Kav Temperley is one of Australia’s most respected songwriters, performers, and creative leaders. As the frontman, bassist, and co-founder of Eskimo Joe, Kav has spent nearly three decades shaping the nation’s musical identity while also establishing himself as a solo artist, producer, and mentor.

With Eskimo Joe he has released seven studio albums and received 8 ARIA Awards, 15 WAMi Awards, 2 APRA Awards, and 3 ISC Awards. Their hit Black Fingernails, Red Wine spent an unprecedented 62 weeks in the ARIA Top 50, and eleven of the band’s songs have featured in Triple J’s Hottest 100. His songwriting credits include From the Sea (APRA Song of the Year, 2004), Black Fingernails, Red Wine (2006), and Foreign Land (APRA Song of the Year, 2009).

Kav has toured nationally and internationally, performing at Sound Relief, Live Earth, Big Day Out, Splendour in the Grass, Make Poverty History, the AFL Grand Final, Sundance Film Festival and G’DAY USA in New York. He has reimagined Eskimo Joe’s catalogue with orchestras including WASO, TSO, SSO and PSO, and continues to tour extensively across Australia.

As a solo artist, Kav released All Your Devotion (2019) and Machines of Love and Grace (2022), the latter accompanied by extensive national and regional tours. He is now developing his third solo album while launching a national songwriting mentorship initiative.

Beyond performance, Kav has produced and composed for artists including Joan and The Giants, Ella E, Kiara Eve, and Sash Seabourne, and written original works such as The Shower Song (Water Corporation) and Moon Song (Perth Festival). He curated ArtsiX, a national creative lab uniting musicians and visual artists, and earlier produced Songs From the Suburbs, Songs From the Sea for Fremantle Festival.

Kav is also a respected mentor and educator, lecturing at WAAPA and Collarts, and judging competitions including the Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition. His podcast HatJam debuted at number two on the national charts.

Now in 2025, following one of Eskimo Joe’s busiest touring years and an APRA nomination for new material, Kav is entering a new creative phase defined by reinvention and connection whether performing to thousands or guiding the next generation of songwriters.