Dead Naked Hippies

Name, where are you from?
Lucy, Joe and Jacob, we formed Dead Naked Hippies in Leeds. Lucy and Joe have lived here forever, Jacob moved here from Lincolnshire around six years ago.

Describe your style in three words?
Almost Always Black.

What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
Joe: Ty Segall and The Muggers at the Brudenell Social Club, the onstage energy, the crowd, that baby mask. Have you seen it? It’s mad creepy.
Lucy: Portishead at Glastonbury 13, Machine Gun shook my soul.

If you could be on the line up with any two bands in history?
Black Sabbath and Siouxsie and the Banshees. You can probably trace the roots back to these two for 90 per cent of the bands we listen to. We’d definitely be taking the early slot.

Which Subcultures have influenced you?
Joe: 80’s Alternative Rock, lots of my favourite bands crept out of this era, bands like Sonic Youth and Pixies and it had a huge impact on guitar music laying down the blueprint for Grunge in the ’90s. It’s that perfect mix of gnarly guitar music, experimentation, that all-important LOUD - QUIET dynamic.
Lucy: Riot grrrl. The movement was so key to throwing female voices into the alt/punk/rock music scene which had been such a boys club. It’s paved the way for so many women and girls who have come since. I’m pretty sure it’s made what I’m doing as a frontwoman possible.
Jacob: I grew up with New Romantic music dominating the stereo, so Goth culture has always been a big influence. My Mum and Dad still pretty much only wear black.

If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
J. R. R. Tolkien, his work is single-handedly responsible for nearly all modern fantasy and all of us are massive nerds, so we couldn’t give him a miss.

Of all the venues you’ve been to, which is your favourite?
Jacob: The Brudenell Social Club. Working men's club on the outside, field of dreams on the inside. Tall Ships were the first band I saw there when I moved to Leeds so I always associate them with the Brude.

Your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?
The band Autolux - Greg, Carla and Eugene, all equally. Best. Band. Ever. (Seriously go check them out).

Leeds band, Dead Naked Hippies, have had a whirlwind 18 months, sharing stages with the likes of Dream Wife, IDLES, Queen Zee and DZ Deathrays as well as playing at Leeds Festival, 2Q Festival, Twisterella Festival, Humber Street Sesh and Stockton Calling. The band have received support from Steve Lamacq and Tom Robinson on BBC 6Music among other varied airplay and coverage and were awarded the first-ever 'Do it Differently' fund by leading UK music charity Help Musicians UK in late 2018. Dead Naked Hippies' latest track 'Eyes Wide' is out now.