There are a number of reasons why WA rockers Jebediah still have a place in the hearts of fans around the world 20 years after their inception. With their debut record, Slightly Odway, they came out of the gate with an iconic album that was the soundtrack for a generation, and its worth remains strong today, as evident by sold-out anniversary dates around the country, where fans have the opportunity to step back to 1996 and relive the album the band will play in full. But perhaps one of the biggest reasons Jebediah cemented themselves a lasting place is they encompass everything music should be — friends hanging out together and playing songs they enjoy — and that’s something that fans can pick up on. “We’ve always had differences of opinions; we’re all different people, but it’s your ability to compromise that is a strength for a band,” guitarist Chris Daymond suggests, sitting in a man-cave-like bunker at Sony’s Perth HQ. “There’s obviously going to be moments, but they always seem so small in comparison,” bassist Vanessa Thornton adds.

"We’ve always had differences of opinions; we’re all different people, but it’s your ability to compromise."

With hits Leaving Home, Jerks Of Attention and Harpoon all on the tracklisting for album number one, it’s no surprise it lives on strong all these years later. But it’s not a record that defines the band, as their four follow-up records saw their sound evolve, keeping things interesting and subjects relevant, while staying true to the essence from which their debut stemmed. “There’s definitely a freedom to it,” Thornton says. “To me, it just feels really honest and really free. It’s just a bunch of kids having such a good time.”

“It’s an easy record to listen to; it’s catchy, upbeat and has a good energy,” Daymond adds. “It’s pretty humbling to be in a position where people want you to entertain them.”

The timely release of Jebediah’s greatest hits record, Twenty, further reinforces the strength of each album. Having 20 hit singles over only five albums is an impressive feat. “It’s like if you’re a chef and rather than creating the dishes, you’re putting together your best menu,” Daymond says on constructing the album’s tracklisting. “It’s what we’ve done as musicians, and to be in a position to be able to milk that for 20 years is awesome. The recorded output — to put it bluntly — is a small part of that experience for me. It’s the excitement of getting together and being on the road again with your crowd that is exciting to me.”

With frontman Kevin Mitchell now residing in Melbourne, distance and time apart may have played a role in maintaining healthy relationships for so long. But it’s a separation that renders rehearsing and writing harder than ever. It took Jebediah seven years to put together their most recent album, Kosciuszko, and that was with all members being in the same state. “Writing stuff is always something that’s just kind of happened when we’re together, so it’s a lot harder now,” Thornton admits. “We did get together for a week in Melbourne at the beginning of last year, but it was just a strange time being in a rehearsal room and thinking, ‘Alright, now we’ve got to write a bunch of songs.’”

"When bands do all that DIY, it doesn’t seem to make it any healthier for the industry."

“We didn’t really get anything out of it or write anything,” Daymond adds. “I don’t know what Kev’s plans are with doing another Bob [Evans] record — I’m sure he has those as well. We always have to allow for it to be open-ended so that everyone’s other pursuits are accessible… without talking about it, I’m sure we’d all love to make another record, but Kosciuszko took us seven years to put together, so if that trend continues, it could easily be another ten years before the next record is out.”

Blowing up in the ‘90s when major labels were largely the key to a band’s success and continuing to still work with them while being embedded within the local scene, the members of Jebediah are in a unique position to analyse how it’s all changed. It’s a transformation they say might not be for the better. “Trends have changed, but we don’t operate any differently,” Daymond says. “When bands do all that DIY, it doesn’t seem to make it any healthier for the industry, because the less cash flowing around, the less other satellite industries can operate around bands. 

“You cut off that fuel and it all starts to shrink in on itself and becomes a lot more competitive and harder to survive. I think it is far more competitive now, but half the reason is that there isn’t the recording industry and labels around to nurture bands into success… I don’t know how easy it is for bands to be able to just enjoy it like we did.”