Barenaked Ladies Biography

Barenaked Ladies began when founding members Steve Page and Ed Robertson were still in high school; the two young men forged a friendship that lasted well into their college years, and as young adults they began playing music together. In the late 1980’s, using a simple four-track recorder, the duo recorded their first tape, Buck Naked, which released in 1989. Eventually, Page and Robertson were joined by Tyler Stewart and Jim Creeggan on percussion and bass, and Barenaked Ladies embarked on their first tour.

In preparation for their performance at the South by Southwest Festival, Barenaked Ladies released the Yellow Tape in 1991. Although the tape did not garner attention from any major record labels, Barenaked Ladies found a significant amount of commercial success by self-distributing, to such a degree that stores began requesting copies to sell. Simply by word of mouth, Barenaked Ladies launched the start of their own career and eventually became the first independent band to have an independent release achieve platinum status in Canada.

The Yellow Tape was followed by Gordon, released in 1992, and it was also a significant success, featuring some of the most iconic Barenaked Ladies hits (Including “Be My Yoko Ono,” “ Brian Wilson,” and “If I Had $1,000,000.”) Maybe You Should Drive (1994) and Born on a Pirate ship (1996) followed, but it was the album Stunt that became their breakthrough album upon its release in 1998. Largely in part to the success of the number-one song “One Week,” Stunt brought Barenaked Ladies onto the mainstream scene in the United States, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Since Stunt, Barenaked Ladies has released the additional albums: Maroon (2000), Everything to Everyone (2003), Barenaked for the Holidays (2004), Barenaked Ladies Are Me (2006), Barenaked Ladies Are Men (2007), Snacktime! (2008), and All in Good Time (2010.) In addition to the earlier hits “Jane,” “Alternative Girlfriend,” “Life, in a Nutshell,” “Shoe Box,” “It’s All Been Done,” and “Call and Answer,” the more recent albums have also spawned the singles “Pinch Me,” “Another Postcard,” “For You,” “Maybe Katie,” “Easy,” “Wind It Up,” “Sound of Your Voice,” “Pollywog in a Bog,” “Drawing,” “You Run Away,” and “Every Subway Car.”

Barenaked Ladies has been nominated for fifteen industry awards from various academies for a variety of works, with a total of eleven wins so far. In addition to their contributions to music, the members of Barenaked Ladies have also founded the Barenaked Planet project, to promote environmentally sustainable choices. During tours, Barenaked Ladies attempts to keep the environment as “green” as possible, using recyclable materials backstage and using biodiesel for fuel. Barenaked Ladies continues to tour, perform, and record. The group’s most recent release is Grinning Streak (2013), featuring the single “Boomerang.”