Au Pairs

Au Pairs are a post-punk group from Birmingham, United Kingdom, active from 1979 to 1983. The line-up includes Lesley Woods, Paul Foad, Jane Munro and Pete Hammond, with Woods as the frontwoman on guitar and vocals, Foad on guitar and vocals, Munro on bass, and Hammond on drums. The group is also associated with dance-punk and post-punk.

Style and themes

Their music combines a tight, funk-influenced rhythm section with light, scratchy guitars. Their sound is compared with bands such as Ludus, Gang of Four and Delta 5, and draws on influences including James Brown, Funkadelic and Subway Sect. The group shares a left-wing political outlook with those contemporaries, but is especially noted for Woods’ outspoken feminism and lesbian identity.

The band is described as having an important influence on riot grrrl a decade later, and as part of a collaborative mixing of male and female musicians that is linked to its public exploration of sexual politics.

Albums

Their debut album, Playing with a Different Sex (1981), is regarded as a post-punk classic. It includes songs such as “It’s Obvious” and “We’re so cool”, which take a dry, sarcastic approach to gender relations. “Armagh” also appears on the album and addresses the Troubles in Northern Ireland with the refrain “we don’t torture”, which causes controversy.

The second album, Sense and Sensuality (1982), brings in stronger jazz, soul, funk and disco elements, and is less well received. Two further releases appear in 1983: Live in Berlin and BBC Sessions.

After the band

Au Pairs break up in 1983 just before entering the studio for an album with producer Steve Lillywhite. After the split, Woods forms an all-women band called the Darlings in the late 1980s before leaving the music industry and becoming a lawyer. Foad remains active as a musician, performing with Andy Hamilton and the Blue Notes and a Jamaican jazz band, and teaching guitar in and around Birmingham. He also co-writes a guitar technique book with Stuart Ritchie, The Caged Guitarist (2000). Munro works as an alternative therapist in Birmingham, and Hammond remains an active musician and teaches percussion in Birmingham.