LETS GO NAKED

Formed in the mid 1980’s in Brisbane, Let’s Go Naked attracted immediate attention much further afield. The band started as a vehicle for talented singer songwriter Murray Power who formed the band with himself on guitar and vocals, Andrew Lofthouse on bass and Rosalinda McGovern on drums. The band built a following playing and recording up and down the east coast. Martin Thompson joined shortly after on lead guitar.

Signed to Sydney label Waterfront Records, the band released a six track mini LP, 'Everything' in 1986. A top 10 indie debut, it garnered great reviews and the ears of influential BBC DJ, John Peel. The album found Let’s Go Naked as supposed exponents of the ‘Brisbane Sound’ (whatever that might be) with unorthodox arrangements, an angular driven guitar style and incorporating keyboards on some of the tracks.

The next single ''Three Limbs'' released on Trust Records found Let’s Go Naked emerging with their own refreshing sound – part pop but still with an off kilter edgy world view. This track became a favourite of the late John Peel on his BBC shows bringing Let’s Go Naked to a European audience. Back home in Australia the reviews were equally positive. “Let’s Go Naked are worth paying attention to for coming up with one of the years most ear-catching singles” – Sydney Morning Herald.

The late eighties and nineties found the band exploring this sound with a floating line up. New players included Anthony Perrott on lead guitar and backing vocals, John Willsteed and Steve McKensie on bass, Nick Patterson on drums and Tony Milner on lead guitar. Along the way, the band recorded intermittently finding great pop moments like “Sometimes”. Songs such as “Hudson” and “How Can That Be” highlight a shifting aesthetic in pursuit of a fresh and distinctive sound.

In 2006 the band was contacted by Glasgow based Egg Records. This prompted the remixing of a few lost gems and instigated Murray writing and recording again with original Let’s Go Naked Members, Andrew Lofthouse on bass and Nick Patterson on drums. Two newly recorded tracks duly appeared. In 2007 the label released ‘Insides’, a compilation album that combined released and previously unreleased material compiled together with the two new songs on the CD. “Career Retrospective of great, long lost and influential Brisbane band” trumpeted Egg Records on ‘Insides’ release. The band played an enthusiastically received launch gig and a series of follow up gigs.

The label was so impressed with demos for the new material on ‘Insides’, that a new album was called for and recordings began. The intention at the outset for this new album was that it would be a full and direct sound but still informed by the original Let’s Go Naked aesthetic. In 2007, pre-production for the new album was commenced at Woodhead studios and then continued on at new drummer Michael Sachs’s studio where the songs were tested and refined. This process revealed a stylistic and rhythmic diversity and maturity evolving from the material both in layering vocal and melodic lines.

When finally bedded down, the line up for the new recordings was Murray Power on guitar and vocals, Andrew Lofthouse on bass and backing vocals, Michael Sachs on drums and FX and John Willsteed on guitars, slides and e-bows. The completed album titled 'Emotion Engine' was released in July 2012. The first single and music video clip from the album release was ''So Many Mysteries''.

Members

Murray Power (vocals, guitar), Andrew Lofthouse (bass, vocals, keyboards),
Rosalinda McGovern (drums, keyboards), Martin Thompson (guitar, keyboards, vocals),
Nick Patterson (drums, vocals), John Willsteed (guitar), Anthony Perrott (guitar),
Steve McKensie (bass), Tony Milner (guitar), Michael Sachs (drums)