Hobart’s TEENS have built their reputation on intensity — not just in their sound, but in the way they throw themselves into every moment on stage. The post-punk trio of Shawn Arnold, Alex Davern, and Jono Tate are known for shows that feel like a physical experience as much as a musical one. There’s no safe distance between band and audience — everyone’s pulled into the same storm.
From Local Heroes to Festival Stages
Over the past few years, TEENS have gone from underground favourites to one of Tasmania’s most in-demand live acts. They’ve brought their charged performances to some of Australia’s biggest festivals, including Dark Mofo, Mona Foma, Falls Festival, and Party In The Paddock, while sharing stages with the likes of DZ Deathrays, Hard-Ons, Peter Bibby, and Polish Club.
What makes TEENS stand out is their ability to balance disorder and precision. Beneath the feedback and urgency, there’s a strong sense of craft — each song tightly wound and carefully built, even when it sounds on the edge of collapse.
A Band That Won’t Sit Still
After years of evolution and reinvention, the release of their 2024 self-titled debut marked a major turning point. The album connected with listeners across Australia and beyond, gaining airplay from community radio, international support from KCRW’s Travis Holcombe, and praise from outlets like Tone Deaf, Backseat Mafia, and It’s Psychedelic Baby.
But TEENS didn’t pause to enjoy the moment. Instead, they kept gigging, writing, and refining their sound. That drive has led to their next chapter — and another full-length record.
The Next Phase: Negative Energy
Their new album, Negative Energy, arrives through No Sleep Records and Psychedelic Salad Records. It captures the band in a moment of sharp focus — still wild, but more certain of their shape and sound. Recorded once again with Joss Thomas at Studio Sola Paradiso and mastered by Mikey Young, the album dives into questions of identity, frustration, and finding meaning in a distorted world.
Tracks like Like An Animal and Shallow Grave show how far TEENS have come: the volume and urgency are still there, but the songs cut deeper, with clearer purpose and power.
Still True to Their Roots
No matter how far their sound travels, TEENS remain a band deeply connected to their home scene in nipaluna/Hobart. Their shows continue to be a gathering point for local fans — sweaty, cathartic, and impossible to forget.
Catch TEENS Live at Edge Radio’s 22-Year Fundraiser Concert
You can catch TEENS live at Edge Radio’s 22-Year Fundraiser Gig on Saturday 15 November at Altar, alongside a stacked lineup of local favourites — Spooky Eyes, Baltimöre Charlót & The Experience and Q.E.
Come celebrate two decades (and a bit) of independent radio, live music, and creative community.
Grab your tickets early at Altar — and get ready to experience something truly unique.