Welcome to The Fresh Squeeze, where every week, BLUNT gets down to the wire with an up-and-coming act we simply can’t get enough of.
In this week’s shiny new edition, we get the juice on grunge revivalists Teen Jesus And The Jean Teasers, who recently fast-tracked their journey to world domination by signing to Domestic La La (the trailblazing label backed by Violent Soho shredder James Tidswell). The riff-splitting Canberrans have made local legions swoon en masse since 2016 – when they were still high-schoolers, no less – but with their punchy and propulsive new single ‘AHHHH!’, they’re setting their sights on bigger and bolder things. As anyone that’s seen them live would attest, Teen Jesus And The Jean Teasers are a force to be reckoned with. And when their full-length debut eventually lands (sooner rather than later, we hope), lord have mercy on us all…
Who’s in your band, what do they play, and what would be your non-musical superpowers?
Anna is the lead singer, rhythm guitarist and rock icon. She changes her hair colour weekly, which is why I think her superpower would be shape shifting. Neve is the drummer, backup vocalist and Rubik’s Cube champion. I think Neve’s superpower would be the ability to read minds (like Edward Cullen). Scarlett is the lead guitarist, backup vocalist and style idol. Scarlett’s superpower would be water-bending so she can always be hydrated. Jaida is the bass guitarist, backup vocalist and craft grandma. Jaida’s superpower would be time travel.
When you’re not tearing shit up on your instruments, what do you legends like to get up to?
We all have lots of hobbies outside of the band. Neve is a support worker, she draws cute cartoons, and she is an excellent cat mum! Anna is tasty chef, a pro knitter, and loves a good boogie! Scarlett is an amazing tattoo artist, avid crocheter and loves to paint. Jaida is also a support worker, she loves to make clothes, skate and look after plants.
What would your hometown’s landmark be?
Canberra’s landmark would have to be a tie between Mooseheads, the giant goon bag and Sweet Bones.
What’s the usual first topic of conversation when you take a break at rehearsal?
This is a hard one! When we rehearse, we’re usually just super excited to be seeing each other, so it’s probably just us catching up on life!
What’s your pre-show warm-up routine?
Our pre-show warm-up routine is a bit weird – we do a strange dance in a circle while hyping ourselves up, and our walk-out song is always The Veronicas’ ‘Untouched’.
Tell us about your most memorable show, what made it so special?
Our most memorable show would be when we played a bushfire fundraiser with WAAX at Stay Gold in 2019. We were meant to be playing Falls Festival in Lorne that day, but it was cancelled because of the fires, so we played a charity show in Melbourne instead. The venue was packed and everyone was just having the best time. The night ended with the whole crowd coming onto the stage and having a big dance party. It was so much fun!
What band would you most like to share the stage with and why?
There are so many to choose from, but just to name a few, we would love to share a stage with Dream Wife, Wolf Alice and the Arctic Monkeys!
What’s the most exciting album you’ve listened to recently?
Sly Withers’ Gardens! It’s honestly such an amazing album and every song is perfect. Go have a listen if you haven’t yet!
If you could be endorsed by one company, who would it be?
We’ve been lucky enough to be supported by some pretty damn cool companies so far, like Dr Martens, Vodka Cruisers and Brixton, but we would love to be endorsed by Fender or Gibson. Neve would love to be endorsed by Vic Firth after impaling her arm with one of their drumsticks. True story.
Why are you going to make it to the top over all the other contenders in the musical arena?
I think why we’ve made it to where we have in our musical careers so far is because we’ve always just had fun with it! I think everyone who’s in it for the right reasons is gonna be successful no matter what, just as long as they’re having a good time!
‘Ahhhh!’ is out now via Domestic La La. Check it out below, or stream it on Apple Music / Spotify / Bandcamp
Connect with Teen Jesus And The Jean Teasers on Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Triple J Unearthed
