I’m sure if you’ve ever heard Nickelback songs like the eternally-memeable “Photograph” or “Figured You Out,” you’ve probably wondered “these guys have to be kidding, right?” Turns out they are, and they’re laughing all the way to the bank.

In an interview with WRIF, Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger said the band’s hits were written very tongue-in-cheek and weren’t mean to be taken seriously… and then everyone did and Nickelback became huge. Which is actually pretty great, if you think about it – you’re goofing off with your friends one minute, and the next minute you’re international superstars. Not bad!

“When we recorded ‘You look so much cuter with something in your mouth,’ I mean these songs, you guys play these songs on the radio. I think it is hilarious, and anybody that thinks that we take this band seriously is hilarious cause were just four goofballs sitting there going, ‘Can you imagine if they play this on the radio?’ Then you guys play it on the radio.”

Kroeger also touched on how the band was misrepresented over the years as this really serious group of guys, when that absolutely isn’t the case.For a prime example, look no further than the above press photo we were provided of the band.

“I think that there’s been some misrepresentation of this band over the years. We’ll be in a photo session and we’re doing this photo shoot and we’re just goofing off, and you’ve got all these candid shots and we’re laughing – you know, cry-laughing and just getting all these great shots – and then, right at the end, it’s always the same thing. ‘Alright guys, give me a little bit of attitude.’ We all do that thing…

“And that’s the picture [they use] every. Single. Time. It’s like, ‘Look at these douchebags taking themselves so seriously,’ and it’s just a terrible misrepresentation of the band.”