PUP announce new album ‘Who Will Look After the Dogs?,’ share “Hallways”
PUP made the album with producer John Congleton, and it finds them taking a back-to-basics approach after their ambitious 2022 album and the drastic life changes that followed.
Toronto punks PUP have announced their fifth album, Who Will Look After the Dogs?, due May 2 via the band’s own Little Dipper label and Rise Records (pre-order). This one finds them teaming up with producer John Congleton (Cloud Nothings, Mannequin Pussy, St. Vincent, etc), and after releasing their most ambitious album yet with 2022’s THE UNRAVELING OF PUPTHEBAND, it sounds like Dogs finds them taking a more back-to-basics approach–just four people rocking out in a room–thanks in part to Congleton encouraging them to not overthink things. And for a band who famously fight each other while making records, they say that didn’t really happen this time.
Via press release:
Following the release of 2022’s The Unraveling of PUPTHEBAND, their most adventurous and maximalist full-length, the band’s lives changed significantly. Guitarist Steve Sladkowski got married, bassist Nestor Chumak settled into being a dad, and drummer Zack Mykula moved to a new place in Toronto that allowed him to expand his home studio. As the others were making big decisions and getting their acts together, Babcock felt isolated. He had just ended a decade-long relationship and cut himself off from his bandmates. “We don’t get along when we’re making records, so I tend to retreat,” says Babcock. “In the past, I’d find comfort in another person, but this time I was at it alone. Being bored and lonely I just started writing music nonstop.” Where the older records took Babcock two to three years to get through 12 tracks, he wrote over 30 songs for Who Will Look After The Dogs? in a year.
While writing, Babcock had time to reflect and maybe even grow up. “So many early songs were about how I’m a complete fuck up,” he says. “While that remains true, I stopped hating myself as much as I did when I was younger and the people around me accepted me for who I am.” Where PUP’s previous LPs served as a window into six months of Babcock’s life, the songs here take a holistic view of his romantic partnerships, his friendships, and how he treated himself from his youth to now. In a way, writing this album served as a mirror to his emotional growth. It was hard, occasionally sucked, but was ultimately worth it.
[…] They recorded the entire album in three weeks—less than half the time it took to make The Unraveling of PUPTHEBAND. “When I first started writing the lyrics for this record, everything felt really heavy,” says Babcock. “By the time we recorded it, even those dark songs felt light and fun. We didn’t even really fight while making this record. It all just felt fucking awesome.”
The album includes recent single “Paranoid,” as well as the just-released “Hallways,” which was the first song Stefan wrote for the album. “Within days of announcing our last album, coincidentally titled The Unraveling of PUPTHEBAND, my life unexpectedly imploded,” he says. “I wrote the lyrics for ‘Hallways’ while all that was going on. It was a weird fucking week.”
“The title of our new record, Who Will Look After The Dogs?, is what I wrote at the top of the page, the very first thing written for this album. I think it’s devastating, but in a ‘holy shit this is overdramatic’ kinda way. At least in context of the line that comes before it. That’s what makes it funny to us. That overblown stuff we all say in our dark moments can be hilarious once you’ve cooled off a bit. I don’t know if anyone else thinks it’s funny, but sometimes you gotta laugh at yourself. It’s the only way out of the abyss. Trust me.”
“Paranoid” was a real fiery ripper, while “Hallways” is in calmer, prettier, more mid-tempo territory, and in their own ways, both songs truly do sound like classic, not-overthinking-it PUP. Check out the Sterling Larose-directed video for “Hallways” and revisit “Paranoid” below.
Tracklist
01 No Hope
02 Olive Garden
03 Concrete
04 Get Dumber
05 Hunger For Death
06 Needed To Hear It
07 Paranoid
08 Falling Outta Love
09 Hallways
10 Cruel
11 Best Revenge
12 Shut Up
PUP — 2025 Tour Dates
05/07/25 – Birmingham, UK @ XOYO Birmingham*&
05/08/25 – Leeds, UK @ Project House*&
05/10/25 – Manchester, UK @ O2 Ritz*&
05/11/25 – Glasgow, UK @ SWG3 (TV Studio)*&
05/12/25 – Newcastle, UK @ Newcastle University*&
05/13/25 – Bristol, UK @ Marble Factory*&
05/15/25 – Southampton, UK @ Engine Rooms*&
05/16/25 – London, UK @ O2 Forum Kentish Town*&
05/18/25 – Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg*
05/20/25 – Cologne, DE @ Club Volta*
05/21/25 – Hamburg, DE @ Logo*
05/22/25 – Berlin, DE @ Hole44*
05/23/25 – Munich, DE @ Strom*
05/25/25 – Paris, FR @ Bellevilloise*
05/27/25 – Madrid, ES @ Sala Mon
05/28/25 – Barcelona, ES @ Upload
05/29/25 – València, ES @ Loco Club
05/30/25 – San Sebastian, ES @ Dabadaba
* support from Illuminati Hotties
& support from Goo
