Barenaked Ladies

Barenaked Ladies(BNL) is a Canadianrockband formed in 1988 in theTorontosuburbofScarborough, Ontario.The band developed a following in Canada, with theirself-titled 1991 cassettebecoming the first independent release to be certified gold in Canada. They reached mainstream success in Canada when their debut withReprise Records,Gordon,featuring the singles "If I Had $1000000"and"Brian Wilson",was released in 1992. The band's popularity subsequently spread into the US, beginning with versions of" Brian Wilson "and"The Old Apartment"off their 1996 live albumRock Spectacle,followed by their fourth studio albumStunt,their breakout success in 1998. The album featured their highest-charting hit, "One Week",as well as"It's All Been Done"and"Call and Answer".Their fifth album,Maroon,featuring the lead single "Pinch Me",also charted highly. The band is also recognized for creating and performing the theme song to the American sitcomThe Big Bang Theory.

Barenaked Ladies
Barenaked Ladies in 2012
Background information
Origin	Scarborough, Ontario,Canada
Genres	Alternative pop folk rock pop rock comedy rock
Years active	1988–present
Labels	John King Artist Consultants Page Music Sire Reprise Desperation Raisin' Walt Disney
Members	Ed Robertson Jim Creeggan Tyler Stewart Kevin Hearn
Past members	Steven Page Andy Creeggan
Website	barenakedladies.com

Initially a duo ofEd RobertsonandSteven Page,the band quickly grew to a quintet, adding brothersJimandAndy CreegganandTyler Stewartby 1990. Andy Creeggan left the band in 1995 and was replaced byKevin Hearn.Page left in 2009, reducing the group to a quartet.

The band's style has evolved throughout their career, and their music, which began as exclusively acoustic, quickly grew to encompass a mixture of pop, rock, hip hop and rap.The band's live performances feature comedic banter andfreestyle rappingbetween songs.They have won multipleJuno Awardsand have been nominated for twoGrammy Awards.The group has sold over 15 million albums and singles and were inducted into theCanadian Music Hall of Famein March 2018.

History

Indie origins (1988–1991)

Barenaked Ladies began as the duo of Ed Robertson and Steven Page.The two went to school together since Robertson was in grade four (Page was a grade ahead)atChurchill Heights Public Schoolbut were not friends until they met each other at aHarvey'srestaurant after aPeter Gabrielconcert.Each was pleased to find that the other liked Gabriel; they began talking and found they had many of the same tastes. The two became friends and bonded further when they were both counsellors at Interprovincial Music Camp located inMcKellar, Ontario.Page was impressed by Robertson's ability to harmonize when they began playing songs together.

Page had an extra ticket to aBob Dylanconcert atExhibition Stadiumand asked Robertson to join him.Bored, they amused each other by pretending they were rock critics and inventing histories about the Dylan band. They also invented fictional band names, one of which was "Barenaked Ladies."

Co-founder Ed Robertson in 2005

On another front, Robertson had agreed to perform with his cover band in abattle of the bandsatNathan Phillips Squarefor theSecond Harvestfood bank,but the band broke up. A week before the show, Robertson received a phone call to confirm the gig, so he improvised the band had changed its name to "Barenaked Ladies." He then called Page and asked if he wanted to do the gig; Page reportedly could not believe Robertson had given that name. They arranged three rehearsals and missed them all.Instead of competing at the show on 1 October 1988,while the other bands set up they played every song they both knew. The show went well, and they were invited to open for another established local band,The Razorbacks,at theHorseshoe Tavernthe coming weekend. Missing three more scheduled rehearsals, they improvised their set once again. These acts set a precedent for Barenaked Ladies concerts, which still almost always contain improvised raps, songs, and banter.

Co-founder Steven Page in 2005

Page and Robertson continued performing and began writing songs together. The band's first tape,Buck Naked(1989), was made using a four-track recorderin basements and bedrooms. The pair became followers of comedy groupCorky and the Juice Pigs,to whom they give credit for exposing them to the idea of comedic stage presence. Page and Robertson presented the group with their tape and were invited to open for the Juice Pigs on their cross-Canada tour.One night in Toronto, Page and Robertson invited friends from music camp, brothersAndy Creeggan(percussion) andJim Creeggan(bass),to play with them at a Christmastime club show. Featuring the two new band members,Barenaked Lunch(a.k.a.The Pink Tape)was released in 1990 despite being mastered incorrectly and playing too fast.

Jim Creeggan in 2008

After six months, Andy Creeggan went on a student exchange trip to South America, leaving the band without a percussionist. While playing at abuskers' festival inWaterloo, Ontarioin the summer of 1990, they met drummerTyler Stewart,and he took over the position.During Andy Creeggan's travels, the band gained attention, winning the 1990YTV Achievement Awardfor Best Band/Musical Group.and by squeezing into a small "Speaker's Corner"video booth in Toronto to perform"Be My Yoko Ono".The popular clip noticeably increased the band's fanbase. Andy Creeggan returned in early 1991 to find that Stewart had taken over the role of percussionist. Causing him some concern, Creeggan began playing keyboards more, though he still performed on some songs withcongasand other percussion. The band would soon embark upon their first full Canadian tour.

