Pup

Overflowing with attitude, energy, and hooky guitar figures, the Toronto-based punk outfit PUP built a broad following both inside and outside Canada on the strength of their widely praised self-titled debut from 2013. Bolstered by a deal with the larger imprint SideOneDummy, the group became a relentless touring force whose offbeat humor and sharp songcraft surfaced across the 2016 release The Dream Is Over and the Juno Award-winning Morbid Stuff in 2019. Moving to Universal, they issued their fourth album, The Unraveling of Puptheband, in 2022, crafting a thicker yet still frenetic palette through the addition of varied instrumentation.

The lineup—Stefan Babcock handling vocals and guitar, Steve Sladkowski on guitar and vocals, Nestor Chumak on bass and vocals, and Zack Mykula on drums and vocals—consists of childhood friends who first met in elementary school. They came together in 2010 under the moniker Topanga, drawn from the character Topanga Lawrence portrayed by Danielle Fishel on the ’90s sitcom Boy Meets World. Upon discovering that Fishel would reprise the role in the 2014 spin-off Girl Meets World, they adopted the name PUP, an acronym for “Pathetic Use of Potential.” As Topanga they issued the digital EP Oceans, and favorable coverage plus support from fellow acts quickly generated industry interest. Rebranding as PUP in 2013, they delivered their debut album via Royal Mountain Records. Critics and listeners alike embraced the record, which earned the band CBC Radio 3 honors for Best Live Show and Best New Artist. Extensive roadwork followed, taking them across Canada and into England and the United States. Late that year they secured a contract with the established punk label SideOneDummy; much of 2014 and 2015 was spent promoting a label reissue of the debut through inaugural headlining runs in the U.S. and Canada plus their first Australian shows.

In February 2016 the band previewed the single “DVP” ahead of their sophomore album The Dream Is Over, which arrived that May. The title referenced a physician’s blunt assessment that Babcock had seriously harmed his vocal cords through nonstop touring; in classic punk spirit the group turned the remark into a defiant slogan for another batch of aggressive, self-mocking songs. An international tour occupied the following year before they returned to writing and recording. Most of 2018 was devoted to the project that emerged in April 2019 as Morbid Stuff, helmed by producer Dave Schiffman (the Mars Volta, Weezer) and centered on Babcock’s battles with depression. One year later they addressed global conditions with the six-track EP This Place Sucks Ass, its title lifted from a long-running touring gag. When COVID-19 suspended live shows, the members reconvened in the studio during 2021. Working with producer Peter Katis (the National, Frightened Rabbit), they unveiled the expansive The Unraveling of Puptheband in 2022, expanding their core guitar sound with synthesizers, piano, and horns.