Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers cover the new issue of 10 Magazine Australia: CREATIVITY, FREEDOM, CHANGE - wearing Coach, on newsstands Friday March 20th. Read the full story below:

It was only a matter of time before a new generation of budding musicians would watch School of Rock and be inspired to create a band. Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers are a four-piece from Canberra who watched Jack Black’s greatest hit in their teens at a sleepover and have since become one of Australia’s most exciting groups.

With two albums under their belts, ARIA Award wins and a non-stop touring schedule, Teen Jesus are defining a new era of indie rock. “It was the morning after that sleepover when we all picked up instruments,” says Scarlett McKahey, the band’s guitarist and vocalist. “We had been listening to a lot of Hole, L7, Nirvana… but also a lot of 2010s indie rock. We couldn’t decide on a genre. We’d want to go full electronic pop but then all completely grunge. I think we’ve landed somewhere in the middle,” she says. The band released their second album Glory, a deliberately messy, loud exploration of infatuation, confidence and power, at the end of last year. “We used to write about typical high school emotions, like having a crush and going through a break-up. Now what we write is a lot more complex and has a lot more depth to it,” says bassist Jaida Stephenson. “Like, clubbing,” deadpans McKahey.

Working alongside three-time Grammy award-winning producer Catherine Marks, who’s known for her contributions to records by Boygenius and Wolf Alice, the band discovered the perks of working with a woman. “She helped us to realise that we know what we’re doing,” says Anna Ryan, the band’s vocalist and guitarist. We’ve had amazing producers in the past but they’ve all been men until now. We felt completely comfortable,” they say.

The band travelled to the rural NSW town of Somersby to The Grove Studios to make Glory, where Marks, among other production choices, added synthesisers and upped the reverb to make for a more whole, more elevated sound. The record is part of a stirring new post-punk movement in Australia. Bands like Dust and previous 10 Men Australia cover stars Radio Free Alice are championing a darker, grungier sound, which is echoed in the Teen Jesus record. “We were feeling inspired by this new wave of up-and-coming Australian bands,” says McKahey. “We’ve been a band for 10 years but now is when the Australian music scene has such a cool edge to it.”

Visually, the foursome have begun to find their style and evolve their live show from local pubs to global headline shows. Last year, they watched Fontaines D.C. at the Sydney Opera House, which “shifted something for us,” says drummer Neve van Boxsel. They were also inspired by the Irish band’s Y2K and neon-infused rebrand for their last album Romance as well as the 2007 British TV show Skins. “When we were younger, we were obsessed with looking cohesive on stage,” says Ryan. The band would religiously pick a colour for each show, “begging to be remembered… yellow shows were always the worst,” says van Boxsel. Now that they’ve found themselves both sonically and visually, and there’s less pressure, they’re open about how difficult navigating the Australian music industry has been. But what would they like to see happen? “More money, more women, more power. Fewer white men, although there’s probably more to it, and more support from Australians,” says McKahey. They discuss the digitisation of music in the streaming era and agree that tall poppy syndrome is a “real thing… it’s about bringing people up without pulling people at the top down,” says Stephenson.

On the set of their 10 cover story, they run around Melbourne’s Villa Alba wearing Coach and, between shots, discuss whether the museum, which was built in 1882, could potentially be haunted, while also talking about their upcoming live shows. “This year we want more of a show. A big production,” says McKahey. “When we toured with Pearl Jam last year, the way they use the stage and command it, and also involve the crowd, was very inspiring.” Alongside the music, they’re considering the ways in which they can be a better band. “We want to continue to do the band in a more sustainable way,” says Stephenson. They plan to carry on raising awareness around issues facing today’s women and non-binary people, and are ambassadors for advocacy organisation Green Music’s environmental campaign No Music on a Dead Planet. “Being in this band and spending so much time together makes you reflect on your own behaviour and be more accountable for your energy… It’s a relationship not many people experience,” says van Boxsel. As they gear up for a year of shows celebrating Glory, the band have a newfound confidence. “No more imposter syndrome here, we know what the fuck we’re doing,” says McKahey. “And we’re really excited.”

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Photographer CHARLIE HAWKS
Fashion Editor TORI KNOWLES
Talent ANNA RYAN, SCARLETT MCKAHEY,NEVE VAN BOXSEL, JAIDA STEPHENSON
Text ROXY LOLA
Hair CHARLOTTE WEBB
Make-up LULU LUDLEY
Digital operator DANIEL CONGERTON
Motion/video SOMERSET PHAEDRUS
Production R D PRODUCTIONS
‍Shot on location at VILLA ALBA
Clothing, shoes and bags throughout by COACH