Big Ups

Formed in Brooklyn, New York during 2010, Big Ups came together after vocalists Joe Galarraga, guitarist Amar Lal, bassist Carlos Salguero, Jr., and drummer Brendan Finn first crossed paths in a technology course at New York University. Initially operating as a witty punk outfit, the group soon abandoned that approach in favor of a harsher, more serious sound. Their debut recording appeared the following year as the 7" single Wake Up, issued through ECB&B. Following a series of live performances, the quartet drew comparisons to the Descendents, Fugazi, and Moss Icon. Though the band had never considered a full-length album, Dead Labour Records proposed one, prompting the members to record for three days in January 2013 under the guidance of Charles DeChants. A split single with Flagland appeared the next month, again via ECB&B, and nearly twelve months later the debut album Eighteen Hours of Static emerged in January 2014. The follow-up Before a Million Universes arrived in early 2016 and addressed tensions between the individual and society. Released in 2018, Two Parts Together marked a shift by treating the studio itself as an instrument, incorporating field recordings, harmonium, strings, and instrumental interludes.