Tean Jesus and the Jean Teasers - photo credit Brianna Da Silva

Over the last decade Australia’s indie rockers Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers have leaped from strength to strength. From the release of their fierce debut EP Pretty Good For A Girl Band to their first album Love You and second LP Glory, the Melbourne-based quartet have garnered widespread attention for their punk-rock and riot grrrl infused sound. The four piece – Anna Ryan (lead vocals, guitar), Neve van Boxsel (drums), Scarlett McKahey (guitar, vocals) and Jaida Stephenson (bass) – have recently re-released their their second album Glory in a deluxe edition, featuring two new songs as well as stripped-back versions of several of the album’s tracks. The band are making their debut visit to Aotearoa this week, with shows in Christchurch, Auckland and Wellington. We caught up with band members Scarlett and Jaida ahead of their first show for a rapid-fire Q&A

Welcome to New Zealand!

Scarlett: Thank you! We’re so happy to be here.

How is it that the band has been going since 2015, but this is the first time you've actually jumped across the ditch to New Zealand. Has the opportunity not presented itself before?

Scarlett: I think that's it, like the opportunity. I don't think we've been asked for any festivals over here — which is probably why you go over for the first time, because then you build your audience. But I think that we've built our audience over here enough digitally that now we can come over. It's so strange that countries that are so close together, but then the cost of touring can be so prohibitive.

You played some dates with Pearl Jam in Australia and then in the United States on their Dark Matter tour. You’ve played in a number of different countries, yet this is your first time in New Zealand.

Jaida: Well, if Pearl Jam asked us to come to New Zealand, we absolutely would have!

What was it like touring with a band of their calibre?

Scarlett: It was amazing. I feel like definitely the biggest thing that we took away, apart from the amazingness of it being Pearl Jam, was just everyone was so lovely and in such good moods; all the crew and even the catering people and the security. Everyone was just treated so beautifully and everybody was having a really lovely time.

Jaida: I feel like that's something that we really noticed is how they treat everyone around them. So we were really well taken care of and, yeah, they're absolute legends, all of them. It was awesome.

Scarlett: Yeah, definitely. Some of the nicest people. I feel like fame doesn't need to make you a mean person.

Jaida: Yeah, totally. They're amazing.

Have you got much time to explore while you're in the country?

Scarlett: We’re going to take advantage of the days before we play a show. And then Jaida's flying home after the shows, but the rest of us are all doing little trips around for a few days to a week. We’re going to explore a little bit, so it should be really nice. We are going to go to Hobbiton! All of the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit stuff's on the agenda.

It seems a rite of passage that when you come to New Zealand you do some Lord Of The Rings related activities.

Scarlett: Absolutely. It's actually amazing. I'm so excited.

The band has just re-released Glory as a deluxe edition, and you are currently touring to promote that. You also recently appeared on Triple J’s Like A Version with a cover of Tatu’s All The Things She Said. What else is lined up for you in 2026?

Jaida: We've got a few overseas trips coming up, and we're going over to the UK and EU in August, which is so soon.

Scarlett: I keep forgetting how soon it is. And then we are heading back over to America in November. So touring-wise, it's looking pretty busy. And then I think hopefully we'll keep writing. Yes, we've got to come up with some more songs now. You've got plenty of time while you're on the road.

Is it going to be bus life while you are touring?

Jaida: I mean, hopefully. Tour bus is a lot easier than the alternative, which is like a van.

Scarlett: I'm hoping for tour bus life. We'll see how much we have in the old bank of Teen Jesus. But yeah, definitely a lot of time on the road together. I feel like we all kind of need to be aware of needing to flag, like, when we need alone time. We're going to have to get really good at that. When you're out on tour, we'll be all together in cars.

How many dates have you got across America?

Jaida: I can't remember. We've got like a festival or two and then a few, like, support slots and hopefully, like, some headline things here and there. I'm not really 100% sure.

Scarlett: We've done around eight, nine shows in total, mainly just on the East Coast, though. This is the first time we're not going to the West Coast at all, which is pretty interesting. A few places I haven't been before, like Florida.

What can audiences expect to see and hear from Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers for your New Zealand shows?

Scarlett: Well, for this whole tour for Glory, we've worked really hard on making a really fun kind of well-rounded set with lots of fun moments and then some sad moments and some cute moments. And hopefully it's a nice journey for everybody involved.

Jaida: I feel like we just like to create a really fun, safe, easy space for everyone to come and just have a nice time.

Scarlett: So hopefully that's what they can expect. And if anyone doesn't have a nice time, you can take it up with us personally and we can deal with whoever. These are the last shows on the Australian/New Zealand leg, so we're very well-rehearsed at this point. We know the set like the back of our hands now, so hopefully the shows will run very smoothly.

Which artists are you listening to or are grabbing your attention at the moment?

Scarlett: Ooh, that's a good question. I feel like we've both been listening to a lot of early-2000s indie stuff recently.

Jaida: Yeah, yeah. I feel like it changes a lot. When we were writing the album, we were listening to a lot of Fontaines and post-punk stuff.

Scarlett: But I feel like it has moved into more early-2000s, like Smerz, who's a new artist coming out of America. I was literally just saying before that I've been listening to heaps of Feist recently and love her. But I feel like because the seasons are changing, I want more, like, twee music.

Jaida: Yeah, yeah. It's also like ebbs and flows. I think I changed from listening to, like, Turnstyle…. it just depends how we're feeling at the time.

Seeing as it’s New Zealand Music Month, who are your favourite Kiwi artists?

Jaida: I've been listening to Leisure; I'm pretty sure they're Kiwi. They're kind of indie jazzy funk. But I've been listening to them for, like, ten years, and they still slap. They're so, so good.

Scarlett: And then our support act for the tour, Ivy, is amazing, so we have been keen to see them play live. I was also listening to some classic Miss Lorde yesterday – the queen.

It’s great that you have finally been able to come to New Zealand and play a few dates, and all the very best for your tours in the United States and the UK. Let's hope that you get some time to write some new material.

Scarlett: We hope so too. We're not contractually obliged to write more music, so it can be a bit more relaxed!