Men Without Hats

Men Without Hats
Company type	Band
Industry	Music
Founded	1977 in Montreal, Canada
Headquarters	Vancouver, Canada
Key people	Ivan Doroschuk (lead vocals)
Products	New wave and synth-pop music

Men Without Hats is a Montreal-based Canadian band specializing in new wave and synth-pop, distinguished by lead vocalist Ivan Doroschuk's baritone tone and their prominent use of synthesizers. The group rose to prominence in the 1980s with chart-topping singles such as "The Safety Dance" (which reached No. 3 in the U.S.) and "Pop Goes the World".

Following a period of inactivity throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Ivan Doroschuk revived the band in 2010, leading to the release of Love in the Age of War in 2012. Currently operating out of Vancouver, Men Without Hats remain active on tour, promoting their Again (Part 1) EP and Again (Part 2) full-length album during 2021 and 2022.

Formation and Early Years

Men Without Hats originated in Montreal in 1977 as a punk rock ensemble composed of Ivan Doroschuk (vocals), Pete Seabrooke (guitar), Dave Hill (bass), and John Gurrin (drums). By 1980, Ivan reshaped the group into an electronic-focused outfit featuring Jérémie Arrobas (vocals, keyboards) alongside his brothers Stefan Doroschuk (bass) and Colin Doroschuk (guitar). Drawing inspiration from artists like Gary Numan, OMD, and Ultravox, this transition marked their move toward synthesizer-driven music.

Prior to this iteration, Arrobas and the Doroschuk siblings had collaborated in Wave 21, a brief high school band project. Stefan later revived Wave 21 as a country-pop act with his daughters.

The Doroschuk brothers, all classically trained musicians born in Champaign, Illinois while their Canadian father pursued doctoral studies, relocated to Montreal during their childhood. The band's name reflects their deliberate choice to forgo hats during harsh Montreal winters, symbolizing a preference for fashion over warmth.

Throughout their formative years, Men Without Hats experienced numerous personnel changes. Ivan remained the only permanent member, with Stefan, Colin, and Arrobas serving as consistent contributors through the early 1980s.

Their debut release was the 1980 EP Folk of the 80's, which signaled their shift from punk roots to new wave sounds. This record featured Ivan on vocals and bass, Arrobas on keyboards, supported by Stefan Doroschuk (bass), Roman Martyn (guitar), and Lysanne Thibodeau providing backing vocals. Shortly thereafter, Martyn exited and was replaced by Jean-Marc Pisapia who soon left to establish The Box. Pisapia’s successor was Tracy Howe, later known for co-founding Rational Youth, who was eventually succeeded by Mike Gabriel on keyboards. Both Arrobas and Gabriel departed before the recording of the subsequent album.

Global Recognition

Ivan and Stefan—now fully integrated into the band—enlisted Allan McCarthy on percussion and electronics to produce their debut full-length album Rhythm of Youth in 1982. This lineup scored a Canadian hit with "The Safety Dance", which peaked at No. 11 in May 1983. The single also climbed to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, reached No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart, secured top ten spots across Europe, attained No. 2 in New Zealand, and topped South African charts where it ranked as the eleventh best-selling single of that year.

With Pierre joining officially, Men Without Hats released Folk of the 80's (Part III) in 1984. Although its lead single "Where Do The Boys Go?" entered Canada’s top 40, the album did not achieve comparable international acclaim to their debut record.

In 1985 came the EP Freeways, which featured multilingual versions of their earlier track "Freeways". Footage from its supporting tour was later issued on DVD under the title Live Hats in 2006.

After further lineup revisions, the band issued Pop Goes the World in 1987 featuring Ivan, Stefan, and Lenny Pinkas. The title track reached No. 20 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, peaked at No. 2 in Canada, and claimed No. 1 status in Austria. It also appeared in the motion picture Date with an Angel and ranked as South Africa’s fifteenth best-selling single in 1988.

Their follow-up album from 1989, The Adventures of Women & Men Without Hate in the 21st Century, included a cover of ABBA’s "SOS" and featured touring musicians Bruce Murphy (keyboards/guitar), Marika Tjelios (bass), Richard Sampson (drums), and Heidi Garcia on vocals/keyboards.

The band's shift toward guitar-oriented rock came with their 1991 release Sideways, influenced by Nirvana. Ivan arranged for a smaller budget with PolyGram to accommodate this style; however, the label declined to support it further, resulting in termination of their contract. This lineup included Ivan on vocals; Félix Matte handling lead guitar; John Kastner on rhythm guitar; Stefan playing bass; Michel Langevin on drums; and Colin managing keyboards.

Due to disappointing reception for Sideways coupled with inability to secure another U.S. record deal, Men Without Hats disbanded in 1993. Their final performance was a benefit concert supporting a Montreal women’s shelter where guitarist Denis D'Amour substituted for Matte and Kastner who had previously left.

