“And we probably all get something different out of Pissed Jeans, too,” he says. “I can’t speak for everyone, but, for me, it’s great to hit that deep mental and musical level with these three guys. Our time together is hilarious and fun, and I always look forward to it. We’re not constantly in each other’s faces — we’re not the best of friends — but when we do get together, it’s great. This feeling gets better with every record, and we have no plans to stop.”
Then it hits me: The members of Pissed Jeans live the lives we all wish we lived. These punks have it all. Spouses, or partners that may as well be. Kids. Jobs. Homes. And the icing on the cake? An amazing band that’s about to release its best album yet.
I’ve had a few beers, so I happily share this observation with McGuinness. I tell him flat-out that I envy him and the other members of Pissed Jeans. He laughs.
“I guess we do have everything we could ever want,” he says, as if he’s realizing this for the first time, too. “We have a great label that supports us. We all make an honest paycheck every week. We’re not rich fat cats, but we’re not poor, either. We all own houses. We all have great kids. Great ladies. And we have a band that just enough people seem to care about, and that all four of us really care about.”
A beamish Iggy throws the mustard under the table one more time. After McGuinness retrieves it, he says, “We might be the luckiest band in the world.”
Pissed Jeans play Fri., Feb. 15, 9 p.m., $12, with Lantern and Leather, Underground Arts, 1200 Callowhill St., undergroundarts.org.
