Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers: I Love You, Say It Back

Teen Jesus and The Jean Teasers are carrying the torch for the next generation of punk rockers. Now, they’re cracking open the fresh sound captured on their ARIA top ten album, I Love You, in an extended deluxe version that saw them collab with The Linda Lindas. Here, guitarist Scarlett McKahey chats about the Canberra circuit, representation and what’s next.

Words by Tobias Handke | Image by Michelle Pitiris

Congrats on the last 12 months. It’s been an amazing time for the band. What’s the biggest highlight so far?

Putting out our album [I Love You]. That was years of work. It’s a big summary of our young adult and teenage lives so far. It felt really good to close that [chapter]. I’m excited to leave it all behind and move on to something else – no more songs I wrote in high school!

What does the album mean to you a year on from its release?

I see the album as a diary of our deepest, darkest thoughts that are now public. I’m really proud of all the work we put in. The songs on that album are from a huge spectrum of different eras and so many moods. It feels cohesive. I think that’s why people relate to us as a band. It shows all of our sides.

I Love You Too – the deluxe edition of your debut LP – arrived on September 20. There are three new tracks on the record, including ‘Please Me’ with The Linda Lindas. How’d that collaboration come about?

‘Please Me’ was meant to be on the album, but it didn’t make the cut! We’re huge Linda Linda fans because, who isn’t, they’re perfect! Last year, they did a list of their favourite albums of the year, and I Love You was on the list. We didn’t realise we were on their radar at all. When it was time to start thinking about the tracks for the deluxe [album], our manager Ash was like,”‘Have you thought about putting The Linda Lindas on ‘Please Me’?” We got this little Whatsapp group chat going with ideas for stuff. We’re very grateful that they were part of it.

You cut your teeth in Canberra. What was the music scene like growing up?

We always say that if we hadn’t grown up in Canberra, we wouldn’t have done any of the stuff we’ve done. We were in high school when we started the band and we sucked for so long, but people would still always be at our shows – if there’s this 14-year-old band who are kind of goth playing in a pub, you’re going to go see them because there’s nothing else to do! But Canberra was great. Everyone’s been so supportive here. There’s no weirdness about trying to start a band or learning or getting better.

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Authenticity is why your music resonates with people, particularly females. What bands did you look to when coming up through the ranks? And how do you now feel being that representation for others?

I remember when we started the band and I was obsessed with the triple j Unearthed website. I remember listening to Alex Lahey so much. There was this perfect time in Australian pop-rock with Alex Lahey, Jack River and Courtney Barnett. But then I love L7 and Hole, too. We opened for Alex Lahey in 2018 in Canberra and thought it was the coolest thing ever.

I think it’s so important to see young non-males in Australia just doing it. I still get so inspired by so many amazing non-male Australian bands. It is so important to have representation. If you don’t see someone who looks like you up on stage, then you’re not going to think you can do it. Having so much of that now is sick – it’s the way it should have always been.

You also spoke to the House of Representatives about the issues facing the industry in the inquiry into live music. Why was that important to you?

Honestly, I want to be able to pay my rent. We’ve been in this band for almost 10 years. We now have the tiniest bit of money coming in every week, but we’re about to play three stadiums in a month, and it’s like, ‘Why can’t I pay my rent?’. There are grants – which is great – but it’s not that accessible, especially for smaller bands.

If you’re an opener on a tour and flights are $250 minimum each way, then how are you meant to make it at all? I feel like ‘making it’ is such a foreign thing now. You either work full time and spend all your money on touring or you retire. There are obviously more important things happening in the world right now, like Palestine. But in a local sense, it would be great to see more contributions from the government to help with [music].

Do you think it’ll get better?

Yeah, I think so. There’s a whole generation of young people in their early 20s or late teens, who spent their prime formative teenage years inside because of lockdown and don’t know they want to go to gigs. We’ve got to give them some time! Festivals will be back when all the kids decide to like live music.

You’re hitting the road to celebrate the deluxe album. What should people expect from these shows?

It’s going to be energetic, fun, happy – like a party. We’re just so excited to be playing.

If you could sum up a Teen Jesus show in three words, what would they be?

I was going to say thirty, flirty and thriving, but we’re not thirty! So 23, flirty and thriving.

Catch Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers at Lion Arts Factory on November 2. Tickets on sale now via Moshtix.

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