Naked And Famous

The Naked and Famous formed in Auckland, New Zealand, in 2007. The band’s current members are Alisa Xayalith (vocals, keyboards) and Thom Powers (vocals, guitars). Their early work included two extended plays, “This Machine” and “No Light,” recorded with fellow student Aaron Short at the Music and Audio Institute of New Zealand. These EPs were released on the independent label Round Trip Mars. The initial live lineup included Ben Knapp and Jordan Clark, who were later replaced by Jesse Wood and David Beadle in 2009.

In 2010, the band released their debut single “Young Blood,” which reached number one on the New Zealand chart. This was followed by their debut studio album, “Passive Me, Aggressive You,” released on September 6, 2010, under their own label, Somewhat Damaged. Thom Powers and Aaron Short produced the album, with mixing handled by Billy Bush. The band received six nominations at the 2011 New Zealand Music Awards, winning several, including Album of the Year and Best Group. By mid-2012, after performing over 200 shows in 24 countries, the band relocated to Los Angeles, California.

Their second album, “In Rolling Waves,” was recorded in Los Angeles and mixed in London, released on September 16, 2013. The Naked and Famous continued to tour internationally, including an appearance at Coachella in 2014. Their third studio album, “Simple Forms,” was released on October 14, 2016, through Somewhat Damaged in collaboration with Kobalt Label Services. In 2018, Jesse Wood and Aaron Short departed, and Luna Shadows joined temporarily. The band released an acoustic compilation, “A Still Heart,” in March 2018. Their fourth studio album, “Recover,” was released on July 24, 2020. The band performed live in October 2025 at the Singapore Grand Prix for the first time in over five years.