It’s remarkable how long The Jezabels have been teetering on the brink of global megafame. For about three years their throngs of Australian fans have waited with anticipatory breath for their break, knowing that, in the meantime, they’re hoarding a truly exquisite secret.

The Jezabels aren’t unknown to the world, exactly. Their trilogy of EPs, released between 2009 and 2010, earned them a #1 iTunes slot in Australia, and a rank in the CMJ Top 200 in the US. “Disco Biscuit Love” was one of their hits, solidifying their sound as epic, Arcade Fire-scale poppy rock ‘n roll with 90s alt-grrl tinges. The arrangement on “Disco” is thick with emotion, trumped only by the rounded, Karen O vocals of the pixie-like lead singer Hayley Mary as she cuts through you with the lyrics:  “He only loves you when he’s on pills.”

Most of the Jezabels members met in high school, and started off playing folkier jams together. But once they could afford an electric guitar, everything changed. Their sound transformed into something bigger, bolder, Pat Benatar-ier, and more live-sounding, as if they’re playing outdoors in a stadium — and the set is flawless.

They nabbed a support slot for Tegan & Sara during their Australia tour in 2010, and they’ve since toured North America and Canada to promote their debut LP, Prisoner, which came out September 2011.

You might actually recognize “Hurt Me,” off their EP She’s So Hard. It was all over the radio in 2009, and you loved it then.

Photo Courtesy of The Jezabels