Chatting With Teenage Dads

Formed almost a decade ago on the Mornington Peninsula, Teenage Dads have had a steady rise to acclaim. With four EPs and an album already under their belt, their quirky presence was finally rewarded with the 2023 Michael Gudinkski Breakthrough Artist ARIA Award. Hot on the heels of the acclaim, the quartet is hitting the road and taking their sound international. With their bright, bold new single, 'Tale of Man', proving a real treat, we caught up with the band to celebrate the news that they are returning to the UK later this year.

Hi - How are you all?

Excellent, thank you!

2023 was rather epic for you. What was the overriding highlight?

2023 was incredible. A lot of firsts for us. I can’t pinpoint one, so let's go with our sold-out show in Dublin or being on stage with Colin Hay and Lime Cordiale in LA. We sang Down Under. Both shows were fantastic and had a real spin-out. Winning an ARIA award in Australia was also cool.

Do you feel the pressure to top 2023 in 2024?

Maybe a little bit? But not really, because there are so many avenues for success, if you will. The only thing that will be disappointing is not hitting 100 shows in the calendar year, which we were just shy of in 2023. Hopefully another year can get there!

How has the public response altered your ambitions?

I guess the more we hear of people enjoying our music and our live shows, the more we believe there are others out there that will too, and so that’s a part of us continuing this journey. All those messages make you think, oh you know what, maybe we should hustle to the UK, the US, or wherever to play shows.

You've just released the understated bop Tale of a Man; tell us all about it…

Tale of a Man is about your favourite friend, the loving and adventurous relationship that you share, and the challenges you face due to periods of separation. In spite of this, you remain invested in your future together as you wait for what lies ahead for you both.

We almost weren’t going to release it, but when the time came, it was full speed ahead to get it out.

Do you have more new music up your sleeves for 2024?

Yeah definitely! People can expect another body of work this year.

For those not in the know, which two bands would you file yourself between?

This is always a tricky one, but you know what? We’ve heard The Killers as a reference a little bit lately, so let's go with them and one of our favourites, Phoenix.

You are headed over here for some shows later this year. What do you have planned for the shows?

We’re so pumped for them! We just want people to have a fun experience. We might throw in some new songs, too. People can probably expect some nonstop sections and lots of musical transitions between songs.



What makes a good show for you as performers?

Everyone is staying safe and having fun dancing and singing. No silly behaviour that might ruin it for others!

And as audience members?

That sounds good! And that we don’t alienate the crowd too, I suppose. We like to be ourselves over the mic in between songs, but for the most part, we just want to play.

Finally, one British act is going to join you on stage when you are over here. Who do you dream of sharing the mic with?

Oooo, there are so many! Current? Old? And we’d all have different opinions, I think.

Maybe a Bloc Party? Declan McKenna is also great if we’re thinking of someone a little fresher. I just saw him the other week in Melbourne!