With their debut album 'I Love You' out today, Teen Jesus And The Jean Teasers are a force to be reckoned with.
Since 2017 they have released multiple singles and a couple of EPs, taking the airwaves by storm while becoming regulars of the festival and touring circuit.Every step of the way they have broken boundaries and pushed limits; on being played on triple j, the group's bassist Jaida Stephenson still recalls the memory fondly.
"I think 'Ahhhh!' was our first single to get onto rotation [in 2021], and I just lost it. It was insane, hearing our song on the radio every day. Since then, I'm pretty sure every song we've released has gotten on to [triple j] rotation."
The band have become renowned for their loud, crashing songs that ooze energy and are highlighted by deeply personal lyrics and stories that touch on the four young women's personal lives and experiences.
However, when it came to creating their debut album, the band decided to once again throw out expectations and do things their own way.
"When we recorded our last EP ['Pretty Good For A Girl Band'], we wanted to make a punchy introduction into the music scene," shares Jaida. "Every song was loud, fast and heavy, to make as much of an impact as possible. The album is more emotional, about how we are feeling and an insight into our lives.
"We were writing that music anyway, we had just never recorded it before. A lot of our stuff was intended to be softer, but then we would take it into the studio and Teen Jesus-ify it, and it ends up a loud rock song.
"We really wanted to make sure we captured these softer, sentimental ones and kept them how they were intended to be."
Part of what makes a band so special are the people who make it up, and Teen Jesus is no different. Each single released for the album is personally tied to a member of the band, truly showing how cohesive the group is.
After growing up as childhood friends and now playing music together for years, moments like being invited to support Foo Fighters in Melbourne next month offer reflection for a band that has come so far in such a short space of time.
"When we got asked I was like, 'surely not little old us? Four little Canberra musos that came out of my parents garage?' It's just so exciting and we are so grateful."
It's clear how they came to possess such creativity when you see them onstage, joking around on social media, or even a picture of them together. However, the album was a first for the band as they collaborated with The Grogans.
"'Salt' was the first song we've ever had a feature on. We met [The Grogans] on tour in regional Tasmania a couple of weeks before we recorded the song.
"We were stuck in a bus together for like a week, and we didn't know them at the start of the tour, but we came out as brothers. Best friends, ride or die. Having them for 'Salt' felt so right.
"It made us realise how important friendships and connections in the industry are, and that you don't have to take things seriously. It's a serious song, but if you saw how we recorded it, it was just us drinking beers and screaming; it was a lot of fun."
With no signs of losing this fun-focused mindset, Teen Jesus And The Jean Teasers will tour nationally to promote the release of 'I Love You'. "We just spent two weeks rehearsing a new live show, which is very exciting," Jaida says.
"We want to keep the classic Teen Jesus energy, which is us not knowing what we are doing and being little idiots, just raw and authentic. But we have also focused on doing a lot of transitions and making the show more cognitive. The headline shows will be crazy."
With a name like theirs, you would expect no less. Headline shows and stadium slots to come, Teen Jesus show no intention of slowing down.
- written by Callum Crowe
'I Love You' is available.
Teen Jesus And The Jean Teasers 2023 Tour Dates
Tue 10 Oct - The Cube (Wondonga)*Wed 11 Oct - Kambri at ANU (Canberra)*
Fri 13 Oct - Anita's Theatre (Wollongong)*
Sat 14 Oct - Yours & Owls Festival (Wollongong)
Fri 20 Oct - Bar On The Hill (Newcastle)*
Sat 21 Oct - Hoey Moey (Coffs Harbour)*
Sun 22 Oct - Kingscliff Beach Hotel (Northern Rivers)*
Fri 27 Oct - The Triffid (Brisbane)
Sat 28 Oct - Tanks Arts Centre (Cairns)*
Sun 29 Oct - Tanks Arts Centre (Cairns)*
Thu 2 Nov - UniBar (Adelaide)
Fri 3 Nov - 170 Russell (Melbourne)
Fri 10 Nov - The River (Margaret River)
Sat 11 Nov - Port Beach Brewery (Fremantle)
Fri 17 Nov - Metro Theatre (Sydney)
Mon 4 Dec - AAMI Stadium (Melbourne)* supporting Foo Fighters
*supporting DMA'S