Early Canadian success (1991–1992)

The full band's first commercial release was 1991'sThe Yellow Tape.A demo tape originally created for the band's performance atSouth by Southwest,it was the first recording to feature all five membersand cost them $2,000–$3,000. They sent copies to all the labels in Canada; all of them refused.As they began selling more and more copies off the stage, through word of mouth people began asking for the tape in local stores. When retailers began asking the band for more tapes, the demo became a commercial release.Sales began to snowball based merely on word of mouth and their live shows.Page's father, Victor, created the independent label Page Publications to handle the cassette's manufacturing and distribution.(After the band signed to a major label, Page Publications remained in operation, later releasing albums by artists such asThe Lowest of the Low,Leslie Spit Treeo,Annette Ducharme,David Gogo,andBodega.)

During this era, the band garnered radio airplay with a live cover ofDean Friedman's "McDonald's Girl", which included a rap break incorporating lyrics fromBeastie Boys' "Hey Ladies".Another major break for the band came in November 1991 when Barenaked Ladies contributed a cover ofBruce Cockburn's "Lovers in a Dangerous Time"to the Cockburn tribute albumKick at the Darkness.The song became the band's first Top 40 hit in Canada.

Tyler Stewart in 2005

Sales ofThe Yellow Tapewere jump-started when the band was removed from the lineup of the 1991 New Year's Eve concert inNathan Phillips SquareoutsideToronto City Hallbecause a staffer for then-mayorJune Rowlandsbelieved the band's name objectified women;the decision was affirmed by city councillorChris Korwin-Kuczynski.The group shrugged it off and booked another show atMcMaster University.However, the media picked up the story and presented it as an example ofpolitical correctnessgone too far. The first article earned the paper a large quantity of mail against City Hall's decision as the story became increasingly prominent. A week after New Year's, the band was asked to take a photo in front of City Hall for the front page of theToronto Star.The newer stories targeted Rowlands even though she had not been directly involved with removing the band from the concert and was out of town when the decision was made. The following week, sales of theYellow Tapeexploded — by February 1992, it was outselling evenMichael Jackson'sDangerous,Genesis'We Can't Dance,andU2'sAchtung Babyin some downtown Toronto record stores.They received enough publicity from the incident thatMuchMusicoffered them its second-everIntimate and Interactivespecial on 17 January.The tape eventually became the first-everindierelease to achieveplatinumstatus (100,000 copies) in Canada.

By the end of February,Toronto City Councilrevised its rules for event bookings at Nathan Phillips Square in the hopes of avoiding another similar controversy.The City Hall story has followed the band ever since; Robertson credits the scale of the story to it being a slow news week.

First albums (1992–1997)

Andy Creeggan performing with The Brothers Creeggan in London, Ontario, Canada, in 2002

The band was signed toSire Recordsin April 1992after a long period of being rejected by every label they approached.

On May 30, 1992, the band performed atOntario Place Forumin Toronto, becoming the quickest act to ever sell out the venue.

The band's first full album,Gordon,was released in July 1992 and was a big success in Canada;by the end of August, it had already been certifiedplatinum.It included some of the band's most well-known songs, including "Enid",the first single;"Be My Yoko Ono",the single which helped fund the album;"If I Had $1000000",which spawned a tradition of throwingKraft Dinnerduring live shows, which the band later discouraged;and "Brian Wilson",named afterBeach BoyBrian Wilson(who later covered the song ona live album).Gordonbenefited from a number of its songs (including the latter three) being live favourites and had been recorded for past releases likeThe Yellow Tape.Although the band was doing remarkably well in Canada, they found it translated into little success in the US.

The band's second album,Maybe You Should Drive(1994),was much less popular with the Canadian public.Their tour of the US was deemed a failure and lost money despite an appearance onLate Night with Conan O'Brien.Before the next release, Andy Creeggan decided to leave the band. He had become disillusioned with the direction of the bandand was not comfortable with their new fame.According to Page, he had considered leaving as early as the rehearsals for theDrivealbum; the rest of the band convinced him to stay to record that album and for the subsequent touring. Also, Creeggan wanted to attendMcGill Universityto study music further.Tyler Stewart has also suggested that Creeggan had never fully accepted his replacement by Stewart as a percussionist.Andy Creeggan's departure came during a time in which members of the band were starting to become sick of one other, with Page and Robertson rarely communicating. Stewart cites the departure as worsening the situation. Page also began struggling with alcohol abuse and depression.In an attempt to correct the band's downward slide, they signed withTerry McBrideandNettwerkas their management.

