PUP
Overflowing with attitude, energy, and hooky guitar figures, PUP are a Toro… Read Full Bio ↴Overflowing with attitude, energy, and hooky guitar figures, PUP are a Toronto-based punk combo whose acclaimed 2013 debut helped earn them a widespread audience both in and outside of Canada. PUP quickly became a touring dynamo with a larger label (SideOneDummy) behind them, and their quirky sense of humor and engaging songwriting played out over albums like 2016's The Dream Is Over and 2019's Juno Award-winning Morbid Stuff. They signed with Universal for their fourth album, 2022's The Unraveling of Puptheband, and created a denser, though still frenetic sound by experimenting with different instruments.
Featuring Stefan Babcock on vocals and guitar, Steve Sladkowski on guitar and vocals, Nestor Chumak on bass and vocals, and Zack Mykula on drums and vocals, all longtime friends who met in elementary school, PUP formed in 2010 under the name Topanga. The original name was a reference to Topanga Lawrence, a character played by Danielle Fishel on the '90s sitcom Boy Meets World, but when the members learned Fishel would be reviving the character in 2014 in a spin-off titled Girl Meets World, they chose to change the name to PUP, standing for "Pathetic Use of Potential." Topanga released a digital EP titled Oceans, and positive press and attention from other bands helped create a buzz about the group. In 2013, they became PUP, releasing their self-titled debut album through the Royal Mountain label. The album was a hit with both critics and fans, with the group being named Best Live Show and Best New Artist by CBC Radio 3. The band toured extensively, playing throughout Canada and making their way to England and the United States. By the end of 2013, PUP had signed a record deal with the well-established punk label Side One Dummy, and spent much of 2014 and 2015 touring in support of Side One Dummy's reissue of their debut LP, launching their first headlining tours of the United States and Canada, as well as making their Australian debut.
In February 2016, PUP teased a new single called "DVP" in advance of their second full-length album, The Dream Is Over. Released in May of that year, the album's title is a reference to a prognosis Babcock received from his doctor: he'd severely damaged his vocal cords after enduring years of non-stop touring. In true punk fashion, PUP used the doctor's glib comment as the rallying cry for another set of hard-hitting, self-deprecating punk tunes. The band promoted the effort with an international tour over the next year before returning to the studio to write and record a follow-up. They spent most of 2018 working on the album, which saw release in April 2019. Titled Morbid Stuff, the record was produced with Dave Schiffman (the Mars Volta, Weezer) and lyrically focused on Babcock's struggles with depression. A year later, PUP offered up their commentary on the state of the world with This Place Sucks Ass, a six-song EP whose title referenced one of their long-standing touring inside jokes. With COVID-19 putting a halt to live performances, the group returned to the studio in 2021 to record their fourth album. Produced by Peter Katis (the National, Frightened Rabbit), 2022's wild The Unraveling of Puptheband saw the group augmenting their normally guitar-based sound with synthesizers, piano, and horns.
Biography by Mark Deming
There is another artist using the same name:
2) PUP is a Chinese-Korean rapper.
Featuring Stefan Babcock on vocals and guitar, Steve Sladkowski on guitar and vocals, Nestor Chumak on bass and vocals, and Zack Mykula on drums and vocals, all longtime friends who met in elementary school, PUP formed in 2010 under the name Topanga. The original name was a reference to Topanga Lawrence, a character played by Danielle Fishel on the '90s sitcom Boy Meets World, but when the members learned Fishel would be reviving the character in 2014 in a spin-off titled Girl Meets World, they chose to change the name to PUP, standing for "Pathetic Use of Potential." Topanga released a digital EP titled Oceans, and positive press and attention from other bands helped create a buzz about the group. In 2013, they became PUP, releasing their self-titled debut album through the Royal Mountain label. The album was a hit with both critics and fans, with the group being named Best Live Show and Best New Artist by CBC Radio 3. The band toured extensively, playing throughout Canada and making their way to England and the United States. By the end of 2013, PUP had signed a record deal with the well-established punk label Side One Dummy, and spent much of 2014 and 2015 touring in support of Side One Dummy's reissue of their debut LP, launching their first headlining tours of the United States and Canada, as well as making their Australian debut.
In February 2016, PUP teased a new single called "DVP" in advance of their second full-length album, The Dream Is Over. Released in May of that year, the album's title is a reference to a prognosis Babcock received from his doctor: he'd severely damaged his vocal cords after enduring years of non-stop touring. In true punk fashion, PUP used the doctor's glib comment as the rallying cry for another set of hard-hitting, self-deprecating punk tunes. The band promoted the effort with an international tour over the next year before returning to the studio to write and record a follow-up. They spent most of 2018 working on the album, which saw release in April 2019. Titled Morbid Stuff, the record was produced with Dave Schiffman (the Mars Volta, Weezer) and lyrically focused on Babcock's struggles with depression. A year later, PUP offered up their commentary on the state of the world with This Place Sucks Ass, a six-song EP whose title referenced one of their long-standing touring inside jokes. With COVID-19 putting a halt to live performances, the group returned to the studio in 2021 to record their fourth album. Produced by Peter Katis (the National, Frightened Rabbit), 2022's wild The Unraveling of Puptheband saw the group augmenting their normally guitar-based sound with synthesizers, piano, and horns.
Biography by Mark Deming
There is another artist using the same name:
2) PUP is a Chinese-Korean rapper.
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PUP Lyrics
A.M. 180 Don't change your name Keep it the same For fear I may…
Anaphylaxis I never knew I was anaphylactic I took the medicine, it…
Back Against the Wall Now you find out Your back's against the wall If I ?? Mig…
Bare Hands Cut me loose in mid-September I was out of my element Starte…
Bloody Mary Kate and Ashley It's only a game I hadn't thought about it in years Repeated…
Can't Win I've been blessed with shit luck There are some things that'…
Closure The light was starting to fade And I could feel the…
Cul-De-Sac Tough luck You don′t need me anymore No you don't And when m…
Cutting Off The Corners There's no more searching for answers Better leave it anyway…
Dark Days This endless night This funeral dirge We celebrate life A…
Doubts I'll never get you outta my mind It keeps me awake…
DVP Your sister thinks that I'm a freak She's been ignoring my…
Edmonton That night in Edmonton with all of my friends Singing songs…
Factories I built this life for you With my own two hands You've…
Familiar Patterns This business ain't for the faint of heart Well I fell…
Four Chords The board of directors are growing impatient The budget is s…
Four Chords Pt. III: Diminishing Returns The board of directors are almost finished this record That'…
Free At Last I was kissing your salty lips Wet from your nose as…
Full Blown Meltdown Wake up It was just a feeling He was emptying the coffers Wh…
Grim Reaping This town's tearing out our insides And I wanna smash it Fro…
Guilt Trip How many times have you lied to my face I can't…
Habits I'll let you try and contain All of your life in…
Holier Than Thou No more, the crap rolls out your mouth again Haven't changed…
If This Tour Doesn't Kill You If this tour doesn't kill you then I will I hate…
Kids Just like the kids I've been navigating my way through the…
Lionheart Oh Lionheart Where have you gone? All that you said But y…
Mabu I went down to the water with the help of my…
Matilda Left in the corner collecting dust Patiently waiting while m…
Morbid Stuff I was bored as fuck Sitting around and thinking all this…
My Life is Over & I Couldn't Be Happier I don't even know why you're so pissed You said I'm…
Never Try Every morning I keep sleepin' 'Cause in the nighttime, I'm …
Old Wounds I caught your eye on the back of the bus…
Pine Point Oh, in Pine Point, where I was born The roads are…
PUPTHEBAND Inc. Is Filing For Bankruptcy I think I'm gonna blast off Too old for teen angst,…
Relentless It's always the same shit Follow the cracks in the pavement …
Reservoir Took a path to the top of the mountain You walk…
Robot Writes a Love Song You were dead I saw your corpse rolling out the door I…
Rot Why disguise my bad intentions? I've got nothing to hide Exc…
Scorpion Hill Up on Scorpion Hill watching life Passing me by in the…
See You at Your Funeral The days blur into one And I float around the edge…
Sibling Rivalry This raft is hard to steer, the water is low…
Sleep In The Heat I was feeling a little bizarre The day that I buried…
Smoke Screen When it all feels like it's moving too fast Light the…
The Coast Canadian cold, Canadian cheer I couldn't spend another winte…
Totally Fine Hiding out of a back of a parking lot A thousand…
Waiting Tied up in the wrong stuff When you're attracted to violence…
Yukon In the Yukon valley Where I spent my summer past I was…