Jak Housden

Early life and career

John Paul "Jak" Housden has played guitar since he was about 10 years old. He joined his first professional band, Show of Hands, at 16. Housden was a member of the Hound Dogs. 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).

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. 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." The group released two studio albums, Get on Board (June 1993) and Holy Roadside (September 1995), before disbanding in 1997.

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. As of September 2015, Housden has remained a member of the Whitlams.

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 psychedlic rock band, The Dolly Rocker Movement.

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.

Albums

1. To Die For
2. Mad About Disco
3. I Want You Back
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

Singles

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)