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.
