Mom Jeans found their start in early 2014 at UC Berkeley, with guitarist Austin Carango and lead singer Eric Butler. This line-up would go on to record Spring Demo in May 2014, a six-track EP which would later be released as the band's self-titled debut on cassette tape by Northern California-based label, Fourth Row Records. Tracks on Spring Demo feature only Eric and Austin in an acoustic style, while the later released self-titled EP boasted an electric instrumentation with new additions, Josh Perline on bass/vocals, and David McDowall on drums (before his departure from the band shortly after release). Later that summer, the trio would record their last EP before their first full-length album, titled Allergic which featured Austin switching to drums, Josh switching to guitar, and bass recordings being handled by both members. Post-release, Gabriel (Gabe) Paganin joined the band as live bassist and Josh Perline exited the band on good terms.

Mom Jeans self-released their first full-length album, Best Buds, on July 3, 2016. Like their self-titled EP, the album was first released on cassette tape by Fourth Row Records in the summer of 2016. However, soon the group would sign with Massachusetts-based label Counter Intuitive Records, who then re-released the band's first full-length album on vinyl in November 2016.

On March 7, 2017, Mom Jeans released a split EP with the Fresno-based band Graduating Life. It was during this period that Bart Thompson of Graduating Life and Meet Me in Montauk fame would become a guitarist for the band.

On October 6, 2017, Counter Intuitive Records released a split EP titled NOW That's What I Call Music Vol. 420, featuring music from Mom Jeans as well as the bands Pictures of Vernon and Prince Daddy & The Hyena.