The band releasedBorn on a Pirate Shipas a quartet in 1996.The album received two large boosts from the inclusion of the song "Shoe Box"on theFriendssoundtrackand from theJason Priestley-directed video for "The Old Apartment",which got notable U.S. airplayand while the album had stronger sales thanMaybe You Should Drive,it still did not match the success of "Gordon".The group appeared as the guest band on an episode ofBeverly Hills, 90210( "Spring Breakdown" original airdate: 2 April 1997), immediately preceding their 1997 tour; they performed "The Old Apartment", "Life, In A Nutshell", and "Brian Wilson" at the Peach Pit After Dark night club. Tyler Stewart invited his friendKevin Hearnto replace Andy Creeggan as a keyboardist for the tour, ultimately joining the band full-time. The group also had a cameo in the Canadian filmThe Wrong GuywithDave Foleyin 1997. They performed the song "Gangster Girl" as police officers in an alley on their break.

From two dates on theBorn on a Pirate Shiptour during 1996, Barenaked Ladies recorded and released a live album calledRock Spectacle,which had a modest American radio hit with "Brian Wilson". The album became the band's first gold record in the United States, and the success of "Brian Wilson" and "The Old Apartment" led to a new situation for the band. They knew their next album would be their chance to make it big in the States.

Breakthrough success in the United States (1998–2004)

Stunt(1998) became their greatest mainstream success, buoyed by the single "One Week",which spent—coincidentally—one week at No. 1 on theBillboardHot 100.Stuntreached No. 3 in the USBillboard200and No. 9 in Canada. Kevin Hearn was diagnosed withleukemiashortly after the album was released, eventually receiving bone marrow transplants from his brother and missing most of theStunttour.

Kevin Hearn in 2005

The band toured, with friendsChris BrownandGreg Kurstinboth filling in on keyboards until Hearn recovered enough to rejoin them on tour. The singles "It's All Been Done"(used as the opening theme song on the short-lived animated television seriesBaby Blues) and "Call and Answer"(which later appeared in the filmEdTV) were also modest hits. The band was asked to contribute a song ( "Get in Line") to the soundtrack of theFoxcartoonKing of the Hill.Barenaked Ladies also had a guest appearance in a 1999 episode ofTwo Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place.

Led by the "Pinch Me" single, in the USMaroon(2000)did not perform as well asStunthad, reaching only No. 5 on the Billboard Top 100, however, it topped the Canadian charts. In 2001, they released a compilation album entitledDisc One: All Their Greatest Hits (1991–2001),referencing a line from "Box Set". It contained 15 singles from previous albums, two singles from other compilations, and two new tracks (dubbed "our new greatest hits" by Robertson during the subsequent tour).

After finishing a tour on 31 December 2001 inRosemont, Illinoisto promote the compilation, the band decided to take a year off, occasionally playing shows such as the Medals Plaza at the2002 Winter Olympicsin Salt Lake City before returning to the studio in April 2003.

Everything to Everyonewas released on 21 October 2003,coinciding with the first show of the unique Peep Show tour.The first single off the album was "Another Postcard(Chimps) ", which received modest radio play."Testing 1,2,3"was the second single from the album and received a video, but no CD single, while"Celebrity"was released later in the UK with a CD single, but no video." Maybe Katie "(and an edited version of" For You "from a concert inGlasgow) were also released as singles to radio. The album was their weakest seller in years and had a short chart life. The release fulfilled their contract withReprise Records,and they did not re-sign. This made the group independent for the first time since 1992 (though they retained a distribution relationship withWarner Bros. Records). On the subsequent Everywhere For Everyone tour, in early 2004, the band began offering their full live shows for purchase as a download or CD-R via their website, as well as subsequent studio releases.

The band recorded the theme song for the 2000 children's programSeven Little Monsters.They also appeared in "The Honeymoon's Over", the premiere ofCharmed's third season, performing "Pinch Me"onstage at the fictional night club P3. In 2003 they recorded the theme song forOdd Job Jack.

Return to independence (2004–2008)

Steven Page, Kevin Hearn and Ed Robertson live in 2005

The band's next album wasBarenaked for the Holidays,released on 5 October 2004. It was their first independent record sinceThe Yellow Tape,as well the first album recorded at Page's recently-completed farmhouse studio, Fresh Baked Woods. The band created the record label Desperation Records for this album.

In January 2005, the band taped a television pilot for a variety show, tentatively titledBarenaked Ladies Variety Show,which was ultimately rejected by theFoxnetwork.Later that year, the band was asked to write music for theStratford Festival of Canada's musical production ofShakespeare'sAs You Like It.Page wrote most of the music (Shakespeare had provided lyrics in the play), and the band recorded it for the actors to sing over.The recording (with Page's vocals) was available on CD from the festival as well as the band's website. On 2 July they participated in theLive 8 concertinBarrie, Ontario.Following several writing sessions throughout 2005, that fall the band entered the studio at Fresh Baked Woods to begin recording 29 songs. They broke from the studio in November and December to play a 22-show holiday tour, playing one of their new songs each night. AniTunes Originals– a collection of interviews and live songs (coupled with some old album tracks) was recorded while the band was in the studio. It was released in February 2006, when the band went back into the studio to finish up the recordings they started the previous fall. Initially unsure how to release so many songs, the band decided to release a single-disc album in early September entitledBarenaked Ladies Are Me.Several alternate versions are available, including downloadable versions and aUSB flash driveversion. The B.L.A.M. tour in support of the album and its follow-up,Barenaked Ladies Are Men,which hailed from the same sessions, ran in fall 2006 and briefly in June 2007 for the US, February 2007 for Canada, and later in 2007 for the UK. That same year the band wrote and recorded the theme song for the television seriesThe Big Bang Theory.

