“ Full on purple funk front to back.”
Lake Minnetonka have crafted a slick contemporary Melbourne take on the Minneapolis Sound (made famous by the likes of Prince, Janet Jackson, Sheila E, and The Time). They are known for energetic live shows, featuring the wild keytar virtuosity of bandleader Adam Rudegeair. Their so-called ‘Melbourneapolis ("Melbourne-apolis") Sound’ fuses funk, jazz and new wave into an irreverent sonic explosion.
Lake Minnetonka also features Jack Wieseler on guitar, Ann Metry (Tina Arena, Liz Stringer) on bass, Emily Shaw (The Elvis Big Band) on drums, ‘AJ’ Jackson on tenor sax, with vocalists Chantal Mitvalsky (Cannonball, Snack Cat), Henry Manetta and Petra Elliott. Lake’s live performances feature regular musical guests, and In addition to original tunes, they love to get down on classic Minneapolis joints from back in the day by the likes of Mazarati, The Family, and The Time.
Formed in 2013, the band had their first gig at the legendary Purple Emerald, a local haven for funk and acid jazz bands. Swiftly growing a loyal following on the strength of their live shows, the band soon holed up in the recording studio, smashing out five tunes in one session. The fruit of this recording was the EP ‘This Is Lake Minnetonka’, a playful nod to the infamous scene between Prince and Apollonia in Purple Rain that inspired the band’s name.
In 2014, members of Lake Minnetonka were invited onstage to jam with Larry Graham and Graham Central Station during their Bluesfest sideshow at the Corner Hotel. Dr Fink (Prince and the Revolution) performed in Melbourne that same year, with Adam acting as the Musical Director. This amazing experience laid the groundwork for Adam to travel to the USA the following year.
In 2015 Adam made his first trip to Minneapolis to record at Dr Fink’s StarVu Studios. The session featured Fink on keys, as well as Sonny Thompson (The New Power Generation), Petar Janic (Cory Wong), and Eric Leeds (The Revolution, The Family, Madhouse). These tracks would end up on Lake’s 2018 debut album ‘Melbourneapolis’.
“Fans have been wondering what ever happened to [Prince side project] Madhouse? Well, it just so happens to be alive and well in Melbourne Australia in the guise of the band, Lake Minnetonka!”
The follow-up EP Honey Garden featured four tracks co-written with Francoise d’Argent (FOSSEY, Silver Linings).
2019 saw Lake Minnetonka release Year of the Bat a 20-minute concept film celebrating Batman’s 80th anniversary and 30 years of Prince’s film soundtrack. That same year, they were the backing band for Ashley Tamar Davis (The New Power Generation, The Voice) on her Australian tour.
House Arrest is the new album from Lake Minnetonka. Two years in the making, the album was shaped and sharpened during the disaster-ridden 2020, and is now ready to explode out of speakers worldwide. It features the apocalyptic single ‘Black Pegasus’, and the Weather Report-inspired funk odyssey ‘Hip Balm’. Lake Minnetonka’s discography is replete with exciting collaborations and this album is no exception. House Arrest featuring co-writes with vocalists Chantal Mitvalsky and Henry Manetta, as well as four jazz-fusion instrumentals recorded in North Minneapolis with Dr Fink (Prince and the Revolution) and St Paul Peterson (The Time, David Sanborn).
House Arrest was launched at the Night Cat in May 2022.
“If you’re a fan of the mid-late 80’s era of Prince, this album is definitely for you...we can confidently award this new release Melbourneapolis with our highly regarded 5 out of 5 afros.”
“Funklords Lake Minnetonka have been bringing infectious jazz riffs and bouncing funk beats to Melbourne since 2013, jetting between hometown Melbourne and the soulful Minneapolis that has been influencing their sound.”
“Melbourne funk redeemers Lake Minnetonka are turning all the right heads in all the right places.”
