Welcome Interstate Managers
The band used the money made from these projects to fund the recording of a new album, working in upstate New York, New York City, and Boston.
In 2003, their original A&R man at Atlantic,
Steve Yegewel ended up signing the band himself as new A&R man at S-Curve Records. 2003 saw the release of another acclaimed album,
Welcome Interstate Managers. It spawned the hit single "
Stacy's Mom" (which Adam Schlesinger says was a tribute to
The Cars), which was certified gold by the
RIAA.
Initially, "Stacy's Mom" stalled at commercial alternative radio in the US; the single, LP and the band seemed doomed to obscurity. However,
MTV rescued the band from likely failure as MTV President
Judy McGrath championed the
music video for "Stacy's Mom", rapidly increasing the song's exposure and success. The video features
Rachel Hunter as the object of the fantasies of the song's narrator.
The album was a surprise international hit on the strength of the first single. The follow-up single, "Mexican Wine", fared less well, with a controversial video that showed young children singing the lyrics "think I'll have another glass of Mexican wine" and guitarist Jody Porter catching a drink on the bare stomach of a woman lying on a beach. The single was ultimately pulled by the record label. The third single, "Hey Julie", an acoustic song, received some airplay. Their song "All Kinds of Time", depicting a young football player in a Zen-like state of mind during a crucial potentially game-winning pass, was used extensively for
NFL commercial promotions during the 2005 season. The band also recorded a performance on
Austin City Limits, which aired December of 2003.
