and Ash, have been with me since 2007. Our philosophy is eclectic; we want to make each song different to the last. I just love the band, and that when I take a new song to them it can take on a completely new life.”
Fever Longing Still is set for release on Friday, November 1st via Universal. It can be pre-ordered and pre-saved here.
Further Reading
First Nations Prisoners Cover Paul Kelly’s ‘How to Make Gravy’
Paul Kelly Making Gravy Review – Christmas Cheer and Moving Substance at Sidney Myer Music Bowl
“It Was A Labour Of Love” – Paul Kelly On Making Music For Christmas
