Joan Jett Talks Abandoning Bratty Runaways Outlook, Growing Up In 'Unvarnished' SPIN Interview

In a bit of news that is sure to make my mother feel old, Joan Jett gave an interview on aging and moving on from her rambunctious Runaway past in the pages (whoops...hahahaha *cries for an hour*) of SPIN. In promoting her new album Unvarnished, Jett spoke to Kenny Herzog on her new, mature sound.

"I just felt it was important to me to get it out as a person who's grown beyond being a teenager. I'm not a Runaway anymor," Jett said. "I've got more to say than just falling in and out of love or having sex and partying. That's all well and good, and we sing about that, too, but to a lesser degree on this record. It's more about some life situations. For all of us, it's hard when you realize, "Oh my God, I've gotta grow up. I'm not 18 anymore. I've gotta pay attention to what I do. I can't just screw around." 

Jett worked with Laura Jane Grace of Against Me! on the album and says that prejudice in rock music is surprisingly alive and well.

"You think rock'n'roll, punk rock would be a freer place to live your life. That's not always the case, but sometimes people surprise you. So I don't really know how people are treating [Laura Jane Grace] as far as with her transition, but the bottom line is, Against Me! is a great band, and she's a great artist, regardless of how she identifies. And that's the thing to focus on. I could sit here and say, "Hey, I'm in a girl's body." But do I do girly things? Do I wear dresses and all that stuff? So I'm kind of like a boy too. Where do you really draw the line?"

 Unvarnished is out now and features collaborations with Dave Grohl and Jett's long-time band The Blackhearts.