Pup announce tour dates with a brand new video

Pup announce tour dates with a brand new video

PUP SHARE FIRST SINGLE IN TWO YEARS

“PARANOID” OUT NOW

ANNOUNCE UK & EU HEADLINE TOUR FOR MAY

Toronto punk heroes PUP – comprised of Stefan Babcock, Nestor Chumak, Zack Mykula, and Steve Sladkowski – released their fourth album, THE UNRAVELING OF PUPTHEBAND, in 2022.


The album earned PUP universal acclaim, countless Top 10 Billboard chart positions including #1 Heatseekers, Top New Artists Albums and Alternative New Artist Albums, and a slew of sold-out shows across the globe. They’re keeping it going with an arena tour on home turf in support of Sum 41 that kicks off tomorrow night, so to celebrate they return today with a new single. The explosive, John Congleton-produced track “Paranoid” is out now, and marks PUP’s first new release in two years. 

Stefan Babcock says of the new single: “My favourite part of this song is the breakdown 1:45 in. Whenever we try and do a heavy breakdown with catchy vocals we end up sounding like the world’s worst melodic hardcore band. But somehow it worked on this song. I think because it’s so intense in that moment that it’s actually kind of funny and a bit hard to take seriously. There’s some humour in that and how it plays against what I’m yelling about in a way I really like. Plus Nestor plays the melody from ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’ on the bass at the heaviest moment in the song which really cracks me up every time I hear it.”

“Paranoid” is accompanied by an ingenious, whipsmart music video by long-time PUP collaborator Jeremy Schaulin-Rioux, who said: “What started out as a way to keep the bruising and heartbreaking lyrics to ‘Paranoid’ front and centre turned into a little love letter for rock band merchandise and the unsung heroes who run the merch table. Special thanks to co-director Clem Hoeney and all the real PUP fans who came out and went so hard for a hundred takes!”


The band are also launching their MORE BAD STUFF – A PUPTHEBAND Substack. A reincarnation of the band’s zine series PUPTHEZINE, this Substack will be an ongoing digital version or, as they like to call it, “PUPTHEBAND’S brand new digital hellscape.” They will use it to post unreleased songs, discuss the writing process, play-through tracks, and to share comics, old photos, live recordings, tour stories and more. The first two posts, featuring the original 4-song EP of pre-PUP band Topanga and some Built To Spill covers by Stefan, are out now.

SIGN UP FOR “MORE BAD STUFF – APUPTHEBAND SUBSTACK” HERE 



And to follow on from their sold-out dates with Jimmy Eat World here at the tail-end of last year, PUP also announce their return to UK and EU shores for a headline tour in May with full dates listed below.

For the EU/UK dates, the band will take Illuminati Hotties along as their main support (all shows excluding Spain) and Goo will additionally join for the UK run.

Go to www.puptheband.com for all on sale and ticketing information.

Canada:

10/01/2025 – Victoria, BC @ Save On Foods Memorial Centre
11/01/2025 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
13/01/2025 – Kelowna, BC @ Prospera Place
16/01/2025 – Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank Saddledome
17/01/2025 – Edmonton, AB @ Rogers Place
18/01/2025 – Saskatoon, SK @ Sasktel Centre
20/01/2025 – Winnipeg, MB @ Canada Life Place
23/01/2025 – St. Catharines, ON @ Meridian Centre
24/01/2025 – Ottawa, ON @ Canadian Tire Centre
25/01/2025 – Laval, QC @ Place Bell
27/01/2025 – London, ON @ Budweiser Gardens
28/01/2025 – Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
30/01/2025 – Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena

UK and EU:

07/05/2025 – Birmingham, UK @ XOYO Birmingham
08/05/2025 – Leeds, UK @ Project House
10/05/2025 – Manchester, UK @ O2 Ritz
11/05/2025 – Glasgow, UK @ SWG3 (TV Studio)
12/05/2025 – Newcastle, UK @ Newcastle University
13/05/2025 – Bristol, UK @ Marble Factory
15/05/2025 – Southampton, UK @ Engine Rooms
16/05/2025 – London, UK @ O2 Forum Kentish Town
18/05/2025 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Melkweg
20/05/2025 – Cologne, Germany @ Club Volta
21/05/2025 – Hamburg, Germany @ Logo
22/05/2025 – Berlin, Germany @ Hole44
23/05/2025 – Munich, Germany @ Strom
25/05/2025 – Paris, France @ Bellevilloise
27/05/2025 – Madrid, Spain @ Sala Mon
28/05/2025 – Barcelona, Spain @ Upload
29/05/2025 – València, Spain @ Loco Club
30/05/2025 – San Sebastian, Spain @ Dabadaba​​​​​​

Pup – Morbid Stuff (Rise Records)

Pup – Morbid Stuff (Rise Records)

Another new album from Pup and another new album that’s a must-have. Canadian punks Pup have been causing a stir for the best part of a decade now and this is album number three.  Not too shabby on the recording front to be fair.

A wall of pop-sensible punk rock with lyrics out of the teenage bedroom scrapbook raging against growing up its the modern progression of kids who grew up listening to Green Day and Weezer.  The songs have an edge of the underground but I don’t know how long they’ll be able to hang out with the cool kids in the underbelly of entertainment because this is going to push these cats overground (I’m confident of that). I haven’t got a clue what they’re going to shout and scream about then. Whatever it might be I’m sure it’ll sound great as this does.

 

The title track is an excellent warmer upper with a smattering of angst profanities about not fitting in and being bored and a tad pissed off. It’s catchy and pissed off all at the same time – you get some lush gang vocals on ‘Free At Last’ and the chance to thrash around a bit as the song soars towards its abrupt ending.  ‘See You At Your Funeral’ sounds like its Weezer meets My Chemical Romance and downs a vat of beer at the frat house then fucks off to act the nuisance and I like that – a lot.

‘Scorpion Hill’ begins with some piano and guitar all melancholy and a cotton picking cats choir before the inevitable take off. for a five minute song, you sort of knew it was coming but when it arrives it’s decent and that’s all you can ask for as it meanders its corse to the end. Are you real or Fake’ is the question they ask on ‘Bloody Mary, Kate And Ashley’ a real high point of the record with great vocals from all the gang as the noise builds. ‘Sibling Rivalry’ is a wall of noise on the intro but you’re almost lulled into a false sense of security as we reach the chorus and again you can’t help but move to the rhythm.

‘Full Blown Meltdown’ is just that, They knock out a perfectly acceptable slice of raging punk rock with everything turned up to 11 and sounding like a Bronx song (but they’re not Bronx I know but this is in that universe and that’s always a cool place to be).  With only a couple of tracks left I felt the record flew by only noticing where I was because I had to flip the record over which is a compliment that this almost forty-minute album has flown by. Ending the record with ‘City’ their most diverse song to date with its melancholy first half then a feedback-laden middle while the bass turns up the noise before everything distorts and kicks the jams right out and fucking with the sound engineers headphones the band sign off in style and I can declare that indeed ‘Morbid Stuff’ is a roaring success make the most of this band because before long there will be an avalanche of fans demanding their attention and on the strength of this new record it will be thoroughly deserved.

Buy Morbid Stuff Here

Author: Dom Daley