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The Great Unwashed — an influential New Zealand indie rock band formed in 1982 by brothers Hamish and David Kilgour.
The Great Unwashed was created as an offshoot and immediate successor to their legendary band, The Clean, which had temporarily disbanded after pioneering the iconic, jangling Dunedin sound. Seeking an antidote to the chart-topping pop success of The Clean, the Kilgour brothers adopted the tongue-in-cheek name The Great Unwashed and pivoted toward a quieter, more experimental, and folkier psychedelic-pop sound. Working as a duo, they recorded their debut album, Clean Out of Our Minds, using a 4-track recorder at their mother's home in Christchurch. Released in 1983 on Flying Nun Records, the album is celebrated for its loose, eccentric, lazy afternoon vibe. Circa 1984 the band soon expanded for a 25-date national tour, bringing in fellow Dunedin underground pioneer Peter Gutteridge (an original member of The Clean who later founded Snapper) on bass, and Ross Humphries on guitar. This lineup injected a heavier, more menacing, and acid-rock edge into the music, culminating in the 1984 release of the Singles double 7-inch package. Though closely tethered to the cultural fabric of Dunedin, the band actually recorded its major material in Christchurch and Auckland, however, their spiritual home remained embedded in the Dunedin music scene. Their song What You Should Be Now famously opens with a direct nod to the city - Saw you back in Dunedin/Things seem strange there, capturing the moody atmosphere and inventive spirit of the southern region. By late 1984, the band dissolved, paving the way for the eventual reunion of The Clean and other vital Flying Nun offshoots.
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