“To truly rock out, you must dare to defy the norms. You must rebel against authority,” once declared the legendary Jack Black in the film School of Rock. This bold proclamation resonated with four teens from Canberra in 2015. After watching the movie during a sleepover, they were inspired to form what would later become one of the most thrilling new musical acts in Australia: Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers. The band’s quirky name, originally a humorous suggestion by an uncle, has since become a hallmark of their identity.
These young rockers, all 15 at the time, quickly gained a reputation for their punk flair, catching the attention of venue owners who booked them despite their youth. Unaccompanied minors in their early gigs, they often appeared older than their actual ages of 16 or 17.
“We would have our parents come along, and instead of alcohol, our rider included lemonade. We carried our school bags and played sets in pubs. Looking back, it was quite odd, but we thought we were the coolest,” recalls Scarlett McKahey, now 24, with a chuckle.
“Honestly, it really was cool,” agrees Anna Ryan, also 24.
They got bigger and bigger, but they still felt impostor syndrome; when huge crowds lined up to see Teen Jesus play at Brisbane’s Bigsound in 2018, “I was like, what are they lining up for? Who is playing after us?” says Ryan.
Their 2022 EP Pretty Good for a Girl Band was named for the backhanded praise they often heard; it included the hit Girl Sports, inspired by Stephenson who, after knocking her teeth out in a skating accident, was told by a male dentist that she should “stick to girl sports”. (The chorus kicks off with the chant: “Fuck off, fuck off!)
“It was meant to be ironic, because it’s obviously deeply offensive,” says McKahey, of the EP’s title. “But people would come up after that and be like, ‘You guys ARE pretty good for a girl band!’”
“People would be like, ‘Oh my god, you guys ARE my favourite girl band,’” adds Ryan.
“It backfired a bit,” sighs bassist Jaida Stephenson.
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Their debut, 2023’s I Love You, was more polished, with the wistful anthem Salt and the catchy belter Ahhhh! winning them best breakthrough artist at the Aria awards. That same year, they opened for the Foo Fighters on their Australian tour. “Our managers called us and said, ‘Guess who’s playing with the Foo Fighters?’” McKahey recalls. “And we said, who?”
At their first gig (at a school fete), they’d played Nirvana covers; now they were playing with Dave Grohl.
“I had to completely disconnect. I had to treat him as a regular person, because otherwise I’d throw up,” Ryan laughs.
Teen Jesus later opened for Pearl Jam on their Australian tour, then joined their US arena tour. “We’d never been backstage at a stadium before Fooeys – so by the time we were touring with Pearl Jam we were like, OK, we’ve done this before,” says McKahey. “And by the time we went to America, we knew how to play those rooms and we also knew the band – which is a fucked thing to say about Pearl Jam!”
Somewhere along the way, a high school band had become one of Australia’s most exciting rock acts. “We didn’t do this because we want to become the biggest band in the world or we want to become famous. It’s just fun playing shows with our besties. And I think that energy really shows in our music,” says Stephenson.
Their new album, Glory, sounds a lot grander than anything they’ve done before; as punchy and contagious as the best of I Love You, but with a darker, synthy sound. There is Balcony, a taunting banger that will be loved by Wet Leg fans, and the lovely Unscarred, which has echoes of the Cranberries. Listening to it made me feel oddly hopeful, basking in its confident vulnerability; they are still sticking it to The Man.
“I’m done being someone you ignore,” Ryan sings on Unscarred. “Don’t bother calling me back, don’t bother calling me back.”
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“I feel like the gap between being 20 and 25 is actually huge,” says McKahey. “I’ve lived a thousand lives this past four years. We’re actual professional musicians now. We’re legit. And we went into this album with so much intention and knew exactly what we wanted it to look like … it’s really good and we’re really happy.”
Glory was produced by Catherine Marks, an Australian producer who has also worked with Boygenius and Wolf Alice. (“She won a freaking Grammy,” says McKahey.) They all lived together for five weeks at the studio; sleeping, eating, jamming, watching Married at First Sight, then repeat – with Marks even monitoring what music they put on during trips to the supermarket – to shape the album’s ultimate sound.
“It changed so much because of her. She really made it exactly what we wanted,” says McKahey.
Fatima Clarke is a seasoned health reporter who bridges medical science with human stories. She writes with compassion, precision, and a drive to inform.