The band performing on-board itsShips and Dip III cruisein 2008

On 6 May 2008, the band releasedSnacktime!,an album of original material aimed at children. The album features artwork by Hearn in itsliner notes,which is also available in the form of a hardcover book with CD included. The album was promoted with a series of television and in-store appearances at bookstores in the US northeast, the West Coast, and Toronto.

Complications began in July 2008 when the band cancelled several appearances at several Disney Music Block Party concerts followingPage's arreston allegations of cocaine possession.In August, Robertsoncrashed his single-engine plane(without casualty) and his mother died that December.Band members lamented how the events of the year marred their 20th anniversary festivities (1 October 2008).

Departure of Page (2009–2011)

On 24 February 2009, Barenaked Ladies and Steven Page separately announced that Page had left the band by "mutual agreement." The remaining members continued as a quartet while Page pursued solo projects, including theatrical opportunities.In July, it was announced the band had left Nettwerk management and had hired the newly merged management firm CAM 8.

Robertson commented on the departure of one of the band's founding members:

Our relationship with Steve Page was great and very fruitful. It lasted almost 20 years, but it was time to move on. Now we're doing something that feels really fresh and exciting to me. His departure left four singers and three multi-instrumentalists in the band, so we're not lacking for musical ideas, and now there's more room for the other writers in the band to bring songs to the table.

Barenaked Ladies entered the studio as a quartet in May 2009 to record a new album with producerMichael Phillip Wojewoda."You Run Away", the lead single from the new album, was released to Canadian radio on 8 January.All in Good Timewas released 23 March 2010 in Canada and 30 March in the US.On 6 January 2010, the band announced that it had signed an exclusive worldwide distribution deal with EMI Label Services.The same announcement implied that following the departure of Page, the band has created a new label called Raisin' Records.

All in Good Timewas generally well-received by critics.The band toured the U.S. and Canada during the summer of 2010, with an autumn leg in the United Kingdom. When asked about Page's departure, Tyler Stewart said, "We don't keep in touch, but we certainly we [sic] wish him the best, and there's good will there. "In October 2010, Page stated that he has no plans to rejoin the band soon, other than a possible one-off performance. He added that it felt strange the group continued to use the same name and perform the songs that he wrote and performed.

Page commented in August 2011 that around the subsequent time of his arrest for cocaine possession, "the band was no longer the joyous place that it once was, but it hadn't been joyous for a long time before that. It wasn't that we didn't put on good shows, we still had a great time onstage every night," he added. "But it became a place where work was just about the stress and not the end product."

In September 2015,TMZuncovered court documents showing that Page sued Robertson over the "Big Bang Theory Theme" song, alleging that he was promised 20% of the proceeds but Robertson kept the money.

Modern day (2011–present)

The band released a second greatest-hits album,Hits from Yesterday & the Day Before,throughRhino Entertainment(a division of their former parent label,Warner Music Group) on 27 September 2011.Another Rhino album,Stop Us If You've Heard This One Before,containing previously-recorded but unreleased rarities, was planned for release later in 2011but was delayed until 8 May 2012.

Barenaked Ladies was commissioned to compose the original score for a musical based onNational Lampoon's Animal House.The project was announced in early 2012. However, by mid-2013, the band had been dropped from the production.

The band returned to the studio in May 2012 to record a single, "Boomerang". The session was produced byGavin Brown.The band indicated plans for "Boomerang" to be released as a single during the summer of 2012 in conjunction with their Last Summer On Earth tour on which the song was performed nightly.The single was also performed on the late 2012 Symphony Barenaked Tour but remained unreleased. The band had mentioned the possibility of abandoning the album concept and releasing only singles and EPs. However, the band went into the studio in February and March 2013 to work on a full album,which was released asGrinning Streakon 4 June 2013. The band then signed with Vanguard Records for the release, their first label album of originals since going independent following 2003'sEverything to Everyone."Boomerang" was added to the new album tracks and was released as a single on 26 March 2013. Two further singles were released: "Odds Are" in late 2013 and "Did I Say That Out Loud?" in mid-2014. Each of the latter singles had a music video produced byRooster Teeth Productions.

Looking to maintain a high profile, the band began work on a new album in December 2014.The band's 11th studio album,Silverball,was released on 2 June 2015,three days before the band kicked off its Last Summer on Earth 2015 tour withViolent FemmesandColin Hay.The lead single, "Say What You Want",was released on 28 April 2015.The music video for the next single, "Duct Tape Heart", contained live footage of the band's performance atRed Rocks Amphitheatreon the Last Summer On Earth 2015 tour, was released on 19 October 19 to coincide with the start of the Canadian leg of the Silverball tour.