Projects throughout the 1990s and 2000s

Following the band's breakup, lead vocalist Ivan and keyboardist Bruce Murphy collaborated in 1993 to produce demos for a concept album named UFO's Are Real, which ultimately remained unreleased. In 1997, Ivan issued his solo record The Spell. Allan McCarthy, a former member, passed away in 1995 due to AIDS-related complications. Meanwhile, Stefan joined forces with Mack MacKenzie of Canadian alt-country group Three O'Clock Train to release the Western-inspired album Ride for Glory (1999) under the moniker MacKenzie-Parker Gang.

After a decade-long break, the band returned with No Hats Beyond This Point in November 2003, revisiting their original new wave sound. Although there were announcements about a supporting tour and a box set compiling early material, these plans never came to fruition, resulting in another disbandment in early 2004 and marking the end of Stefan’s participation.

Colin embarked on a solo endeavor named Centrifugal Force, releasing two albums before shifting his focus to opera and classical music. His career expanded to roles such as Artistic Director at Montreal’s Northern Opera Theatre and composer-in-residence at Ballet Victoria in British Columbia. His compositions include ballets and operas like Evangeline, which premiered in 2014 with Doroschuk conducting.

In 2006, Trilogie Musique issued an unauthorized DVD titled Live Hats, showcasing a 1985 concert recorded in Montreal; this release was subsequently withdrawn from circulation.

Reunion from 2010 to present

In 2010, Ivan Doroschuk revived Men Without Hats, assembling Derek Mansfield (synthesizers), James Love (guitar), and Lou Dawson (synthesizers) as members. Their first performance took place at the Rifflandia Music Festival in Victoria, BC, where they played selections from their catalog. Stefan initially described this lineup as "merely singer Ivan Doroschuk with hired musicians" and likened it to a "tribute band." The group launched the Dance If You Want Tour in March 2011, receiving favorable reviews at South by Southwest.

By June 2011, Doroschuk revealed plans for a new studio album originally titled Folk of the 80's (Part IV), later retitled Love in the Age of War, which was released in June 2012. Produced by Dave Ogilvie of Skinny Puppy fame, the project sought to revive and modernize the classic synthesizer-driven sound of the 1980s using authentic vintage instruments instead of software synthesizers.

By that year’s end, James Love, Lou Dawson, and Mark Olexson had become official band members alongside Doroschuk; Colin also contributed vocals on the record. After completing recording sessions, Olexson was replaced by Rachel Ashmore on keyboards to emphasize the synthesizer elements.

In 2013, Men Without Hats toured across the United States as part of the Regeneration Tour alongside other iconic 1980s acts such as Howard Jones and Erasure. Subsequent European tours took place in 2015 and 2016. In July 2016, Doroschuk performed solo at Australia’s Totally '80s event before rejoining the full ensemble. Prior to a European tour later that year, Sho Murray succeeded James Love as guitarist.

On January 28, 2020, Doroschuk announced work on a sequel to Love in the Age of War, titled Again (Parts 1 and 2). These albums were recorded in Vancouver between July 2020 and January 2021 for release through their new label Sonic Envy. Again (Part 2) includes twelve original tracks such as "Heaven," a song penned in 1985 but never previously recorded; meanwhile, Again (Part 1) is an EP featuring five songs comprised of covers alongside a reworked version of "Safety Dance" renamed “No Friends of Mine.” Starting June 2021, the band toured with Ivan handling lead vocals and electronics, Colin providing vocals, guitar, and keyboards, Sho Murray on guitar, and additional vocals supplied by Colin’s daughter Sahara Sloan.

In 2024, Men Without Hats embarked on a North American tour called Abducted by the 80's alongside Wang Chung, the Motels, and Naked Eyes; they also appeared at the Totally Tubular Festival with Tom Bailey and Thomas Dolby.

On November 14, 2025, Men Without Hats released On The Moon, featuring the single "I Love The 80s" along with a rendition of John Lennon’s "Jealous Guy."

Current

Ivan Doroschuk – lead vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, synthesizers, drum programming (1977–1993, 2002–2003, 2010–present)
Colin Doroschuk – vocals, keyboards, guitar, bass (1979–1986, 1990–1993, 2020–present)
Sho Murray – guitar (2016–present)
Adrian White – drums (2018–present)
Sahara Sloan – vocals, keyboards (2023–present)

Former

This section also includes certain session musicians whose official status as members is uncertain.

Studio albums

Rhythm of Youth (1982)
Folk of the 80's (Part III) (1984)
Pop Goes the World (1987)
The Adventures of Women & Men Without Hate in the 21st Century (1989)
Sideways (1991)
No Hats Beyond This Point (2003)
Love in the Age of War (2012)
Again, Part 2 (2022)
On the Moon (2025)

External links