LONDON – BE YOUR OWN PET

So, in case you missed it, the whole hubbub this week is that Be Your Own Pet’s label made them pull three songs from their new album because they are “too violent.” Evidently, the lyrics that caused Universal’s lawyers to shit their pants revolved around killing their classmates over a slice of pizza and generally wanting to “destroy.” Granted this all is gay, but considering that the band dropped out of 10th grade and is living out the the teenage dream, where’s all this high-school rage even coming from? Luckily this was the first thing we asked the band when they were in London last week.

Vice: What’s with all the violence directed at your former high school?
Jemina: I hate the people I went to school with. It’s so awkward running into them. I dropped out of school and used the band as an excuse. The record is really about hating school. “Blow Your Mind” is about how much I fucking hate everyone. I mean, they’re fine, but I just don’t want to talk to them. That’s just my personal experience of becoming friends with girls. They talk fast about you and stab you in the back. Really I just wanted to take something shitty and write funny songs about it. “Becky” ended up being about how my old best friend fucked me over, so I killed her new best friend and ended up in juvie.

What’s the lamest thing you’ve been asked to do to promote the record?
Jonas: One of the songs on the record is called “Food Fight,” and the press folks really liked the idea of us having food fights.
Jemina: And also there are pictures of food fights on the album artwork. But people got way too into it. Now every shoot we do is a food fight. That song has totally backfired. I’m down with food fights, but now every time we do press we have to get so messy and gross. Canned vegetables and ketchup and chocolate frosting just do not mix.

Jemina, do you get a lot of creepy guy groupies?
Jemina: I get a lot of weirdo love. When we played in London a gross guy came on stage and tried to kiss me. He shoved his tongue down my mouth. I was like “Nooooo!”

I remember that. Once he was booted off the stage a bunch of girls in the crowd tried to beat him up.
Jemina: After that experience my tolerance of weirdos definitely went down. The first time we played Leeds half the audience was like “Show us your tits!” I was so mortified because I was like 17 and my dad was on the side of the stage. Going through all that has got me in a few scuffles with guys…

Has it ever come to fisticuffs?
Jemina: Yeah, I’ve punched guys before. This dude in Nashville kept hassling me at a show. Then he called me bitch and tried to touch me. And I was like “Don’t. Touch. Me” [punctuated by punches]. People get real grabby.

What else goes down in Nashville?
Jonas: If you were to come to Nashville in the summer I could take you ca-brewing, which is canoing and drinking beer at the same time. It’s hot as hell, you just float down the river, drinking beer and smoking weed.
Jemina: Then you have to drive home drunk and high. I don’t know what that’s called… Car-crashing?

What’s the worst place you’ve played?
Jemina: In Germany we played some shows in the red light district where all these hookers were walking around. They were wearing Puffa jackets and had their hair pulled up real tight. Then their jeans were ill-fitting and they all had pussy whiskers with huge bleach spots and those little backpcks. It was like they were just confused girls who got lost on their way to eighth grade. 
Jonas: I think it’s probably the last country on earth I’d ever think about moving to.

SAM WOLFSON

– Be Your Own Pet’s Get Awkward is out now. They play the London Scala on April 1.