You know that quiet weirdo in the back of the class? The one who draws band logos and mutants instead of studying? The one who might be an alien imitating a teenager? That kid plays dumb, but they’re the sharpest tack in school. They understand the silly sadness of this world in ways you cannot. Mean Jeans are that kid in band form, and they’ve been making masterpieces out of our culture’s discarded junk for over a decade.
Having reached peak absurdity on last year’s Jingles Collection—which was basically an extended commercial for fast food, dandruff shampoo, and wiper blades—Mean Jeans get back to their regularly scheduled programming with Gigantic Sike (out August 30 via Fat Wreck Chords), a bittersweet collection of party anthems and outcast laments that reaffirms the trio’s status as this century’s greatest pop-punk band. The Mercury spoke to founding members Billy Jeans and Jeans Wilder about selling out, blacking out, and burning out.
MERCURY: Your last album was a collection of unsolicited jingles for various products and snack foods. Was your attempt to sell out a success?