On their third full-length effort, Sweet Tooth, Berkeley, California emo-punk quartet Mom Jeans—comprised vocalist Eric Butler, vocalist and guitarist Bart Thompson, drummer and trumpet player Austin Carango, and bassist Sam Kless—wanted to create “a record full of incredible songs that would get stuck in people’s heads,” and the group did not disappoint.
“Those hits by Blink-182 and Green Day, all those bands, it’s just hooks for days and excellent songwriting,” says Butler. “They just tried to write incredible songs that would get stuck in people’s heads. We wanted to try our version of that. Ear candy is the goal, so Sweet Tooth is the record.”
Touching on themes such as the challenges of growing into an adult and letting oneself trust their instincts, the 13-track quasi-concept record carries the sound of late ’90s and early aughts pop-rock and pop-punk that pack an emotional punch.
The band released their first full-length effort, Best Buds, in 2016 and followed it up with 2018’s Puppy Love. Sweet Tooth, which arrived in 2022, was recorded in New Jersey at The Barber Shop Studios with producer Brett Romnes (The Front Bottoms, Oso Oso, Dogleg). Butler says it’s the first time the band had a proper, top-to-bottom studio experience, which meant no cutting corners, and an ability to chase a previously-unattainable level of polish. Both Tyler Povanda of Save Face and Kory Gregory of Prince Daddy and the Hyena contributed vocals to the record. 2023 saw the release of Bear Market, a compilation of the band’s re-recorded catalog in an alternative context. Inspired by the “ear candy” of early aughts alternative rock icons such as Green Day and Blink-182, Sweet Tooth sees the band charting new musical territory.
Sweet Tooth marks a structural departure from the first two records that Mom Jeans released. Inspired by bands such as Front Bottoms and Modern Baseball, Butler points to the tried-and-true formula that the band stuck to in their previous work. “I fell in love with bands like Modern Baseball and Front Bottoms and Joyce Manor, so I wanted to write songs like that,” says Butler. “That’s what our first two records were: me trying to stay in that box, ’cause I think that’s where I felt comfortable.” Butler continues, saying that the timing of the band’s change in sound felt right. “The resurgence of radio-friendly early 2000s pop-punk during the COVID era and [the way] that pop-punk is having a heyday right now seemed to come together at the perfect time. We were also feeling very nostalgic [while] looking at our career and our experiences and trying to make it come to a point of arrival. It seemed like the right thing to do.”
Kless adds that he doesn’t think that a lot of people realize how much production goes into making a record. “This was my first record with the band and it was the first time that Bart quarterbacked the writing. We looked at what people liked about the band, which was a lot of deconstructing of what it is—and it’s Eric’s storytelling and Austin’s drumming—which is like the DNA of the band. We took a chance and said that we wanted to level up the production a bit.”
In addition to their new record, Mom Jeans is going on a headline tour across the US. Starting in Oakland, CA on March 1st and wrapping up in Seattle, the band will be putting on a fun show that sees them embrace the communal aspect of fan engagement.
“We’re inspiring people to make their art, start their bands, and get involved in their communities,” says Butler.
In addition, Butler says that the band was going “real crazy” with the planned guest appearances on tour as well as themed nights. Despite these accomplishments, Butler admits that it can be difficult to see the band’s growth at times. “The way this industry is set up and the way that our business is set up, it’s not always easy to recognize when you’re accomplishing something. We’ve tried hard to pat ourselves on the back when we deserve it. There are these little moments where a band was started by people who met at a Mom Jeans show. That little piece of information cancels out any negativity.”
For Mom Jeans, making music is ultimately about the connections that they make with their fans and the wider music community.
“We care about the community we foster. That’s how Eric and I met. We met at the baseball field or the garage and we did this for fun. We have a relationship with the fans that we care about,” says Kless.
Butler adds that maintaining a close relationship with fans is “not a conscious decision in some ways,” stating that live performance and the community that is built around a show is “tangible” to both Kless and himself.
“Besides the art, the community is addicting. That’s why I love music. I think what we try to do is in service of that community and if we didn’t care about people coming to the shows and having a good time and being inspired to start their band, make their art, or whatever it may be, then it would be easier to care about the music and do whatever you want. This band has gotten to become something much bigger than us and our friend group.”
The band is heading out on a headlining tour of the U.S. Check out the full list of dates below.
MOM JEANS- HEADLINE TOUR
1st March 2024- The Fox Theater, Oakland CA
2nd March 2024- Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles CA
3rd March 2024 The Rialto Theatre, Tucson AZ
5th March 2024 Emo’s Austin TX
6th March 2024 Granada Theater, Dallas TX
8th March 2024 Iron City, Birmingham AL
9th March 2024 Underbelly, Jacksonville FL
10th March 2024 The Ritz, Tampa FL
12th March 2024 The Senate, Columbia SC
14th March 2024 The National, Richmond VA
15th March 2024 Starland Ballroom, Sayreville NJ
16th March 2024 Mulcahy’s, Wantagh NY
17th March 2024 Palladium, Worcester MA
19th March 2024 The Danforth Music Hall, Toronto ON
20th March 2024 Empire Live, Albany NY
22nd March 2024 Fanklin Music Hall, Philadelphia PA
23rd March 2024 The Filmore, Silver Spring MD
24th March 2024 Stage AE, Pittsburgh PA
25th March 2024 Town Ballroom, Buffalo NY
27th March 2024 Bogart’s, Cincinnati OH
28th March 2024 Concord Music Hall, Chicago IL
29th March 2024 Concord Music Hall, Chicago IL
30th March 2024 Roundabout Festival. Detroit MI
2nd April 2024 Summit Music Hall. Denver, CO
3rd April 2024 The Union, Salt Lake City UT
5th April 2024 Roseland Theater, Portland OR
6th April 2024 Harbour, Vancouver BC
7th April 2024 Showbox SoDO, Seattle WA
You can purchase tickets to the tour and copies of Sweet Tooth from the band’s webstore here. Follow Mom Jeans on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for future updates.
Photo courtesy of Cody Furin.
