FUN WHILE IT LASTED: Doing Tylenol Before It Was Problematic

Side effects may include a good bloody time.

You've probably already seen & heard them all over Tiktok and Instagram, but meet the South Carolina banterlords bringing back the pop punk we were raised on.

Pop punk has always thrived on misfits in many different forms, and Fun While It Lasted are proudly carrying that torch. Born out of Lexington, South Carolina in 2017, the band started as Austin Whitney’s stubborn refusal to quit. The first lineup dissolved before it ever hit the stage, but Austin kept grinding. His dedication to his dream kept him posting demos to YouTube, living hopeful even when it felt like no one was listening.

Then came a chance meeting at Frisch’s Big Boy. Between greasy shifts and bad coffee, Austin found bassist Sebastian Humphreys, whose influences stretch from Avenged Sevenfold to 70s light rock. Together they started hammering out songs at open mics, recording scrappy videos, and building something that felt less like a band and more like a lifeline. Even when Sebastian moved away for a year, Austin kept the fire alive until they reunited, and suddenly the songs started hitting harder.

I came across Fun While It Lasted when my Instagram algorithm took an interesting turn, and probably for the 3rd time in my life I can say it paid off. Their catalog is a mix of heartbreak and humor: Their hit song Tom Delonge gifted the internet the good ol' earworm "I wanna do Tylenol all night long" which has become a verbal tick in my everyday vocabulary. Sebastian blurting out the now-infamous “I wanna do Tylenol” line while high in Austin’s car turned into one of the ultimate marketing masterpieces to date. I watched their steams go from <1000 to over 20,000 in a few short weeks. Now sitting close to 50k mark, the boys aren't slowing down. A genius line that paid off, considering the Trump Tylenol news leaked months after the song's release.

The writing process is as chaotic as their vibe... demos recorded on phones, riffs scribbled in passenger seats. It’s messy, but that’s the point. Live, they’re electric. Their favorite memory? Dirty Dungarees in Columbus, Ohio, where the crowd screamed their lyrics back at them for the first time. That’s the drug they’re chasing... they want you to jump, scream, spill your drink, and walk out knowing you just had the most fun of your life.

The local scene around them leans heavy, but Fun While It Lasted stand out by refusing to sound like anyone else. Austin admits he’s haunted by the feeling of selling himself short as a kid; too scared to play football, too scared to make friends. Music is his redemption arc, his proof that ambition can’t be stolen. Sebastian’s drive is simpler: it’s fun, and he wants to be great. Together, they’re awkward, ambitious, and absolutely unwilling to fail. They’re not shy about their quirks either. Nerf war phases, and a general awkwardness that somehow makes them more endearing. It’s all part of the package.

With AVA freshly released and more music on the horizon, Fun While It Lasted are gearing up for their next gig at The Hidden Gem in Dayton, Ohio on Friday Dec 5th. If you want a taste before then, throw Tom Delonge and AVA on your playlist and let the nostalgia seep in. Fun While It Lasted aren’t here to play it safe. They’re here to make you laugh, scream, and remember that pop punk is supposed to be messy and fun.

Be sure to chuck them an insta follow and stream their stuff on Spotify or Apple Music

Fun While It Lasted Recommends:

Jesus of Hamartia, Above Insanity, and want to leave you with the parting wisdom: Burger King cherry Fanta tastes like bath water

Catch Fun While It Lasted and a bunch of other popular and emerging artists right here on our Spotify Fresh Cuts playlist! Regularly updated with all the sounds ya wanna hear on the daily!