Barenaked Ladies released their second live album,BNL Rocks Red Rocks,on 20 May 2016.It was recorded atRed Rocks Amphitheatreon the Last Summer on Earth 2015 tour. The band also held a Last Summer on Earth 2016 tour withOrchestral Manoeuvres in the DarkandHoward Jonesin conjunction with the new live album.BNL Rocks Red Rocksis the band's first commercial live release since the departure of Page in 2009.

On 23–24 October 2016, the band recorded an album withNew York Citya cappella group,The Persuasionsand producerGavin Brown.The album,Ladies and Gentlemen: Barenaked Ladies and The Persuasions,consisted of new versions of existing Barenaked Ladies songs (along with one Kevin Hearn song and one Persuasions song).It was released on 14 April 2017.

The band returned to the studio in the winter of 2017 to record their 12th studio album,Fake Nudes.The lead single, "Lookin' Up", along with "Bringing It Home", were made available for download to those who pre-ordered the album.The album itself was released on 17 November 2017.

On 25 March 2018, the band was inducted into theCanadian Music Hall of Fameat theJuno AwardsinVancouver.The band performed alongside former members Steven Page (who was included in the induction) and Andy Creeggan. This was Page's first performance with the band since his departure in 2009.Despite his presence at the ceremony, Andy Creeggan was not inducted into the Hall with the other five members. Though there are reportedly no plans for another reunion, neither side has ruled it out.

In the summer of 2019, Barenaked Ladies took a break from their own Last Summer On Earth tours and opened forHootie and the Blowfishon that band's 44-date Group Therapy Tour.It was the band's first tour as an opening act since the early 1990s.

On 4 October 2019,Rhino Recordsreleased a new greatest hits collection titledOriginal Hits, Original Starsexclusively on vinyl.

On 14 January 2020, Robertson stated he was working on songs for a new album,with a tour to follow supported byGin BlossomsandToad the Wet Sprocket.The tour was slated to begin on 3 June inSt. Augustine, Floridaand end on 23 July in Toronto but was delayed until 2021, and delayed again until 2022, due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.In conjunction with the original tour announcement, the band also launched the "Barenaked Bytes"mobile app,allowing fans to gain access to ticket pre-sales, VIP packages, news, and discounts on merchandise.

Starting 29 March 2020, the band began releasing a series ofwebcam-based performances that they have dubbed #SelfieCamJam on theirYouTubechannel in response to the need for isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Their 13th studio album,Detour de Force,was released on 16 July 2021, aided by the singles "Flip", "Good Life" and "New Disaster".

In September 2021, Robertson revealed that Barenaked Ladies were working on a "secret project" withRushbassistGeddy Lee.

On September 15, 2023, the band released their fourteenth studio album,In Flight,which included the singles "Lovin' Life" and "One Night". The album has received mixed reviews since its release.

Musical style

The music of Barenaked Ladies is primarily classified asalternative pop,with influences fromfolkandrock.The band is known for delivering witty lyrics on a platter of catchy melodies. They developed their style ofcomedy rockto suit audience demand in their early days ofopeningfor collegecomedy troupes.The intellectual appeal of their lyrics has led to being labeledgeek rockbyEric Weisbardand others.

Innovation and technology

Barenaked Ladies has often attempted to use new technologies to promote themselves and their music. They were among the early adopters of computers for promotion when they released an "Interactive Press Kit" on a 3.5-inchfloppy diskforMaybe You Should Drivein 1994, which earned them aMuchMusic Video Award.They used their website to allow fans to choose between two songs ( "Be My Yoko Ono" and "Alternative Girlfriend" ) for inclusion on their greatest hits CDDisc One(though polling was nearly tied and both songs were included).

Beginning in April 2003, the band started ablogon its website to keep fans updated personally, coinciding with the band's return to the studio forEverything to Everyone.During a subsequent studio session forBarenaked Ladies Are Me,Ed Robertson began apodcastin addition to the blog, which ran from February to August 2006 (with a series of four videos added in early 2007 with highlights from theband's first cruise).

The band has adopted many of the current online social networking sites, including accounts onMySpace,Facebook,andTwitter.The Twitter feed has been integrated into the band's website, and it also typically announces new blog posts with a link. These accounts have been used for contests and to debut new tracks. Different band members have also had individual accounts on these sites at times.

Barenaked Ladies has sold recordings of almost all of its live concerts since early 2004. Initially, shows were sold onCD-Ror asMP3downloads. By the end of 2004, losslessFLACfiles were also offered. Professionally printed copies of some concerts were later offered through some isolated record stores, and some shows have been added to theiTunes Music Storesand other digital retailers.

