Au Pairs (band)

Au Pairs
The band in about 1982
Background information
Origin	Birmingham, England
Genres	Post-punk
Years active	1978–1983
Labels	Human Kamera
Past members	Lesley Woods Jane Munro Paul Foad Pete Hammond Nick O'Connor Jayne Morris Graeme Hamilton Cara Tivey

The Au Pairs were a British post-punk band that formed in Birmingham in 1978 and continued until 1983. They produced two studio albums and three singles. Their songs were said to have "contempt for the cliches of contemporary sexual politics" and their music has been compared to the Gang of Four and the Young Marble Giants. The band was led by Lesley Woods, who was once described as "one of the most striking women in British rock".

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" criticized the British government's treatment of Irish Republican prisoners in 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 a 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, the band recruited Nick O'Connor who also played piano and synthesizers. At this time the group were further augmented by Jayne Morris (percussion and backing vocals), Graeme Hamilton (trumpet) and Cara Tivey on additional keyboards. The band broke up in 1983, just before they were about to go 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 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.