PUP On ‘Who Will Look After The Dogs?’

Toronto punk heroes PUP, comprised of Stefan Babcock, Nestor Chumak, Zack Mykula, and Steve Sladkowski, have released their highly anticipated fifth album Who Will Look After The Dogs? PUP’s pummeling and cathartic fifth LP, is their most immediate, no-frills, and hard-hitting full-length yet. It was made in Los Angeles with producer John Congleton over the course of three weeks, and it’s the culmination of PUP’s past decade of constant touring and their palpable, livewire chemistry.

The album evokes the lightning-in-a-bottle intensity of their self-titled debut (except they are much better at their instruments now), and finds our self-deprecating frontman Stefan Babcock at his most reflective, vulnerable and prolific. Over twelve tracks, Babcock excavates his life’s relationships, romantic, with his band mates, and most ruthlessly, his relationship to himself. There’s plenty of growth, but also plenty of unpredictable mayhem in the arrangements and an acerbic bite in the writing. And while PUP historically are at one another’s throats during the album process, this time they scrapped their tedious perfectionism and rediscovered the joy of making loud music together. Steve Sladkowski talks to Hi Fi Way about the album and their upcoming Australian tour in August.

Yeah, really good. Congratulations on album number five. You gotta be pretty stoked with how it all panned out.
Yeah, it’s crazy. You’d think after five albums you’d get less excited or more acclimatized, but no, it’s still thrilling. We were playing a lot of the new music in the jam space today, and it feels real, you know? We work on the music, record it, and then there’s a year-long gap, so finally staring down the release and playing the music is really exciting.

Do you do anything as a band to commemorate the occasion and celebrate another milestone in the journey?
We were just talking about that before I hopped on here. We might go out for dinner and drinks with our partners, but honestly, preparing for tour has been intense. The shows are so close to the release that it feels like we’re flying by the seat of our pants to get everything done. I still have to pack, test cables, it’s all the mundane stuff. But yeah, hopefully a nice dinner and some drinks.

Is there going to be an unboxing ceremony for the vinyl?
We actually did that a few weeks ago! We got the fulfillment early, which was exciting, so we got to open it and check it out. I’m really excited. The artist we worked with, Mitch, is a German painter, and you can actually see the texture of the oil painting on the vinyl when holding it up close. I’m a total vinyl freak, I have a huge record collection. One of the most exciting things is holding a record you’ve made, something you’ve put so much into, physically in your hands.

With this album, were you very clear in your mind about where you wanted to take it sonically?
Yeah, I think a big part of it was realizing that we could merge the previous record, which was more experimental and maximalist, with a more traditional songwriting approach. The last record had saxophone, synthesizers, and things we didn’t worry about playing live. Part of that was the pandemic, but this time, we wanted to re-approach how we used to write songs ten to twelve years ago when it was just the four of us jamming. We played these songs over and over, tearing them apart and rebuilding them, and I think we accomplished that. The four of us worked really hard, and John Congleton, an incredible producer, helped shape the record as well.

What would you say is the biggest difference between this album and The Unraveling of PUPTheBand?
The biggest difference is how we approached the songs. We wanted to be able to play them as a four-piece, two guitars, bass, and drums, so when we went into the recording studio, the songs felt fully formed. When we rehearsed, there was very little difference between how we play the songs live and how they sound on the record. Of course, there are overdubs and production flourishes, but the priority was capturing the raw live rock band feel, whereas the last album was more layered and experimental.

Did your personal lives influence the songwriting as much as you expected, or did it evolve that way naturally?
For Stefan, definitely. He’s always drawn from personal experience, but this time, with the end of a long-term relationship, there was a lot of self-reflection that came into the lyrics. Meanwhile, the rest of us were in totally different headspaces, our lives had different rhythms. I had just gone on my honeymoon when we started writing, so I was in bliss. Nestor had just become a dad, so he was probably just exhausted. These things naturally find their way into the music. Whether consciously or not, your life and the world around you always influence what you create. Some people make overtly political or autobiographical music, and while we have those elements, our approach is more organic. None of this is made in a vacuum.

Did everything go smoothly in the studio once recording began?
Yeah, man, it was amazing. John told us before making the record that we could get it done in three weeks, which was unsettling because we usually took four to six weeks. In the past, that was partly because we were novices in the studio. So this time, the tight timeline was a challenge, but a good one, it forced us to work efficiently and kept some urgency in the music. It also let imperfections shine through, which gives the record character and makes it feel true to the way we wrote it.

Were there many tough calls on songs that just didn’t quite fit the album, or did you go in with just enough?
No, for this one, we tried to write as much as possible. We brought about fifteen largely completed songs, aiming for a final count of ten to twelve. If we could get that, it felt like a win. The record ended up with twelve songs, which felt good. The extra tracks, three or four haven’t disappeared. We believe that if we like the music, it’ll find its way into the world somehow, whether through EPs or seven-inch releases. We always record with the intention of releasing.

What’s the story behind the single Paranoid?
When we wrote that song, it felt like the natural embodiment of what we were going for, just the band playing together, embracing a live feel. It’s heavy but still catchy, which makes it a strong representation of both the band and the direction of the record. For a first single, you want something that grabs people. Lyrically, I think it reflects a lot of what was going on in Stefan’s personal life at the time. But beyond that, it felt like the right song to signal that we were back and ready to put out a new record.

How was touring with Sum 41?
It was really cool. Sum 41 are from Ajax, a suburb of Toronto, about forty five minutes from where I am right now. They were one of those bands that, along with Alexisonfire, proved to us as kids that people from our area could make it big. That was huge for us growing up. So to be asked to join their final tour and play the Toronto Arena, the same place where I saw my formative rock concerts and watched The Raptors, it was surreal. On top of that, they’re some of the nicest people we’ve ever met, and they treated us so well. Hanging out with them and watching them play every night was amazing. Other than the brutal -30°C temperatures in some places, I have no complaints.

The Australian tour in August must be something to look forward to?
We love Australia. This has got to be our fifth or sixth time playing there. Super excited to go back to Perth, we haven’t been there in a few years. There’s something about Australia that feels familiar to us, maybe because of the Commonwealth connection, but at the same time, it’s exciting in its own unique way. The spirit of Australia, the way people love to have a good time, makes every trip a great experience. Every time I get on a plane with a guitar to play somewhere, it’s still beyond my wildest dreams. It’s the kind of thing that hasn’t lost its wonder. If it ever does, that’s when it’s time to hang it up. I’m glad it hasn’t.

Do you think you’ll bring Jeff Rosenstock this time?
We practically had to beg Jeff to do the fall tour, so I don’t know if he’s ready for Australia this year. But given the response to that tour and the single we did together, maybe a proper world tour with Jeff should be on the table. Definitely something to consider.

Jeff was here earlier in the year, and that was an incredible tour.
Yeah, that was the end of HELLMODE, right? Cool stuff.

What you’re doing with Substack must be a great way to keep the connection with fans alive.
Yeah, we did a zine before the pandemic and kept it going during the pandemic. That was fun, we’re all physical media junkies, but this felt like a cool way to keep that personal touch while making it more accessible. The zine required a lot of layout and production work every few months, which was a lot, so Substack streamlines it without losing that close connection with fans.

Interview By Rob Lyon

Who Will Look After The Dogs? is out now, order yours here…

On tour on the following dates, tickets from Destroy All Lines…