The band was praised for a unique use ofUSB flash drivetechnology. The group offered its 2004Barenaked For the Holidaysalbum on a customized flash drive in MP3 format, with extras including bonus tracks and photos and videos from the studio sessions for the album. The band used a 128 MB USB flash drive, limiting the bitrate of the music included. The group described the product as a test of the technology and the market for that technology. It subsequently releasedAre Mein the USB format as well (on a 256 MB flash drive). The band also incorporated the technology into its live music sales, offering fans a copy of concerts in MP3 format on a USB stick at the merchandise booth directly after the show.

In 2009 the band took part in an interactive documentary series,City Sonic.The series, which featured 20 Toronto artists, includes Tyler Stewart reflecting on his memories of the (now closed) Ultrasound Showbar. The films were accompanied by aniPhoneapplication, which usesGlobal Positioning System(GPS) technology to unlock more videos when the user is close to the specific location.

In February 2013, Barenaked Ladies participated in what was billed as the "first space-to-earth musical collaboration"involving the band andChris Hadfield,a Canadian astronaut and commander of theInternational Space Station,along with theWexford Gleeks,a Canadian student choir. The group, Hadfield, and the choir performed a song "I.S.S. (Is Somebody Singing)" that was commissioned by theCanadian Broadcasting Corporationand theCanadian Space Agency.

Awards and nominations

Barenaked Ladies awards and nominations

From left to right: Hearn, Stewart, Creeggan, and Robertson watch Page mime golfing during an ad lib in 2004.
Awards and nominations Award Wins Nominations Billboard 2 2 Grammy 0 2 Juno 8 18 MTV VMA 0 1 Much 4 7 World Music 1 1
Totals
Wins	15
Nominations	31
Note

In 1993, Barenaked Ladies were nominated for their first fourJuno Awards:Canadian Entertainer of the Year, Album of the year forGordon,Single of the Year forEnid,and Group of the Year, which was their only win. The group was again nominated for Entertainer of the Year in 1994 and Group of the Year in 1995.Barenaked Ladies' firstGrammynomination came in 1999 for "One Week" in the Pop Performance by a Duo or Group category but lost toBrian Setzer's "Jump, Jive an' Wail".The song, and its albumStunt,brought the band three more Juno Awards that year, for Best Single, Best Pop Album, and Best Group. Robertson lost toBryan Adamsin the newly revived Best Songwriter Category.The video for "One Week" was nominated for anMTV Video Music Awardfor Best Art Direction, but lost to "Doo Wop (That Thing)"byLauryn Hill.

The band was nominated for their second Grammy in 2001 for "Pinch Me", again in the Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group category, but lost to "Cousin Dupree"bySteely Dan.They also won three more Juno Awards forMaroonunder Best Pop Album, Best Album, and Best Group, bringing their total to seven. "Pinch Me" was nominated for Best Single but lost to "I'm Like a Bird"byNelly Furtado.Additionally, Page and Robertson were nominated in the Best Songwriter category in itspenultimateyear for "Pinch Me","Too Little Too Late",and"Falling for the First Time".

Five more Juno nominations have followed, totalling 18 nominations for the band (in addition to the two songwriting nominations). In 2004 they were up for Pop Album of the Year forEverything to Everyone,as well as Group of the Year. In 2005, they were up for Music DVD of the Year for the documentaryThe Barenaked Truth.In 2006, they were again nominated for Group of the Year. They were nominated for a 2009 Juno for their children's albumSnacktime!and won.

Billboard Music Awards

TheBillboard Music Awardsis sponsored byBillboardmagazine and held annually in December. Barenaked Ladies has received two awards from two nominations.

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
1998	"One Week"	Best Clip (Alternative/Modern Rock)	Won
		Maximum Vision Award	Won

Grammy Awards

TheGrammy Awardsare awarded annually by theNational Academy of Recording Arts and Sciencesof the United States. Barenaked Ladies has received two nominations.

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
1999	"One Week"	Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group	Nominated
2001	"Pinch Me"	Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal	Nominated

Juno Awards

TheJuno Awardsis a Canadian awards ceremony presented annually by theCanadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.Barenaked Ladies has received eight awards from 18 nominations.

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
1993	Barenaked Ladies	Entertainer of the Year	Nominated
	Barenaked Ladies	Group of the Year	Won
	Gordon	Album of the Year	Nominated
	"Enid"	Single of the Year	Nominated
1994	Barenaked Ladies	Entertainer of the Year	Nominated
1995	Barenaked Ladies	Group of the Year	Nominated
1999	Barenaked Ladies	Best Group	Won
	Stunt	Best Pop Album	Won
	"One Week"	Best Single	Won
2001	Barenaked Ladies	Best Group	Won
	Maroon	Best Album	Nominated
		Best Pop Album	Won
	"Pinch Me"	Best Single	Nominated
2004	Barenaked Ladies	Group of the Year	Nominated
	Everything to Everyone	Pop Album of the Year	Nominated
2005	The Barenaked Truth	Music DVD of the Year	Nominated
2006	Barenaked Ladies	Group of the Year	Nominated
2009	Snacktime!	Children's Album of the Year	Won

Further, the band members and other individuals have been nominated for four Junos for their work in connection with the band.

