Toronto punk legends PUP are back with their fifth album, Who Will Look After The Dogs?, set to drop on May 2nd via Little Dipper / Rise Records. Known for their explosive energy and self-deprecating humor, the band is promising a no-frills, hard-hitting record that captures the chaotic magic of their early days—except now, they’re a lot better at playing their instruments.
The album was written during a turbulent time for frontman Stefan Babcock, who found himself isolated while his bandmates were settling into major life changes. While PUP has always thrived on dysfunction, this time around, they let go of their usual perfectionism and focused on making music that felt fun and raw. Teaming up with producer John Congleton (St. Vincent, Death Cab for Cutie), the band recorded the entire album in just three weeks, embracing a more natural, live-in-the-room sound.
Alongside the album announcement, PUP has shared the lead single “Hallways,” a bracing yet oddly uplifting track written during one of Babcock’s roughest weeks. Reflecting on the song, he says, “The title of our new record 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. Sometimes you gotta laugh at yourself—it’s the only way out of the abyss.”
The album’s 12 tracks dive deep into Babcock’s relationships—romantic, platonic, and most brutally, his relationship with himself. From youthful naïveté to self-loathing to finally finding some peace, Who Will Look After The Dogs? is PUP at their most vulnerable, yet still packed with the riotous, fist-pumping energy that fans love.
Tracklist:
1. No Hope
2. Olive Garden
3. Concrete
4. Get Dumber
5. Hunger For Death
6. Needed To Hear It
7. Paranoid
8. Falling Outta Love
9. Hallways
10. Cruel
11. Best Revenge
12. Shut Up
To celebrate the new album, PUP will be heading back to the UK and Europe this May with Illuminati Hotties and Goo joining as support on select dates.
PUP UK/EU Tour Dates:
• 07/05 – Birmingham, UK @ XOYO Birmingham
• 08/05 – Leeds, UK @ Project House
• 10/05 – Manchester, UK @ O2 Ritz
• 11/05 – Glasgow, UK @ SWG3 (TV Studio)
• (More dates available at puptheband.com)
Listen to “Hallways” and pre-order Who Will Look After The Dogs? now.
