No matter what they do musically from now until eternity, New York rockers Wheatus will always be known as the Dirtbag band. The fact that Teenage Dirtbag is probably bigger today than when it first smashed the air waves 25 years ago is made even more impressive when you factor in that Teenage Dirtbag was, in fact, Wheatus' debut single.
While no one could have foreseen or even guessed the impact that one song would have on not only the band but a whole generation of movies through to fashion trends, its enduring appeal has, at the very least, kept Wheatus and frontman Brendan Brown young at heart and ready for the next adventure. The viral "Teenage Dirtbag photos" trend on TikTok has attracted over a million participants, including celebs like Madonna, Lady Gaga, Mark Ruffalo, Lil Nas X, Jon Bon Jovi, Chevy Chase and the hashtag #teenagedirtbag has been viewed over 2 billion times. The song’s universal appeal has also led to it being featured in Netflix’s Big Mouth, Disney’s Cruel Summer, and, in 2023, the song incredibly re-entered the UK Top 40 charts.
Not bad for a song about life in general.
While Wheatus' musical journey exploded from the very outset because of that track, their sudden success was casually taken in the band's stride, who refused to succumb to the weight of public expectation and continued on their own trajectory that somehow has always managed to stay on a similar path with their famous debut song.
The band are regular visitors to these shores and have a devoted and loyal following, which in turn allows Brendan and co the freedom and ability to make these regular and always fun stopovers. They are one of the few bands who need no reason or gimmick to draw crowds in Australia, which is why the fact that Wheatus' tour in January next year to celebrate 25 years since their world was turned upside down has already been received as a celebration of music rather than a clever marketing strategy to keep the tills ringing.
Always happy to chat, Brendan joined HEAVY recently to discuss the tour and the continued success of Teenage Dirtbag, including their birthday present to themselves by playing their debut album in full.
"We've been playing that album for years," he smiled, "we never laid off of it. We didn't have to relearn a thing. There are a couple of tweaks we have had to make to the back catalogue to make sure that we get everything in order, should anybody call out anything. But you know, we don't do any set lists. It's all request sets. So, kids are shouting, people are shouting and telling us what to play. You say it, we play it, that's how we do it."
We bring up the massive success of Teenage Dirtbag and ask if it sometimes feels like going through the motions, having played it so often.
"No, man, absolutely not," he stressed. "Never. It's a weird song, you know. I hadn't considered that it would ever be a single. I'd kind of written that off. I didn't think it could be one because it was too long, and it had this meandering story and switched characters and all that stuff. So I didn't think that it would happen. The way that it has is incredible. I mean, I don't know what to make of it, but as a song, I'm quite proud of it."
In the full interview, Brendan talked more about the band's upcoming 2026 tour of Australia celebrating the 25th anniversary of their self-titled album, starting in Brisbane on January 15 and concluding with three shows in New Zealand. He confirmed plans to take a break over Christmas to recharge before the tour and noted that the band has consistently performed songs from the album, negating the need for extensive relearning. The band will feature all request sets, allowing fans to choose their preferred songs.
We discussed the success of Teenage Dirtbag, with Brendan sharing insights into the song's origins, it's recording in his mother's basement, and the album's snarky tone reflecting his frustrations in the music industry. Talk turned to the song's lasting impact on audiences and his initial thoughts on Teenage Dirtbag, including how he didn't really have much confidence in the song when it was first written and plenty more.
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