THEY sold three million records and then disappeared.

In the year 2000, US rockers Wheatus became a worldwide sensation with their infectious hit Teenage Dirtbag.

Another successful single, A Little Respect, seemed to lay the groundwork for a long and healthy career.

But just a few years later the New York band had vanished from the charts amid a massive legal wrangle with their label.

The battle took the band out of the studio and into the courtroom, as they strove to untie themselves from what they believed was an unsupportive and incompetent organisation.

Speaking to WoW from his home in New York, frontman Brendan Brown, said their deal with Columbia Records had destroyed their career.

“There wasn’t any long term plan for us,” he said.

“We were hoodwinked into a six album deal when they had no intention of releasing album two.

“It wouldn’t have mattered if we’d have recorded Sergeant Pepper they weren’t going to put it out.

“It was tough, they had little planned for the short term and no idea for the long term.

“We went and tried to get out of it as best we could but it ended with a law suit with our manager.

“It got really ugly for a while but we won.”

While victory may have freed them from the shackles of big business, the fall out took them out of the music game during a key period of their careers.

“It took half a decade to sort out and we just had to lay low,” said Brendan.

“When we finally got everything sorted it was 2005 and we looked around and it was like wow, the way we used to do this doesn’t exist anymore.

“In those five years so much changed, we had to look around and say, ‘What we do we do?’.

“Another thing that nobody really talks about is 9/11.

“9/11 really screwed us up as we had a three month tour booked.

“We were going to start in September and we had to condense it down to one month.

“We went into massive debt doing that as our touring budget was blown to smithereens.

“Most acts that were touring the UK cancelled but we didn’t and it lost us a fortune and put us back financially pretty badly.”

The setback saw a number of members leave the band but Brendan said he was determined that Wheatus would soldier on.

“I thought about quitting,” he said, “but I guess I was stubborn enough to keep making music.

“Obviously I thought about starting a new band but then I thought, wait a minute, we haven’t had a fair shot, we haven’t had our chance, so I started writing again.”

Wheatus now take the DIY approach, popular with many up and coming bands.

Brendan organises almost everything himself, including arranging this interview, and said he had got over any bitterness he felt towards the music industry.

“I’ve let go of a lot of it,” he said. “We got short changed but I got beyond that and we got into the studio to make a new record.

“I think it’s important that the terrible side of record label personnel be weeded out.

“We don’t need labels anymore, we don’t need to listen to these people who don’t know what they’re doing, they’re no longer holding the keys to success.

“Working for myself has its upsides and its downsides. I really don’t have a lot of free time on my hands anymore, but in the same breath I’m comfortable that no one else can screw it up for me.”

With their most famous tune breaking into the iTunes UK Top 40 for a third time earlier this month, Brendan said he was slightly mystified by the track’s longevity.

He said: “When I wrote it I knew it would do something but I didn’t know it would be so tenacious.

“I can’t believe we’re talking about it possibly going in to the charts for a third time.

“It got to number 35 last year, I think because Channel 4 had run the movie Loser (which features the track).

“This time there doesn’t seem to be anything other than tour promotion, it seems to be spontaneous.

“I don’t really understand that, it’s so outrageous and so odd.

“It’s beyond me now, it’s almost like it’s not my song anymore.”

Since launching their independent careers the six-piece band have returned to the UK several times and are back touring the country next month, including a night in Huddersfield and at Leeds’ Slam Dunk Festival.

Brendan said the band felt a strong bond with UK fans.

“What really drives us over there is the connection we have with people who want to come see us.

“We feel like it’s this ongoing relationship that the fans support us despite what’s gone on.

“We’re an underdog team – that’s the vibe we get from them and they get from us.

“We love playing the little rock shows so long as the PA is up to it.

“We actually prefer it because it’s just like a hang out with no tension or worries with security.”

Wheatus play The Parish on Saturday, May 12.

Tickets £12 from the Kirkgate pub or from Vinyl Tap.