The Vines formed over the deep-fryer at McDonald's. Bonding over a mutual love of Nirvana, singer Craig Nicholls, 24, and bassist Patrick Matthews, 24, swiftly put together a band, ditched the fast-food careers and set off for Los Angeles, where they recorded their debut, "Highly Evolved," with producer Rob Schnapf (Foo Fighters, Beck) at the Sunset Sound Factory (Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones). Now they have an MTV hit with "Get Free" and are being declared the best band to come out of Australia since, yes, Men at Work. The Vines play Thursday at Slim's.

Q: Why didn't you like America the first time you were here?

Nicholls: I had lived in Australia all my life, and when it came to making our first album, I was just desperate to do it, so we went off to L.A. I expected to be there for a month, and we ended up staying six months.

Matthews: We did nothing. We just sat around the hotel room the whole time.

Q: You didn't have a car?

Matthews: We had a car.

Nicholls: I hate cars. I would prefer to be back in Australia.

Q: What's so great about Australia?

Nicholls: Everything is there. All the arrangements for the songs are there. All the ideas are there.

Matthews: You miss your friends and that sort of thing. You can write e- mails, but eventually you start losing contact. I've been away since July of last year, and in that time all our friends have changed jobs and everything.

Q: Are you worried you're going to miss out on a big promotion at McDonald's?

Matthews: Not really.

Q: Then why do you hate traveling so much?

Matthews: If you've got stuff to do, it's OK. When you've got a whole day to do nothing it's a bit much.

Q: You can go to a petting zoo or ride the seesaws at the park or something.

Nicholls: I don't go outside.

Matthews: I'm a terrible tourist.

Q: Do you guys have any other mental problems we should know about?

Matthews: No, I just don't like to travel. Well, Craig does, I guess. He's obviously a nut.

Q: Craig, why does everyone think you're crazy?

Nicholls: My mental health is OK. I just need not to get stressed out by all the extra things apart from playing songs.

Q: But everyone thinks you're totally losing it. Is there any truth to that?

Nicholls: There's some truth to it. Making the album was hard work. It was fun and exciting, too. But physically it was hard, whether I was trying to get a certain guitar part or a high or low harmony. We're playing together now, but we couldn't do it every night. Physically and mentally, it's too much. It feels like anything could happen when we play. But usually we just end up playing the same boring old songs.

Q: Do the other band members try to mother you because you're a baby?

Matthews: His girlfriend does. She thinks he's just being too crazy. So she gives him a knock on the head, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Q: Your girlfriend travels with the band?

Nicholls: Yeah. So does Ryan's (Griffiths, second guitarist).

Q: I thought girlfriends weren't ever allowed on the road.

Matthews: Actually, they make things better. When we went to England without them we were just four grumpy guys.

Q: But now two of the guys are having sex on a regular basis, so it's better?

Matthews: Yeah. It's more like the girls on the bus keep the spirits up.

Q: Doesn't having girlfriends around get in the way of the whole gang mentality?

Matthews: We've never felt like a gang. We're not like the Ramones.

Q: Haven't you been through something like five drummers?

Matthews: One.

Q: So any member is disposable?

Matthews: No. We've been through one, let's make that clear. I guess some bands are like gangs, but it just hasn't been like that for us.

Nicholls: We're all individuals.

Q: Your first drummer had a nervous breakdown while you were recording the album and then you kicked him out of the band. But he keeps posting messages on your Web site thinking he's still in the band. What's his problem?

Matthews: It's a tricky one. He never actually left the band. But, quite obviously, he couldn't come on tour. I don't know if I should say too much about this, but he's kind of fragile. We did one tour of Australia with him, and it was quite depressing.

Q: I saw a picture of someone who had a beard while you were making the album. Was that him?

Matthews: No, that was me. When you've been in the studio for five months you might put on some weight and grow a beard.