To those of us who live here, Lake Minnetonka means home. To some global music fans, however, it might mean funk and jazz.
In Melbourne, Australia, there’s a band called Lake Minnetonka. The members are Australian—so how the heck did they choose such a name? For one thing, they say, their music is influenced by Minneapolis native son Prince, who referred to the lake in his songs. Lake Minnetonka (the band, that is) also incorporates sounds inspired by other Minnesota artists like Mazarati, Alexander O’Neal, the Time and Sheila E.
“I play keytar, and drummer Emily Shaw blends live drums and drum samples to create that classic robo-funk sound, synonymous with 1980s Minneapolis funk,” says bandleader Adam Rudegeair.
Lake Minnetonka is currently working on an album for release in late 2017. It will include some of their current singles, including “Clipnosis” and “Out There Bout There,” which were both recorded in Minneapolis with former Prince band members Dr. Fink, Eric Leeds and Sonny Thompson.
Although Lake Minnetonka (the band) has never played near Lake Minnetonka (the lake), they hope to pay us a visit soon. “I visited Lake Minnetonka when I came to Minneapolis to record last year, but I didn’t get a chance to perform,” says Rudegeair. “Hopefully, I’ll be able to change that when I return in 2017.”
