Ivan Doroschuk, Men Without Hats

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Ivan Doroschuk has been making great synth pop/rock songs for more than 40 years, and as founder of Men Without Hats remains a live performance powerhouse in addition to regular releases of new material. In this episode we chat on Ivan’s career, approach to composition and his favourite synths of all time.

To listen / watch:

1. Audio-only: click on the play button in the audio player above, or:
2. Video: watch the embedded video below or check it and previous episodes out on our YouTube Channel

Discussion topics covered during the show (links will open in new tab):  

The past 12 months for Men Without Hats

Upcoming Australian tour

Men Without Hats in action in 2026

Men Without Hats’ latest album: On The Moon

Ivan’s musical upbringing

The formation of Men Without Hats as part of the Montreal punk scene

Moving to the synth based Men Without Hats we know

Developing the Men Without Hats sound and the ‘no sequencer’ approach

The Korg MS-20

Origins of The Safety Dance

Ivan’s key keyboard player / composer influences

Ivan’s solo album – The Spell

The evolution of Ivan’s home studio

The 1980s version of Men Without Hats’ keyboard rig to today.

The Yamaha QX1

A Men Without Hats train wreck story

Desert Island Discs: Foxtrot – Genesis, Tubular Bells – Mike Oldfield, Obscured by Clouds – Pink Floyd, You – Gong, Autobahn – Kraftwerk 

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Check out our podcast guest playlist on Spotify to get a taste of each guest’s creations.