Jak Housden

John Paul "Jake" Housden (born 12 June 1969) is an Australian musician. He was the estranged guitarist for The Badloves and later joined The Whitlams. As a solo artist he issued a studio album, Mad About Disco, in 2004.

Jak Housden
Birth nameJohn Paul Housden
Born (1969-06-12) 12 June 1969
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
GenresRock
Occupation(s)Musician
InstrumentsGuitar
Years active1986–present
LabelsBoffin
Associated actsDaryl Braithwaite Band, The Badloves, The Whitlams
Websitejakhousden.com

Early life and career

John Paul "Jak" Housden has played guitar since he was about 10 years old.[1] He joined his first professional band, Show of Hands, at 16. Housden was a member of the Hound Dogs.[2] In 1989, Housden on guitar, joined Daryl Braithwaite Band in Sydney, which included Stephen O'Prey on bass guitar (also ex-the Hound Dogs) and Michael Spiby on lead guitar and backing vocals (ex-Screen Idols).[2][3]

Housden, O'Prey and Michael Spiby (now on lead vocals) founded the Badloves in Melbourne with Spiby's brother, John, on keyboards and saxophone and Chris Tabone on drums.[2][3] According to Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, they "became a popular live attraction courtesy of regular gigs and a fine set of laid-back, 1970s-styled blues, Memphis soul and New Orleans R&B material. The band's sound was simple, soulful and very funky. The Badloves were immediately labelled as 'organic', 'neo-hippies' and 'retro', which may have been the case, but at least it showed a band working within a rich musical tradition."[3] The group released two studio albums, Get on Board (June 1993) and Holy Roadside (September 1995), before disbanding in 1997.[2][3]

In 1999, he was one of the session musicians on the Whitlams fourth studio album, Love This City. Then in 2001 he became a band member, on guitar, for their next studio album, Torch the Moon (2002), alongside founding mainstay lead vocalist and pianist, Tim Freedman, bass guitarist, Warwick Hornby and drummer, Terepai Richmond.[4] As of September 2015, Housden has remained a member of the Whitlams.[5][6]

Solo material and other projects

Housden released his debut solo album, Mad About Disco, in 2004 through Boffin Records, which provided his first single, "To Die For", in the following year. On the album, Housden provides guitar, bass guitar, roland synthesiser, drums, electronic harpsichord, cheese machine, shaker, cowbell, cabassa, tambourine, wobble bass, mellotron, Yamaha organ, Wurlitizer electric piano, fuzz bass, and the Casio keyboard submarine sound.

Housden is currently leader of the band, Paul Housden and the Futurists. He has also produced Open's latest self-titled album. Jak can be regularly seen on the local Australian music scene playing with his guitar, a Fender Telecaster and effects pedals such as his Big Muff.

Jak has also played in numerous bands including the Organ Donors - Clayton Doley (Hammond organ), Dave Hibbard (drums) and James Hazelwood. Jak currently also plays and performs in Sydney psychedelic rock band, The Dolly Rocker Movement.

In 2019, Jak featured as a guitar player in the music video for Tim Minchin's '15 Minutes', for which he also played guitar in the recording.[7]

Genre and style

Jak's music is likened to sixties and seventies disco pop with an electric vibe and influences from The Beatles, The Byrds, Rolling Stones and The Seeds.

Personal life

Housden is the brother of Stephen Housden, the former lead guitarist of Little River Band, and the uncle of Paul Housden, who was part of the now-defunct Pornland.

Discography

Albums
  • Mad About Disco (2004) Boffin Records / MGM Distribution.
  1. To Die For
  2. Mad About Disco
  3. I Want You Back (don't care what I have to do)
  4. Emily, I Stare
  5. The Hand of Ruby
  6. The Legendary Man from Decca
  7. Love Illusion
  8. Bus
  9. To Make a Fool of You
  10. Turn Around (bright eyes)

Singles
  • "To Die For" (2005) Boffin Records
  1. To Die For (CD version)
  2. Your World/My World
  3. The Legendary Man from Decca (Original Version)
  4. To Die For (Acoustic Version)
  • "Bombs" (2020) Triplespeak
  1. Bombs
  2. She Knows

References
  1. "'I Want You Back' at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2015. Note: User may have to click "Search again" and provide details at "Enter a title:" e.g. I Want You Back; or at "Performer:" Jak Housden
  2. Holmgren, Magnus. "The Badloves". hem.passagen.se. Australian Rock Database (Magnus Holmgren). Archived from the original on 27 March 2013. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
  3. McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Encyclopedia entry for 'The Badloves'". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86508-072-1. Archived from the original on 19 April 2004.
  4. Bolger, Clayton. "Torch the Moon – The Whitlams". AllMusic. All Media Guide. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
  5. Clarke, Kathy (18 September 2015). "The Whitlams Tour 2015 – Adelaide". Adelaide City Council. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
  6. Roberts, Jo (26 July 2002). "Of love and drinking". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
  7. "15 Minutes by Tim Minchin - Youtube". Youtube. In the 'about' of the video, Jak is credited.
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