Photo: Rosie Knight
It'd be unfair to class Wheatus as a one-hit-wonder, despite the success of 'Teenage Dirtbag'.
Since their debut self-titled album, they've gone on to release three more studio albums and several EPs.
They've started a series called Pop, Songs & Death, and are proving innovative in the internet age of music.
Fans can download the band's albums for as much or as little as they like, even getting the album for free.
In the first of a series of interviews we'll be doing, singer and songwriter Brendan B. Brown spoke to us about about Pop, Songs & Death, their upcoming UK tour and how they distribute their music.
-Hey, how are you doing?
I'm well...a little scatter brained with all the flight booking and tour managing. We have a last minute festival in Hungary next week, I'm jumping through a logistical gauntlet right now.
-Can you tell us a bit about the Pop, Songs & Death series?
It's an arc...a long one. It's sort of a Empire story...like Rome, which must have once been only an brilliant idea. Then it became the place to be....but eventually the enemy was at the gates...the idea was to present the uninterrupted arc of a life.
When we began our career it was in the mid 90's. The world was somewhat more optimistic in those days, and then September 11 2001 - which marked the height of our first album's World touring - kinda sucked the happy out of the room, and we all switched into survival mode.
Viewing that narrative through the eyes of an individual experience is what P,S & D is about. Most of us allow Pop culture into our lives, some of us go deeper still and experience Songs, but we all Die alone.
It makes for a pretty steep learning curve. We've replaced lyric sheets with comic books this time. I think that helps with the staging of it all.
-Are there any more plans to add to the series?
Volume 6 is being scheduled for recording as we speak. There will be more after that as well...I'm planning on 9 Volumes.
-For those who might not know, what sort of direction has the music since your debut album?
It's gone very mathy at times. I was always a big Rush & Yes fan as a teenager. It's fair to say that those two bands, along with AC/DC and Metallica, taught me how to play music.
As I type this our backing vocalists, Gabrielle Aimée and Delaney Gibson, are rehearsing some of our recent stuff and having a hard time finding the 1 down beat due to the odd rhythm placement...and there you have it.
The more recent stuff I've been drawn to is more progressive as well, Dismemberment Plan, Mock Orange, Fugazi, Ani Difranco.
-What's the reason behind the donation scheme you have for your music now?
I just want people to have a safe place to get our music for free. There are all these horror fascist cases happening in the USA, single mothers losing everything because their children have downloaded 12 songs.
I want people to understand we have no label affiliations. The new songs you can download at wheatus.com are 100% fascism free, no jail time, no fines...and if you're fancy and into it you can donate to help keep us going.
We don't need to get rich, we just need to sustain, make another record. That's why we did it.
-Do you think that's the way forward for selling records to support tours
The only way. That and vinyl which wheatus.com is set up for. I actually pitched a similar idea to SONY in 2002. They laughed at me.
First chance we got, we set up our own version, albeit 6 years later. In my honest opinion, it is the single best way to offer people your art. If they respect what you're trying to do they'll help you, we have found.
-On that subject, how was your most recent the US tour?
Well, it was quite some time ago. We did a short run down South and back in the Fall of 2010. but the rest has been mixing and mastering Vol. 2, writing Vol. 3 & prepping this UK tour.
-Are you excited to be coming back to the UK?
Very. This tour is set to be super special. Tix are selling fast. That's always exciting.
-You're bringing City Stereo on tour with you. Are you fans of the band?
Yes...I'm quite into that self loathing thing they do. Instant fan.
-What message would you give to people ahead of the tour?
Go to wheatus.com and download all 44 new songs so you can sing along. Do it!
Wheatus will be touring the UK in September and October. For more information, head to Wheatus.com.
Female First - Alistair McGeorge