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
1995	Marc Ramaer ( "Hush Sweet Lover" by k.d. lang and "Jane" by Barenaked Ladies)	Recording Engineer of the Year	Nominated
1999	Ed Robertson ( "One Week" )	Best Songwriter	Nominated
	John Rummen, Jay Blakesburg (Stunt)	Best Album Design	Nominated
2001	Steven Page and Ed Robertson ( "Pinch Me", "Too Little Too Late", "Falling for the First Time" )	Best Songwriter	Nominated

MTV Video Music Awards

TheMTV Video Music Awardsis an annual awards ceremony established in 1984 by MTV. Barenaked Ladies has received one nomination.

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
1999	"One Week"	Best Art Direction(Art Director: Paul Martin)	Nominated

MuchMusic Video Awards

TheMuchMusic Video Awards(MMVAs) is an annual awards ceremony presented by Canadian television stationMuchMusicthat honours the best music videos. In the past, the awards included some vote-in People's Choice categories that were not specifically tied to videos. Barenaked Ladies has received four awards and several other nominations.

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
1992	"Lovers in a Dangerous Time"	VideoFACT Award	Won
		People's Choice: Best Group	Won
1993	"Brian Wilson"	People's Choice: Best Group	Won
1995	Maybe You Should Drive	Best Canadian Band Interactive Press Kit	Won
2001	"Pinch Me"	MuchMoreMusic Award	Nominated
	"Too Little Too Late"	People's Choice: Favourite Canadian Group	Nominated
		People's Choice: Favourite Video by a Canadian	Nominated

World Music Awards

TheWorld Music Awardshonours recording artists based on worldwide sales figures provided by theInternational Federation of the Phonographic Industry.Barenaked Ladies has received one award.

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2000	Barenaked Ladies	World's Best-Selling Canadian Group	Won

Beyond music

Biography

Barenaked Ladies have an authorized biography, which was released in 2001, titledPublic Stunts Private Stories,written by a friend of the band and fellow Scarborough nativePaul Myerswith input from the band.It is published in Canada by Madrigal Press. An updated version of the biography was released in 2003 in the US with a different cover, several corrections, and additional information aboutDisc One: All Their Greatest HitsandEverything to Everyone,which were released after the initial printing.

Canadian Music Creators Coalition

In May 2006, Barenaked Ladies, along with other prominent Canadian musicians, formed theCanadian Music Creators Coalitionin response to plans by the Canadian government to revisit and update copyright laws. Steven Page has acted as a conduit between the CMCC and the press, urging the government to focus on the Canadian cultural scene. Page has said the formation of the CMCC was in response to what he believes is the wrong direction taken by theRIAAand the major labels, by suing fans for filesharing.

Barenaked Planet

The band has also become a proponent of environmentalism, following from Page's passion for greening (he is himself a board member ofWWF Canada). The group began bringing an "eco-village"organized by theReverborganization on their 2004 Au Naturale tour. The band has since partnered with Reverb to form the "Barenaked Planet" project, which is the group's label for their project to progressively "green" their touring. Efforts the band have made include ensuring backstage materials are recycled, usingbiodieselin their tour vehicles (B20 as of December 2006), andoffsetting carbon emissionswith wind power. This includes both band-sponsored offsets for their own emissions, as well as having volunteers sell "Barenaked Planet" stickers to concertgoers with the money going to offset their drives to the venues.

Ice cream

Barenaked Ladies is the first Canadian band to receive their own ice cream flavour, "If I Had 1,000,000 Flavours", following in the footsteps of other band-themed Ben & Jerry's flavours such as Cherry Garcia (Jerry Garcia), One Sweet Whirled and Magic Brownies (Dave Matthews Band) and Phish Food (Phish).

The ice cream consisted of "chocolate and vanilla ice cream with chunks of chocolate-covered toffee, white chocolate, peanut butter cups and chocolate-covered almonds."Tyler Stewart described it as "an amalgamation of flavours [...] kind of like the band in a lot of ways—a lot of different personalities, different ethnic groups, all represented and rolled into one."

Artists Against Racism

Barenaked Ladies are a member of Canadian charity Artists Against Racism and has worked with them in the past on awareness campaigns.

WE Charity

Barenaked Ladies have made several appearances duringWE Dayevents, performing in front of thousands of teenagers, empowering the young students to get involved in their communities and to promote social activity throughWE charity's work.

Rock CAN Rol

Barenaked Ladies have supported hunger relief organization Rock Can Rol and together with their fans have helped to feed people in need.

