Au Pairs

Group Members:

    Lesley Woods - guitar/vocals
    Paul Foad - guitar/vocals
    Jane Munro - bass
    Pete Hammond - drums

The Au Pairs were a British post-punk band that formed in Birmingham in 1979. Music historian Gillian G. Gaar noted in her history of women in rock that the band mingled male and female musicians in a revolutionary collaborative way, as part of its outspoken explorations of sexual politics.
Their first album Playing with a Different Sex is considered a post-punk classic with strong, sarcastic songs like "It's Obvious" and "We're So Cool" taking a dry look at gender relations. Other songs, such as "Armagh" with its refrain, "we don't torture" took a pro-republican look at the then ongoing Troubles in Northern Ireland, which caused some controversy at the time. The band performed in 1980 for the concert film Urgh! A Music War.

The band's second album, Sense and Sensuality (1982), showed an even greater influence of jazz, soul, funk and disco on the band's sound, but was less well received.

Following the departure of Jane Munro in 1983, she was replaced by Nick O'Connor (who also played piano / synthesizers in the group). At this time the group were further augmented by Jayne Morris (percussion and backing vocals) and Graeme Hamilton (trumpet). The band broke up in 1983, just before they were about to go into the studio to record an album with producer Steve Lillywhite.

Woods formed an all woman band called the Darlings in the late 1980s, but then left the music industry. She now works as a lawyer in London. Guitarist Paul Foad remains an active musician, playing with Andy Hamilton and the Blue Notes, a Jamaican jazz band, and teaching guitar in and around Birmingham. He has also published a guitar technique book, co-written with Stuart Ritchie, titled The Caged Guitarist (2000). Bass player Jane Munro works as an alternative therapist (aromatherapy, reflexology and Indian head massage) in Birmingham. Pete Hammond also remains an active musician and teaches percussion in Birmingham.

Discography: