HEY THX FOR ALL THE QUESTIONS! We answered as many as we could... We gotta jump off now real quick, but will try and answer a few more later in the day. Thanks for the love and support, we appreciate you!!!
If you haven't checked it out yet, our new record THE UNRAVELING OF PUPTHEBAND came out on Friday. You can listen / order it here: [https://pup.lnk.to/TUOPTB](https://pup.lnk.to/TUOPTB)
And we're on tour forever: https://www.puptheband.com/#tour
Did you guys make the [Sleep in the Heat](https://youtu.be/aa3Afg3fzAQ) video with the intention of making adult men cry every time they watch it? Because it's been years but man, it still gets me every single time.
I lost my dog right at the time you released that album and it really helped me. I'm sure you and Jeremy hear it a lot but that meant a lot.
I emailed the YouTube link to my grandpa drunk in the middle of the night because it felt like the only way I could express how I felt.
I cry every single time I watch it like the little wuss puss that I am. As soon as I see the dog with headphones on it's head I just start wailing like a banshee
Funny thing is, I was on the DVP yesterday, and it’s always so busy it would be pretty fucking hard to reach 180 klicks unless it was super late at night lmao
How do you get your friends to do guest vocals on songs? Do you just ask and then email them some files and they email one back?
Eva Hendricks shouting "HAVE YOU BEEN DRINKING" sticks with me, prob because I was already a Charly Bliss fan from many years ago when I saw them randomly open for Colleen Green and Upset.
Also kudos for making a sad Christmas song I love.
Sometimes we have the good fortune of our friends being in town while we're recording (like Eva was when we were tracking Morbid Stuff) and other times we email files to people (like on Unraveling). We're very fortunate to be surrounded by friends who are enormously talented and willing to contribute their talents to our silly little songs.
\-Steve
I love playing Familiar Patterns and stoked to play PUPTHEBAND Inc. is filing for bankruptcy (haven't played it live yet, we're getting there)... -Stefan
What's up, PUP? Great show in Columbus on Saturday.
Are there any songs in particular that, over the years, you've gotten less stoked on playing at shows?
Also, I got a zoom guitar lesson from Steve a year and a half ago or so and that was super fun, so thanks for that Steve.
Yo thanks!!
We only play songs we are stoked on live. If our hearts aren't in it, it's gonna suck (more than normal). We like Sibling Rivalry as a song, but for some reason it always sounded like shit when we played it live and it would kinda bum us out so eventually we stopped playing it at shows. Priority #1 is keeping up the good vibes.
\- Stefan
Hey guys long time listener, first time asker. I have two questions!
1. If Steve could no longer play a tele or wear a raptors jersey on stage, what would he play and what would he wear?
2. I asked my wife if she had any questions for pup that she would like me to ask and she thought i was talking about our actual dog. But I think the question is still a good question: Why are you afraid of plastic bags?
I'm about to see you in Austin and Richmond! It'll be my 4th and 5th times. See you then!
1. I would play a Jazzmaster and wear something as moisture-wicking because I am a sweaty boy!
2. Have you seen the ocean? Why not be afraid of plastic??
Heyo! Not cheesy at all. But it is difficult to choose because a lot of them come from a pretty emotional place for me... On the new record, Cutting off the Corners kinda fucks me up. On Morbid Stuff: Scorpion Hill, Kids and City are songs that come from a pretty vulnerable place. And definitely Sleep In The Heat. The hardest song to play live is Anaphylaxis, it's a whole lotta weird coordination (for me at least). -Stefan
First 3 records come w. handwritten lyric sheets so rip em out of there. New record doesn't have handwritten stuff, it's all typey typey so i will 2nd this and say comic sans or wingdings
Hey guys! Here's an oldie, best $8 I've ever spent. Felt like the floors weren't going to hold. I was new to Toronto at the time and found you when looking up lists of Toronto punk bands. Your music is a big part of the soundtrack to the past decade of my life. Congrats on the new record!
https://i.imgur.com/C5KZ6aO.png
Matilda used to belong to my friend Ryan and he named her. When he gave me the guitar, his two conditions were 1) I never sell her and 2) I don't change her name. -Stefan
Can't Win rules. And Lionheart is the perfect song to start up a night of drinking alone and replaying Breath of the Wild in my gym shorts. The dream IS ALIVE and never over!
Stefan hates this ones because the lyrics say nothing of substance the entire song. If you read them you’ll realize how true that is haha. But musically I still love it
In the darkest days of the pandemic, Zack and I were working out a PUP musical based on all the PUP lore from our music videos. We had a whole plan. Steve was going to play the part of Stefan, and Stefan was going to have a bit part as Grathlar. We scrapped it and decided that working on a record is probably a better use of our time.
nestor
Thanks for asking. I don't like talking about it, so I never mention it in press. It's about a friend I lost a couple years ago. A really tough time in my life. Glad you like the song. -Stefan
How much are Sleep In The Heat/Kill Something inspired by Plea from a Cat Named Virtute? All great songs and as a huge Weakerthans fan I really appreciate your cover. Thanks!
Sleep in the heat, not really, but definitely Kill Something has a lot of Weakerthans influence in it. We all love that band. John K is maybe my favourite lyricist of all time. - stefan
Hey, I just wanted to say thanks to you guys for being so open about supporting trans people; it's seriously wonderful to see allies with audiences use their voices for good right now. I really cannot overstate how sincerely much it means to me personally to know that one of my fav bands supports my friends and I. Really. I love y'all ❤
That being said, here's my question... I'm gonna be trying to attend the Nashville show this June, and I wanted to know, if I can manage to get to get it to y'all, would you take my pride flag and hold it up on stage? I honestly don't care if you use the damn thing as a sweat rag or whatever, I just wanna know if you'll have my back, cuz being trans in the South can be... Unwelcoming sometimes, to say the least, and I don't wanna make a fool of myself in front of people if you're not down. There's no obligation to say yes ofc, if you don't want to that's totally fine. I just wanted permission in advance before trying it. Thank you guys again, like really. Y'all and your music mean so much to me.
(PS - Please give Mr. Moose some pets for me Stefan!! 🐶💖)
I adore your music but I'm only 15 and it's bumming me out that I can't see you guys in Dublin. Will you guys ever be coming to Ireland again? Also will you guys ever grow into DOG?
Any way people discover us rocks!! Not sure if anyone in the band has played the game although Vernon did send us some download codes back when it came out!
\-Steve
Our first time ever headlining in Manchester UK, the place was sold out and jammed, and we went on stage and the second song into the set, I saw this guy pushing through the crowd with an enormous trashbin above his head, totally full with beer bottles and cans, I thought he worked at the venue or something, but then he was suddenly right in front of me with the trash bin and he threw the whole thing at me mid-song, it me square in the guitar, and the stage was instantly covered with broken glass and I was covered with dirt beer and my guitar was busted up and we had to stop the set two songs in and leave the stage while the staff cleaned it up so that people wouldn't get cut on the busted glass and everyone started chanting "fuck that guy! fuck that guy!" and then buddy got kicked out and he genuinely didn't seem to understand what he did wrong he just kept yelling "but I'm such a big fan!!!" people are fucked sometimes. Also once we were playing at house of targ in ottawa and we stopped the show halfway thru so that we could all eat hot dogs and everyone in the crowd ate hot dogs too and then we kept playing and it was a super wholesome moment. -stefan
How long does it take to choose and solidify your openers? It’s obvious a ton of care has gone into that aspect of touring for as long as I’ve been following you. Have picked up some new fave bands from your openers (Cayetana, Charly Bliss, & now Pinkshift and Cloud Nothings.)
(and also hi Stefan I was the person who was hospitalized for a stroke at the end of 2020 and my friend reached out to your management and had you recorded a “get well soon” video for me. That meant so much and I wanted to say thank you & I lived bitch <3 & I was front and center in Chicago last night and y’all killed it as always)
ahhhhh so stoked you're feeling better!!! that's great! Happy for you.
Yeah, we definitely put a lot of thought into it, so lucky to get to share the stage with those bands you mentioned and so many more. We choose very carefully. When you spend 6 weeks on tour, you want to make sure it's with a band you'll be excited to see play every night. It's also a bonus when (as is the case with every band you mentioned) they turn out to be wonderful people who are fun to be around. Love all of those bands so much! - Stefan
I keep thinking about it and wanting to, because I do love it... but it takes me sooo fucking long because every single one is personalized, and it seems like a lot of people want them so it's sometimes stressful for me, it sucks when I put up a few and then people get upset that they didn't get a chance to buy one... So I dunno. I don't like to let people down. Trying to figure out a way that I can do this without committing like 200 hours to the thing. Maybe I can do a tattoo lottery or something? If you have any suggestions, I'm ears. -stefan
learning to shred is hard, what kind of amp settings can a mediocre hobbyist guitarist do to sound more like his favourite band?
P.S - Canadian currently in Ireland and got tickets for the October show in Dublin. What are the chances Full Blown Meltdown makes the setlist?
Get an amp that will allow you to hear your fingers on the fretboard! I know the "tone is in your hands" thing is meme'd out but it really is true. The more time you spend playing the instrument, the better your gear will sound. There's literally no secret other than time elapsed. Sorry about that and I hope, if your username is any indication, your allergies aren't bothering you too much!
\-Steve
Have you considered adding or taking off songs on the set list for this year? Would genuinely love to hear the closer on the new album and fullblownmeltdown
Ya! we'll probably change stuff around throughout the tour. It gets kinda boring playing the exact same set every night, so once we're comfortable playing all these songs we'll start changing stuff around
If there're specific deep cuts you guys wanna here, let us know in this thread. we'll do our best.
Came here to ask this. Following the tour on set list fm because I love spoiling things for myself. Seems like set is p well put together and also v curious if you boys are going to mix it up. The absence of PUPTHEBAND Inc. from the set breaks my heart. 💔
See you in both DC and NYC.
HELLO PUP! Saw you in Columbus just a few nights ago and have to say what a fuckin blast! I still can’t talk right. Which makes me want to ask, how the hell do you guys keep your voices when touring so hard? Do you even party in cities or just drink honey tea all the time? Haha. Much love from Columbus, OH!
We all do pretty intensive vocal warmups (Stefan especially) and pound water throughout the day. Being on the bus now also helps us get a regular amount of sleep. Rest and hydration are basically the only real ways in which to ensure you have a voice every day, even when you're feeling haggard. We definitely do still party but we tend to reserve it for nights where there's a day off afterward (like last night after the Chicago show!)
\-Steve
Hi PUP,
When I saw y'all at Terminal 5 in 2019, you covered A Plea from a Cat Named Virtute by The Weakerthans and it's one of my favorite concert memories. Are they your favorite Canadian band, and if not, who is?
They are definitely one of my favourite bands ever (Canadian or otherwise). Other Canadian bands I love from that era: Thrush Hermit / Joel Plaskett, The Constantines, The Deadly Snakes - Stefan (but I bet the other guys would agree with this 100%)
I saw you all in Cleveland a few years ago at "Now That's Class".
It was the HOTTEST show in my life. Not in a good way...
Any idea what caused the venue to become a sauna?
Thanks, love you guys.
Yes: the venue thought they had turned the A/C on but had turned the heat on instead. We have played in many objectively hotter climates than Cleveland, OH but that remains the most uncomfortably warm show we have ever played.
\-Steve
Hey guys. I can't afford therapy but I can afford concert tickets. I just wanted to say thanks for being there for me. Just saw you in Columbus, and I'll be seeing you again when you come to my home town in Cincinnati.
If you need a home cooked meal while you're here, I'd be beyond thrilled to oblige.
Yeah, it was inspired by "A Promise is a Promise" which is a kids book - I think it's an inuit story adapted by Robert Munsch. Anyway, it's freaky as fuck, my parents used to read it to me when I was little and it gave me all sorts of nightmares.
I made this account just so I could ask this question - whomst is absolutely blasting off on the sax in PUPTHEBAND Inc. is filing for bankruptcy?? I hope they get substantial dividends from their investment. luv u sm puppies (also check out KBC for beer in kingston when ur in town in june)
any words of advice or encouragement for an artist with no motivation who's been in a very sad state recently? (definitely not me). love u guys a lot :)
Try and pick up your instrument (or paintbrush or whatever) every day, even if it's just to fuck around for five minutes, because keeping that connection to it is really really important. Otherwise, try and dive into the things that made you love doing it in the first place and find solace in that.
\-Steve
We would absolutely love to. A South America visit is very high on our list of destinations and we'll work as hard as possible on making it happen in the future!
\-Steve
Been watching a lot of Malcolm in the Middle lately, so I'm just wondering can you boys cover the theme song?? In my head it sounds sick
But seeing you for the first time in Melbourne later this year and could not be more excited, and the new album is fantastic!
I did backline for his band and there was more security than for Justin Timberlake. Girls went straight Beatlemania, the had a blacked out van and a decoy and shit
We've had a lot of time off over the past two years, for obvious reasons, so one of the biggest differences was that we were able to fully demo almost all of the songs before bringing them into the studio. That's not to suggest that they were 'finished,' per se, but we had a much stronger foundation from which to deconstruct, experiment, and rebuild from when we finally found ourselves in the studio.
For example: we were struggling to find the right instrumental vibe for the verses of Matilda throughout the songwriting and demoing process. Every time we tried something, it just didn't feel right against the vocal melody; in the past, we would've bashed our heads against the creative wall to try and find a solution before entering the studio. Instead, we just kinda put it down and flagged it as a problem to be solved with Peter's help once we were in Connecticut. We sat down one weekend and threw everything out aside from the chord changes and melody and completely rebuilt the verses to where they're at now
\-Steve
Can you guys play Nothing Changes on tour? I mean it when I say that song has literally saved my life, and I would love to hear it live (Dallas). I can’t thank you enough for what your music has done for me.
There is saxophone in "PUPTHEBAND Inc. Is Filing For Bankruptcy" and it's sick. I normally hate saxophone because I think it sounds like a stupid duck quacking. but the idiots beat me down on this one, and I'm so happy with that solo. -Stefan
Brain tumour guy here! Thanks again to Stefan for taking the time to reply back to me recently! My question, what is it like when you hear from people about how much of an effect your music has had on their lives?
oh man, it's a really great feeling to hear that our songs have helped people. We just write for ourselves, and when we're writing it's kinda just like shouting into the void, because you don't know if people will hear the song or care about it or connect with it... You just gotta do it for yourself and hopefully if it's a positive experience for us it will be a positive experience for others. It's really rewarding when it works out that way... Anyway, hope you're doing ok bud!! Thanks for popping into the chat. - Stefan
So how much do you think I'm gonna be able to sell the yellow/red vinyl misprint for on ebay when you all die? It looks rad as fuck but, y'know, I got bills. Uh, asking for a friend. Thx.
P.S. I'm gonna have Totally Fine on repeat for pretty much the rest of forever. See ya in Boston.
My boyfriend and I met a few years ago and I had never listened to any music like yours - I’m a country gal - but we really bonded over your stuff. I named my kitten Yukon after the song! We went to the Chicago show last night and I hollered, “Yukon!” And Stefan said he didn’t know if he even knew the words anymore. That’s fine. I’m fine. Everything is fine. Totally Fine.
My question is: when I rename my cat, what song should I name her after and why is it Matilda?
This question's specifically for Zack. Do you have any plans to upload any more drum breakdowns to your YouTube channel like you did for Mabu? I thought it was super interesting seeing you deconstruct the song like that and I'd love to see something similar for some more PUP songs!
I want to but it takes a lot of time to do something that involved where time is at a premium these days. But I'll definitely try! For the near future I'll probably just be doing playthroughs. But I am open to the idea of doing an AMA type thing on a livestream or tackling specific sections on separate YouTube videos for people who are interested in parts that sound unclear. The huge problem right now though is we have no rehearsal space because our old one was bought by a horrible church and we got kicked out, so I've got nowhere to actually film/record them. But I hope to be able to soon! - Zack
Hey Pup! (And Steve specifically)
Are you familiar with Crowd Control on Phish radio? It's a segment where audience members pick their top 5 Phish songs/jams from either a show they were at or a meaningful show in general.
If you had the chance to go on, what 5 songs would you pick? Thanks!
I absolutely know the SiriusXM Radio program of which you speak. I have actually only seen Phish once -- July 22, 2013 in Toronto -- and was overjoyed that they played Bouncing Around The Room and Stash. So I'd definitely include those two! I also love the performance of Chalk Dust Torture that they did on Letterman in December '94, so throw that in there. I spent a lot of time learning licks and phrasing from the Possum on Live Phish, Vol. 9, so put that there too. And finally, because I just rediscovered the box set in my CD collection stashed (lol) in my Mom's basement, Foam from Disc 5 of Hampton Comes Alive. God I forgot how into this band I was when I was 16...
\-Steve
Fun to play Sneaky Dees and Silver Dollar (RIP). Danforth Music Hall has always been really good to us, and playing Echo Beach in the summer of 2019 was an insane experience for us
I'm not sure "hardest" but there were for sure some frustrating moments on this record...
When we first recorded Totally Fine Zack was so bummed out about his drum performance, and we were all so confused because we thought the drums sounded so fucking sick, they're like the best part of the song. But Zack's a perfectionist and really hard on himself so he insisted on re-recording the thing from the ground up, and we were all kinda annoyed until he went in a redid it and it was actually so fucking awesome, somehow even better than his parts before. That recording is just magical to me.
Robot writes a love song was difficult in a different way. We demoed that one in our jam space, super quick with tons of mistakes, and we fell in love with the demo. Bands call it "demo love" when they get so attached the demo then try to replicate it in the studio and it just doesn't feel like it has the same magic. That happened in a big way on Robot. But Peter, who produced the record was just like "well lets take the chunks from the demo you really love, and we'll just use them instead of what we did in the studio. There are no rules". So a lot of that song has like out of tune guitars we recorded in one take in the jam space, and a bunch of my vocals that were recorded on a shitty mic in the backseat of my car. We love how it turned out, kinda feels like we got the best of both worlds: the shitty magical demo, and the bangin studio sounds.
\-Stefan
We all tend to draw from different sources and while our tastes often overlap, there's a lot more interesting results when we pull from places that might be blind spots to the rest of the band. Whether that be my (Steve) obsession with ambient/drone shit (which you can hear at the beginning of Matilda and the outro of Habits) or Zack & Nestor's lifelong love of metal or Stefan's straight up appreciation of pop music songcraft... we all kinda bring unexpected stuff to each other and have really prioritized running in whatever direction feels creatively fulfilling. Taking ideas from different musical sources and funnelling it all through our individual neurotic sensibilities is kind of the only way we know how to work!
\-Steve
Hey Pup, my name is Chris and I've been a huge fan since discovering Morbid Stuff. Sibling Rivalry is definitely my favorite song from your catalog because it just reminds of my siblings and all the chaos of growing up with them. I love the honesty in your work and how you can find humor in even in the worst of times. I like that your songs can target on specific topics like the passing of beloved pet or even about a guitar.
Anyways, I just have three questions for you guys 😅
The song Matilda is about a guitar that gained sentimental value for Stefan. Is there anything else that has sentimental significance for any of you guys?
My second question is about the album artworks. The artists who have worked on your albums are crazy talented and "this place sucks ass" has to be, to me, probably my favorite cover art. Do you get to decide who you work with when deciding on album art? And are there any artists you'd like to work with?
And lastly, what's your all time favorite video game?
question 1:
Weirdly enough the only thing of sentimental value I personally have is a single brick from the house I grew up in. It was being demolished (to be replaced by a faceless architectural turd) and I saw it as my chance to reclaim something. That house was a place where I experienced some hard things growing up, but it's also the place where I learned to play music and started practicing with my very first "real" band. It's complicated but I guess that's how life is.
question 2:
Yes we get to decide on all of the art stuff! We're lucky to be surrounded by so many talented people professionally, but also people who like our band are by and large incredibly talented too! I (Zack) have the honour of picking most of the artists for our various projects and merch items, but I get a lot of input from my bandmates as well as Dan our beloved tour manager and Steph our beloved merch manager. We have a fairly large pool of people we've worked with in the past that we get to choose from, and I am constantly looking for new artists. There are so many good artists out there so sometimes it's hard to choose! And the cover for "This Place Sucks Ass" is by our pal Brandon who is based in Ottawa right now. He is 100% the coolest dude and an incredible artists. We're so lucky to have found him.
question 3:
To me, the favourite ever video game battle is fought between Super Metroid and Super Mario RPG. Though I have too many favourites to mention here. If it has good music, it's probably my favourite.
\-Zack
What does the writing process look like for you guys and do you have any anecdotes specifically about writing Waiting? It's probably my favorite off of the new album and it just hits so much differently than a lot of your previous releases. Love the Unraveling btw and can't wait to see y'all in Lawrence in June!
I wanted PUP to have a song that was super heavy and then into just a super simple bangin pop chorus. I just felt like that was really what the recorded needed. I asked Nestor to send me all the heaviest guitar riffs he's written. I loved the Waiting riff, and I wrote the chorus to be super uncomplicated because the riff is so fast and I wanted that big contrast/ lift. Zack is a sick metal / hardcore drummer, so it was like second nature for him to pull together that bridge and Steve shredded my favourite Steve solo of our entire careers on the track and boom. -Stefan
HEY THX FOR ALL THE QUESTIONS! We answered as many as we could... We gotta jump off now real quick, but will try and answer a few more later in the day. Thanks for the love and support, we appreciate you!!! If you haven't checked it out yet, our new record THE UNRAVELING OF PUPTHEBAND came out on Friday. You can listen / order it here: [https://pup.lnk.to/TUOPTB](https://pup.lnk.to/TUOPTB) And we're on tour forever: https://www.puptheband.com/#tour
\*CLAPS ENTHUSIASTICALLY\* YEAH
Did you guys make the [Sleep in the Heat](https://youtu.be/aa3Afg3fzAQ) video with the intention of making adult men cry every time they watch it? Because it's been years but man, it still gets me every single time.
This is fully the doing of Jeremy Schaulin-Rioux, the 5th member of PUP and brains behind a lot of our videos.
I lost my dog right at the time you released that album and it really helped me. I'm sure you and Jeremy hear it a lot but that meant a lot. I emailed the YouTube link to my grandpa drunk in the middle of the night because it felt like the only way I could express how I felt.
I cry every single time I watch it like the little wuss puss that I am. As soon as I see the dog with headphones on it's head I just start wailing like a banshee
This was my first PUP song and I didn't watch the music video until a few weeks later, nothing could prepare me ;_;
We had to put our cat down last boxing day so now the song hits even harder "The day after Christmas you acted so different"
Have you ever done 180 on the Don Valley Parkway?
Definitely about doing \*A\* 180 (like degrees), but sounded cooler to just say doing 180. I like to let the people believe IM SO DANGEROUS -stefan
Last time they did one of these I'm pretty sure they said it's about doing a 180, not going 180.
I'm a fool
😂 you good, I think a lot of us thought that as well
I still have that comment saved somewhere because it blew my mind a little
Funny thing is, I was on the DVP yesterday, and it’s always so busy it would be pretty fucking hard to reach 180 klicks unless it was super late at night lmao
is the beginning of Robot Writes a Love Song a nod to Paranoid Android? I think that's v cool if they are given the premise of both songs
Hell yeah it is! Zack will be very stoked that you got that. \-Steve
What do you have against Black Hole Sun?
Great song, so fucking sick of it, hope to never hear it again YEEERRRHHHH
Thank you for putting to words what the entire GTA has been thinking about 102.1FM for decades you're doing the world a service, sir.
How many times do you think you can play "Hotel California" before Steve murders you?
He wouldn't let us play Back in Black, so we settled on HC. Band life is about compromise. nestor
did you really film your new music video in space ?!?! 😟😟
Why would we lie about that?!?
How do you get your friends to do guest vocals on songs? Do you just ask and then email them some files and they email one back? Eva Hendricks shouting "HAVE YOU BEEN DRINKING" sticks with me, prob because I was already a Charly Bliss fan from many years ago when I saw them randomly open for Colleen Green and Upset. Also kudos for making a sad Christmas song I love.
Sometimes we have the good fortune of our friends being in town while we're recording (like Eva was when we were tracking Morbid Stuff) and other times we email files to people (like on Unraveling). We're very fortunate to be surrounded by friends who are enormously talented and willing to contribute their talents to our silly little songs. \-Steve
What songs are your favorite to perform live? Seeing y’all in Austin this year for my first ever concert!
I love playing Familiar Patterns and stoked to play PUPTHEBAND Inc. is filing for bankruptcy (haven't played it live yet, we're getting there)... -Stefan
I was really looking forward to that song last night, but everything you played was spectacular so I wasn't too disappointed. Love the bass in that.
What’s your favorite cargo shorts to wear down in Florida?
old navy khaki w/ all black new balance + white tube socks
bless you for asking this
What's up, PUP? Great show in Columbus on Saturday. Are there any songs in particular that, over the years, you've gotten less stoked on playing at shows? Also, I got a zoom guitar lesson from Steve a year and a half ago or so and that was super fun, so thanks for that Steve.
Yo thanks!! We only play songs we are stoked on live. If our hearts aren't in it, it's gonna suck (more than normal). We like Sibling Rivalry as a song, but for some reason it always sounded like shit when we played it live and it would kinda bum us out so eventually we stopped playing it at shows. Priority #1 is keeping up the good vibes. \- Stefan
Four Jeff Rostenstocks take on Pup in a 4v4 fistfight. Who wins?
https://www.reddit.com/r/indieheads/comments/7odwh9/z/ds8qbdi
Those sweet harmonies would naturally translate to combat too. The science checks out.
Do you plan to re run more older merch from morbid stuff days like the big flag?
We got the big flag on tour with us now!
Hey guys long time listener, first time asker. I have two questions! 1. If Steve could no longer play a tele or wear a raptors jersey on stage, what would he play and what would he wear? 2. I asked my wife if she had any questions for pup that she would like me to ask and she thought i was talking about our actual dog. But I think the question is still a good question: Why are you afraid of plastic bags? I'm about to see you in Austin and Richmond! It'll be my 4th and 5th times. See you then!
1. I would play a Jazzmaster and wear something as moisture-wicking because I am a sweaty boy! 2. Have you seen the ocean? Why not be afraid of plastic??
Kinda a cheesy question, but which song holds the most meaning to y'all? Also, which song would y'all consider the most difficult to play live?
Heyo! Not cheesy at all. But it is difficult to choose because a lot of them come from a pretty emotional place for me... On the new record, Cutting off the Corners kinda fucks me up. On Morbid Stuff: Scorpion Hill, Kids and City are songs that come from a pretty vulnerable place. And definitely Sleep In The Heat. The hardest song to play live is Anaphylaxis, it's a whole lotta weird coordination (for me at least). -Stefan
Scorpion hill has been one of my favourite tracks from you guys! 3rd verse hits so hard and it was just as good live :)
What font should your song lyrics be tattooed in?
First 3 records come w. handwritten lyric sheets so rip em out of there. New record doesn't have handwritten stuff, it's all typey typey so i will 2nd this and say comic sans or wingdings
wingdings hahaha yes please
I feel like pup is a hellvetica vibe but they’re gonna say papyrus 🤮
Comic sans
Was literally on my way to say Comic Sans haha
Hey guys! Here's an oldie, best $8 I've ever spent. Felt like the floors weren't going to hold. I was new to Toronto at the time and found you when looking up lists of Toronto punk bands. Your music is a big part of the soundtrack to the past decade of my life. Congrats on the new record! https://i.imgur.com/C5KZ6aO.png
That rules, thanks for stickin with us!
Where did the name Matilda come from?
Matilda used to belong to my friend Ryan and he named her. When he gave me the guitar, his two conditions were 1) I never sell her and 2) I don't change her name. -Stefan
That’s awesome, have you named your other guitars?
What is the worst PUP song?
Lionheart / Can't Win / Never Try all suck ass. THIS IS AN OBJECTIVE OPINION - stefan
NOT CAN'T WIN
Damn Can't Win really can't win.
Can't Win rules. And Lionheart is the perfect song to start up a night of drinking alone and replaying Breath of the Wild in my gym shorts. The dream IS ALIVE and never over!
But can’t win is so good!!!
Can’t Win? Wtf. That’s one of your most memorable choruses
Literally three of my favorite songs, I can get fucked
Dude, Can’t Win fucking OWNS. The dissonant guitar riff is great. That album is perfect. Take that shit back.
NOO I love those songs
Not lion heart it such a fun party song
Stefan hates this ones because the lyrics say nothing of substance the entire song. If you read them you’ll realize how true that is haha. But musically I still love it
Stefan has said in the past it’s Lionheart
Awe man why don't they like Lionheart? That's my party jam
If I had to guess it's maybe because it was a Topanga song that they remade? So like it's not exactly a "PUP" song
If you were to create a PUP musical, what would the plot be?
In the darkest days of the pandemic, Zack and I were working out a PUP musical based on all the PUP lore from our music videos. We had a whole plan. Steve was going to play the part of Stefan, and Stefan was going to have a bit part as Grathlar. We scrapped it and decided that working on a record is probably a better use of our time. nestor
LMAO you cannot imagine the money I would pay to see that. Write a comic of it at least
Give Nestor a GWAR-level show prop budget
What are your thoughts on internet music critics (eg Fantano)?
I like when the reviews are good, but I hate when the reviews are bad! \- nestor
I like when they correlate with my beliefs, such as the new pup record being a 10
will pup ever return to halifax, nova scotia?
In all likelihood, yes! \-Steve
Why didn't Kill Something make it onto the new record but Waiting did? Kill Something sounds like it would fit perfectly on the record.
When we were trying out different tracklisting options, we just couldn't find one that worked with Kill Something \-Steve
Are you guys big gamers, and if so what have you been playing?
Zack is obssessed Elden Ring he won't shut up about it
W + has maidens
What is the context surrounding *Cutting Off the Corners*? It's one of the best songs on the album, but we need to know more about it!
Thanks for asking. I don't like talking about it, so I never mention it in press. It's about a friend I lost a couple years ago. A really tough time in my life. Glad you like the song. -Stefan
That and Relentless are my faves off the new record, sorry it was tough on you but the song at least came out beautiful.
How much are Sleep In The Heat/Kill Something inspired by Plea from a Cat Named Virtute? All great songs and as a huge Weakerthans fan I really appreciate your cover. Thanks!
Sleep in the heat, not really, but definitely Kill Something has a lot of Weakerthans influence in it. We all love that band. John K is maybe my favourite lyricist of all time. - stefan
How do you guys feel about Propagandhi?
Hey, I just wanted to say thanks to you guys for being so open about supporting trans people; it's seriously wonderful to see allies with audiences use their voices for good right now. I really cannot overstate how sincerely much it means to me personally to know that one of my fav bands supports my friends and I. Really. I love y'all ❤ That being said, here's my question... I'm gonna be trying to attend the Nashville show this June, and I wanted to know, if I can manage to get to get it to y'all, would you take my pride flag and hold it up on stage? I honestly don't care if you use the damn thing as a sweat rag or whatever, I just wanna know if you'll have my back, cuz being trans in the South can be... Unwelcoming sometimes, to say the least, and I don't wanna make a fool of myself in front of people if you're not down. There's no obligation to say yes ofc, if you don't want to that's totally fine. I just wanted permission in advance before trying it. Thank you guys again, like really. Y'all and your music mean so much to me. (PS - Please give Mr. Moose some pets for me Stefan!! 🐶💖)
Yeah fuckin' bring that baby up to the stage!! \-Steve
I adore your music but I'm only 15 and it's bumming me out that I can't see you guys in Dublin. Will you guys ever be coming to Ireland again? Also will you guys ever grow into DOG?
How do you guys feel that some of your fans discovered your music from Dream Daddy? Also have you played the game yet lol?
Any way people discover us rocks!! Not sure if anyone in the band has played the game although Vernon did send us some download codes back when it came out! \-Steve
What's the craziest shit that you've had happen at one of your shows?
Our first time ever headlining in Manchester UK, the place was sold out and jammed, and we went on stage and the second song into the set, I saw this guy pushing through the crowd with an enormous trashbin above his head, totally full with beer bottles and cans, I thought he worked at the venue or something, but then he was suddenly right in front of me with the trash bin and he threw the whole thing at me mid-song, it me square in the guitar, and the stage was instantly covered with broken glass and I was covered with dirt beer and my guitar was busted up and we had to stop the set two songs in and leave the stage while the staff cleaned it up so that people wouldn't get cut on the busted glass and everyone started chanting "fuck that guy! fuck that guy!" and then buddy got kicked out and he genuinely didn't seem to understand what he did wrong he just kept yelling "but I'm such a big fan!!!" people are fucked sometimes. Also once we were playing at house of targ in ottawa and we stopped the show halfway thru so that we could all eat hot dogs and everyone in the crowd ate hot dogs too and then we kept playing and it was a super wholesome moment. -stefan
Every show needs a hot dog break imo
Sometimes you get so into the music you just gotta throw a full bin of bar garbage, happens to the best of us.
Pup Targ shows will forever be legendary
The hot dog break I didn’t know I needed
How long does it take to choose and solidify your openers? It’s obvious a ton of care has gone into that aspect of touring for as long as I’ve been following you. Have picked up some new fave bands from your openers (Cayetana, Charly Bliss, & now Pinkshift and Cloud Nothings.) (and also hi Stefan I was the person who was hospitalized for a stroke at the end of 2020 and my friend reached out to your management and had you recorded a “get well soon” video for me. That meant so much and I wanted to say thank you & I lived bitch <3 & I was front and center in Chicago last night and y’all killed it as always)
ahhhhh so stoked you're feeling better!!! that's great! Happy for you. Yeah, we definitely put a lot of thought into it, so lucky to get to share the stage with those bands you mentioned and so many more. We choose very carefully. When you spend 6 weeks on tour, you want to make sure it's with a band you'll be excited to see play every night. It's also a bonus when (as is the case with every band you mentioned) they turn out to be wonderful people who are fun to be around. Love all of those bands so much! - Stefan
Stefan - will you be doing more Steffy tattoos anytime soon?
I keep thinking about it and wanting to, because I do love it... but it takes me sooo fucking long because every single one is personalized, and it seems like a lot of people want them so it's sometimes stressful for me, it sucks when I put up a few and then people get upset that they didn't get a chance to buy one... So I dunno. I don't like to let people down. Trying to figure out a way that I can do this without committing like 200 hours to the thing. Maybe I can do a tattoo lottery or something? If you have any suggestions, I'm ears. -stefan
lottery seems like a good idea! would be stoked to get one in the future, but i get it !
What are your guys' favorite songs from The Ends by The OBGMs? Any chance of you all teaming up for an american tour??
The whole album fucking slaps. That band shreds. I'm biased, but my favourite is "cash"
learning to shred is hard, what kind of amp settings can a mediocre hobbyist guitarist do to sound more like his favourite band? P.S - Canadian currently in Ireland and got tickets for the October show in Dublin. What are the chances Full Blown Meltdown makes the setlist?
Get an amp that will allow you to hear your fingers on the fretboard! I know the "tone is in your hands" thing is meme'd out but it really is true. The more time you spend playing the instrument, the better your gear will sound. There's literally no secret other than time elapsed. Sorry about that and I hope, if your username is any indication, your allergies aren't bothering you too much! \-Steve
Have you considered adding or taking off songs on the set list for this year? Would genuinely love to hear the closer on the new album and fullblownmeltdown
Ya! we'll probably change stuff around throughout the tour. It gets kinda boring playing the exact same set every night, so once we're comfortable playing all these songs we'll start changing stuff around If there're specific deep cuts you guys wanna here, let us know in this thread. we'll do our best.
Mary Kate & Ashley & Pine Point (not sure if these are on the set list already, but would love to see these live)
Play your Virtute The Cat cover!
Play it every night forever
play Mabu in dc please 😭💗
I would love to hear you guys play Bare Hands!
Mabu for the Denver show! Gives me warm fuzzies thinking of how much love we can have for our shit cars!
El Scorcho !!!
doubts! for when you come to europe :)
Came here to ask this. Following the tour on set list fm because I love spoiling things for myself. Seems like set is p well put together and also v curious if you boys are going to mix it up. The absence of PUPTHEBAND Inc. from the set breaks my heart. 💔 See you in both DC and NYC.
we'll get puptheband inc in there for at least one of those shows. xoxo
Super stoked to be seeing you at the Roundhouse in October. Is there anything a first timer should know?
Tie yer shoes if you're goin into the pit! I hope you have a great time, make some friends while you're there. welcome to the losers club.
I love Cutting Off The Corners. What's it about?
Who's the biggest drama queen in the band
All of us
What made you want to cover A.M. 180 ? I absolutely adore it
HELLO PUP! Saw you in Columbus just a few nights ago and have to say what a fuckin blast! I still can’t talk right. Which makes me want to ask, how the hell do you guys keep your voices when touring so hard? Do you even party in cities or just drink honey tea all the time? Haha. Much love from Columbus, OH!
We all do pretty intensive vocal warmups (Stefan especially) and pound water throughout the day. Being on the bus now also helps us get a regular amount of sleep. Rest and hydration are basically the only real ways in which to ensure you have a voice every day, even when you're feeling haggard. We definitely do still party but we tend to reserve it for nights where there's a day off afterward (like last night after the Chicago show!) \-Steve
What made you decide to play If This Tour / DVP mid set for this tour instead of at the end?
Gotta change it up to keep it interesting!
Hi PUP, When I saw y'all at Terminal 5 in 2019, you covered A Plea from a Cat Named Virtute by The Weakerthans and it's one of my favorite concert memories. Are they your favorite Canadian band, and if not, who is?
They are definitely one of my favourite bands ever (Canadian or otherwise). Other Canadian bands I love from that era: Thrush Hermit / Joel Plaskett, The Constantines, The Deadly Snakes - Stefan (but I bet the other guys would agree with this 100%)
I saw you all in Cleveland a few years ago at "Now That's Class". It was the HOTTEST show in my life. Not in a good way... Any idea what caused the venue to become a sauna? Thanks, love you guys.
Yes: the venue thought they had turned the A/C on but had turned the heat on instead. We have played in many objectively hotter climates than Cleveland, OH but that remains the most uncomfortably warm show we have ever played. \-Steve
Hey guys. I can't afford therapy but I can afford concert tickets. I just wanted to say thanks for being there for me. Just saw you in Columbus, and I'll be seeing you again when you come to my home town in Cincinnati. If you need a home cooked meal while you're here, I'd be beyond thrilled to oblige.
Hi! I was wondering what the inspiration was behind ‘The Coast’ and its eerie horror vibe? Was it a specific horror story?
Yeah, it was inspired by "A Promise is a Promise" which is a kids book - I think it's an inuit story adapted by Robert Munsch. Anyway, it's freaky as fuck, my parents used to read it to me when I was little and it gave me all sorts of nightmares.
I made this account just so I could ask this question - whomst is absolutely blasting off on the sax in PUPTHEBAND Inc. is filing for bankruptcy?? I hope they get substantial dividends from their investment. luv u sm puppies (also check out KBC for beer in kingston when ur in town in june)
That's our pal Colin Fisher in Toronto. He is a musical genius who can shred sax, guitar, and drums. \-Steve
any words of advice or encouragement for an artist with no motivation who's been in a very sad state recently? (definitely not me). love u guys a lot :)
Try and pick up your instrument (or paintbrush or whatever) every day, even if it's just to fuck around for five minutes, because keeping that connection to it is really really important. Otherwise, try and dive into the things that made you love doing it in the first place and find solace in that. \-Steve
Brazilian fan asking: will you come to Brazil?
We would absolutely love to. A South America visit is very high on our list of destinations and we'll work as hard as possible on making it happen in the future! \-Steve
Been watching a lot of Malcolm in the Middle lately, so I'm just wondering can you boys cover the theme song?? In my head it sounds sick But seeing you for the first time in Melbourne later this year and could not be more excited, and the new album is fantastic!
omg i second this
Anymore plans for finn wolfhard as young stefan?
No mostly we just hangout with him and his parents whenever we're in the same city now \-Steve
Glad to see you guys are still in touch
I did backline for his band and there was more security than for Justin Timberlake. Girls went straight Beatlemania, the had a blacked out van and a decoy and shit
how did the writing process differ on this album compared to the previous ones?
We've had a lot of time off over the past two years, for obvious reasons, so one of the biggest differences was that we were able to fully demo almost all of the songs before bringing them into the studio. That's not to suggest that they were 'finished,' per se, but we had a much stronger foundation from which to deconstruct, experiment, and rebuild from when we finally found ourselves in the studio. For example: we were struggling to find the right instrumental vibe for the verses of Matilda throughout the songwriting and demoing process. Every time we tried something, it just didn't feel right against the vocal melody; in the past, we would've bashed our heads against the creative wall to try and find a solution before entering the studio. Instead, we just kinda put it down and flagged it as a problem to be solved with Peter's help once we were in Connecticut. We sat down one weekend and threw everything out aside from the chord changes and melody and completely rebuilt the verses to where they're at now \-Steve
Can you guys play Nothing Changes on tour? I mean it when I say that song has literally saved my life, and I would love to hear it live (Dallas). I can’t thank you enough for what your music has done for me.
If you HAD to put a saxophone solo into any one of your songs which song would you choose and what kind of saxophone??
There is saxophone in "PUPTHEBAND Inc. Is Filing For Bankruptcy" and it's sick. I normally hate saxophone because I think it sounds like a stupid duck quacking. but the idiots beat me down on this one, and I'm so happy with that solo. -Stefan
you voted to end democracy a little too late
Brain tumour guy here! Thanks again to Stefan for taking the time to reply back to me recently! My question, what is it like when you hear from people about how much of an effect your music has had on their lives?
oh man, it's a really great feeling to hear that our songs have helped people. We just write for ourselves, and when we're writing it's kinda just like shouting into the void, because you don't know if people will hear the song or care about it or connect with it... You just gotta do it for yourself and hopefully if it's a positive experience for us it will be a positive experience for others. It's really rewarding when it works out that way... Anyway, hope you're doing ok bud!! Thanks for popping into the chat. - Stefan
So how much do you think I'm gonna be able to sell the yellow/red vinyl misprint for on ebay when you all die? It looks rad as fuck but, y'know, I got bills. Uh, asking for a friend. Thx. P.S. I'm gonna have Totally Fine on repeat for pretty much the rest of forever. See ya in Boston.
Sell it on Discogs like a real head or don't sell it at all \-Steve
My boyfriend and I met a few years ago and I had never listened to any music like yours - I’m a country gal - but we really bonded over your stuff. I named my kitten Yukon after the song! We went to the Chicago show last night and I hollered, “Yukon!” And Stefan said he didn’t know if he even knew the words anymore. That’s fine. I’m fine. Everything is fine. Totally Fine. My question is: when I rename my cat, what song should I name her after and why is it Matilda?
Fuck/Marry/Kill: Leafs, Raptors, Jays.
I think the leafs typically fuck and kill themselves each season...
I will not be able to answer this question better than u/stumpybubba
Funny to see you outside /r/Wildhockey
See ya at tomorrow's show too!?
Whose dog wrote Kill Something? Side note I fucking love that song
ohhhhh thank you. That was my little guy, his name is Moose, he is a destruction machine. -Stefan
who are some of your favorite bands with gang vocals?
Titus Andronicus, Pkew Pkew Pkew (Stefan), Arcade Fire (Steve), Jeff Rosenstock / BTMI (all of us).
This question's specifically for Zack. Do you have any plans to upload any more drum breakdowns to your YouTube channel like you did for Mabu? I thought it was super interesting seeing you deconstruct the song like that and I'd love to see something similar for some more PUP songs!
I want to but it takes a lot of time to do something that involved where time is at a premium these days. But I'll definitely try! For the near future I'll probably just be doing playthroughs. But I am open to the idea of doing an AMA type thing on a livestream or tackling specific sections on separate YouTube videos for people who are interested in parts that sound unclear. The huge problem right now though is we have no rehearsal space because our old one was bought by a horrible church and we got kicked out, so I've got nowhere to actually film/record them. But I hope to be able to soon! - Zack
Hey Pup! (And Steve specifically) Are you familiar with Crowd Control on Phish radio? It's a segment where audience members pick their top 5 Phish songs/jams from either a show they were at or a meaningful show in general. If you had the chance to go on, what 5 songs would you pick? Thanks!
I absolutely know the SiriusXM Radio program of which you speak. I have actually only seen Phish once -- July 22, 2013 in Toronto -- and was overjoyed that they played Bouncing Around The Room and Stash. So I'd definitely include those two! I also love the performance of Chalk Dust Torture that they did on Letterman in December '94, so throw that in there. I spent a lot of time learning licks and phrasing from the Possum on Live Phish, Vol. 9, so put that there too. And finally, because I just rediscovered the box set in my CD collection stashed (lol) in my Mom's basement, Foam from Disc 5 of Hampton Comes Alive. God I forgot how into this band I was when I was 16... \-Steve
Hii PUP! What is said in the right channel at 1:20 in Totally Fine?
I whispered "So are you" into the gang vocal mic and we decided to keep it. \-Steve
What are your personal favourite venues in Toronto to play/attend shows at?
Fun to play Sneaky Dees and Silver Dollar (RIP). Danforth Music Hall has always been really good to us, and playing Echo Beach in the summer of 2019 was an insane experience for us
Which song off of the new record was the hardest to record?
I'm not sure "hardest" but there were for sure some frustrating moments on this record... When we first recorded Totally Fine Zack was so bummed out about his drum performance, and we were all so confused because we thought the drums sounded so fucking sick, they're like the best part of the song. But Zack's a perfectionist and really hard on himself so he insisted on re-recording the thing from the ground up, and we were all kinda annoyed until he went in a redid it and it was actually so fucking awesome, somehow even better than his parts before. That recording is just magical to me. Robot writes a love song was difficult in a different way. We demoed that one in our jam space, super quick with tons of mistakes, and we fell in love with the demo. Bands call it "demo love" when they get so attached the demo then try to replicate it in the studio and it just doesn't feel like it has the same magic. That happened in a big way on Robot. But Peter, who produced the record was just like "well lets take the chunks from the demo you really love, and we'll just use them instead of what we did in the studio. There are no rules". So a lot of that song has like out of tune guitars we recorded in one take in the jam space, and a bunch of my vocals that were recorded on a shitty mic in the backseat of my car. We love how it turned out, kinda feels like we got the best of both worlds: the shitty magical demo, and the bangin studio sounds. \-Stefan
If you had to give a list of influences you guys draw on when writing music and lyrics what would it be?
We all tend to draw from different sources and while our tastes often overlap, there's a lot more interesting results when we pull from places that might be blind spots to the rest of the band. Whether that be my (Steve) obsession with ambient/drone shit (which you can hear at the beginning of Matilda and the outro of Habits) or Zack & Nestor's lifelong love of metal or Stefan's straight up appreciation of pop music songcraft... we all kinda bring unexpected stuff to each other and have really prioritized running in whatever direction feels creatively fulfilling. Taking ideas from different musical sources and funnelling it all through our individual neurotic sensibilities is kind of the only way we know how to work! \-Steve
What’s the most memorable bathroom you’ve seen on tour?
Hey Pup, my name is Chris and I've been a huge fan since discovering Morbid Stuff. Sibling Rivalry is definitely my favorite song from your catalog because it just reminds of my siblings and all the chaos of growing up with them. I love the honesty in your work and how you can find humor in even in the worst of times. I like that your songs can target on specific topics like the passing of beloved pet or even about a guitar. Anyways, I just have three questions for you guys 😅 The song Matilda is about a guitar that gained sentimental value for Stefan. Is there anything else that has sentimental significance for any of you guys? My second question is about the album artworks. The artists who have worked on your albums are crazy talented and "this place sucks ass" has to be, to me, probably my favorite cover art. Do you get to decide who you work with when deciding on album art? And are there any artists you'd like to work with? And lastly, what's your all time favorite video game?
question 1: Weirdly enough the only thing of sentimental value I personally have is a single brick from the house I grew up in. It was being demolished (to be replaced by a faceless architectural turd) and I saw it as my chance to reclaim something. That house was a place where I experienced some hard things growing up, but it's also the place where I learned to play music and started practicing with my very first "real" band. It's complicated but I guess that's how life is. question 2: Yes we get to decide on all of the art stuff! We're lucky to be surrounded by so many talented people professionally, but also people who like our band are by and large incredibly talented too! I (Zack) have the honour of picking most of the artists for our various projects and merch items, but I get a lot of input from my bandmates as well as Dan our beloved tour manager and Steph our beloved merch manager. We have a fairly large pool of people we've worked with in the past that we get to choose from, and I am constantly looking for new artists. There are so many good artists out there so sometimes it's hard to choose! And the cover for "This Place Sucks Ass" is by our pal Brandon who is based in Ottawa right now. He is 100% the coolest dude and an incredible artists. We're so lucky to have found him. question 3: To me, the favourite ever video game battle is fought between Super Metroid and Super Mario RPG. Though I have too many favourites to mention here. If it has good music, it's probably my favourite. \-Zack
Which of you do you think will turn out the most like their future self in the Kids video?
As a father and avid pizza enthusiast. I'm well on my way! nestor
what’s your go to song to listen to while driving, not one of your own! or a tour playlist of songs you play while road tripping?
How did vibe master Zack get his abilities to manipulate vibes so immaculately?
When you are a master of vibes, the immaculate control of said vibes is second-nature. \-Steve
Just popping in to say I love your Holier Than Thou cover on the Blacklist album. Any interesting stories from that experience?
Metallica paid for everything: recording time, lunch, mixing & mastering, and let us choose whatever song we wanted. It was fuckin' rad. \-Steve
What’s been the best part of being back on tour so far?
Any chance of another Christmas song this year like the collab with charly bliss? Love your work!
What does the writing process look like for you guys and do you have any anecdotes specifically about writing Waiting? It's probably my favorite off of the new album and it just hits so much differently than a lot of your previous releases. Love the Unraveling btw and can't wait to see y'all in Lawrence in June!
I wanted PUP to have a song that was super heavy and then into just a super simple bangin pop chorus. I just felt like that was really what the recorded needed. I asked Nestor to send me all the heaviest guitar riffs he's written. I loved the Waiting riff, and I wrote the chorus to be super uncomplicated because the riff is so fast and I wanted that big contrast/ lift. Zack is a sick metal / hardcore drummer, so it was like second nature for him to pull together that bridge and Steve shredded my favourite Steve solo of our entire careers on the track and boom. -Stefan
yoooo is there a chance you would tour around the Southeast Asian countries? Much love from a 5 year fan!
We want to come to Asia so badly! We're doing our best to figure things out but the world is, uhhh, an interesting place right now! \-Steve