Side projects

Tyler Stewart, Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, and Ed Robertson all have past or present side projects during their time off from Barenaked Ladies. Stewart was part of a short-lived trio called Don't Talk Dance, which released a self-titled album in 1995 featuringChris Brown(who later sat in for Hearn with Barenaked Ladies during his late-90s cancer treatment). The album was made for charity, and all profits went to Casey House, an AIDS charity in Canada.Stewart also plays occasionally with the rockabilly band Pogo Rodeo which he first joined in high school. The band reunited in the early 2010s and has since played occasional concerts

Jim Creeggan formed the alternative/jazz groupThe Brothers Creeggan,with brother and former Barenaked Ladies member Andy Creeggan, later joined by Ian McLauchlan (who died in 2009).The group (variously as a duo and a trio) recorded four albums between 1995 and 2002. The group stopped performing regularly in the mid-2000s and have only played together on rare occasions, such as for Barenaked Ladies' cruises. Andy Creeggan also has several solo albums, with the most recent one released in 2021.

Since 1995, Kevin Hearn has released four albums as the frontman ofKevin Hearn and Thin Buckleand three others with solo billing (with members of Thin Buckle as well as other musicians backing him). Hearn's albums feature a mix of alternative rock and jazz with many other eclectic influences.Hearn continues to perform in the Toronto area and occasionally tours with Thin Buckle. Hearn was also the musical director and keyboardist forLou Reed's band from the mid-2000s until Reed's passing in October 2013. He has also released an album of love songs as "The Cousins" in 2004 with his cousin, comedianHarland Williams.

Robertson joined a supergroup calledYukon Korneliusin 2008 withDave Matthews Bandbass playerStefan Lessard,singer/guitaristAdam GardnerofGuster,and drummer Eric Fawcett ofSpymob.To date, the band has played four shows, but they anticipate doing a short tour when work with their other bands permit. Special guests usually join Yukon Kornelius during their shows, includingDee SniderofTwisted Sister,Carl Bell(formerly ofFuel), Tyler Stewart, and other members of the Dave Matthews Band. Robertson also hosted three seasons of the 2006 television program calledEd's Upfor OLN Canada in which he flew his own plane to various locations to experience and publicize a variety of interesting occupations.

Former member Steven Page had a side project calledThe Vanity Project.The first self-titled album was written mostly with long-time collaboratorStephen Duffy.In the wake of a band decision to try to keep songwriting amongst its then-five members, Page said that the project was an opportunity for him to write with non-Barenaked Ladies writers. He indicated that a future release might include other writers and not necessarily Duffy. However, Page did not record a second Vanity Project album before his departure from Barenaked Ladies and has released his post-Barenaked Ladies works in his own name. Page has also hosted a season of the reality television seriesThe Illegal Eater,which features Page travelling to showcase food and drink experiences that are in some way taboo, illicit, or outright illegal.

Also, band members (both individually and together) have often collaborated with other artists, such as making guest appearances on their albums, performing live, or co-writing songs with them.

In February 2019 all four band members joined Canadian rock musicianKim Mitchellin recording a rework of Mitchell's former bandMax WebstersongDiamonds Diamondsfrom their 1977 albumHigh Class in Borrowed Shoes.A video of the collaboration was released onYouTube.

Reception

In December 2008,Paul McCartneywas reportedly asked by a session musician which bands he enjoys in the current music scene. His response was Barenaked Ladies: "Their harmonies are right on. They could outsing us any day of the week. I don't thinkJohnand myself ever had the sort of range they do. "McCartney added that he would not mind recording with the band in the future.

In 2018, notable Ontarian musical historians Liam Coholan, Patrick Murphy, and Jon "The Don" Dilario acknowledge in their latest Canadian music history issue that "BNL was one of the most impactful bands when it comes to discussing the development of Canadian society in the 21st century."

Band members

Current members

• Ed Robertson– lead and backing vocals, lead and rhythm guitars (1988–present)
• Jim Creeggan– double bass, bass guitar, backing and lead vocals (1989–present)
• Tyler Stewart– drums, percussion (1990–present), backing and lead vocals (2008–present)
• Kevin Hearn– keyboards, lead and rhythm guitars, lead and backing vocals (1995–present)

Former members

• Steven Page– lead and backing vocals, rhythm and lead guitars (1988–2009), (one-off in 2018)
• Andy Creeggan– keyboards, backing and lead vocals (1991–1995), drums (1989-1990), percussion (1989-1990, 1991-1995)

Timeline

Discography

Main article:Barenaked Ladies discography

Studio albums

• Gordon(1992)
• Maybe You Should Drive(1994)
• Born on a Pirate Ship(1996)
• Stunt(1998)
• Maroon(2000)
• Everything to Everyone(2003)
• Barenaked Ladies Are Me(2006)
• Barenaked Ladies Are Men(2007)
• All in Good Time(2010)
• Grinning Streak(2013)
• Silverball(2015)
• Fake Nudes(2017)
• Detour de Force(2021)
• In Flight(2023)

Video releases

• Barenaked in America
• Too Little Too Late
• Barelaked Nadies
• The Barenaked Truth
• Talk to the Hand: Live in Michigan

External links

• Official website
• Barenaked Ladiesdiscography atDiscogs
• Barenaked LadiesatIMDb
• Article at canadianbands.com
• Barenaked Ladies' channelonYouTube