PUP Talk Upcoming Album ‘The Dream Is Over’ & Scene-Kids Vs Lifers

Toronto natives PUP have been the name on every discerning punkers lips for the best part of the last two years, having earned near universal acclaim for their brilliant debut full-length and riotous live shows. Following yet-another-run of sold-out shows, the crafty Canucks set social media ablaze this week when they made on on-stage announcement that their second full-length The Dream is Over is due for release later this year.

One of the rare bands that can connect with jaded punk lifers and fresh faced scene kids alike, The Dream is Over seems destined to break PUP to a wider audience globally. Riding high on many critics “most-anticipated” lists for 2016, it has all the indicators of being one of the year landmark punk releases. Following the release of frantic first single DVP,  PUP granted Music Feeds a unique insight into the recording of the The Dream is Over providing some refreshingly candid responses to our litany of serious (and not so serious) questions.

The guys also allowed us an exclusive sneak inside their recording studio, check out our behind the scenes gallery of photos, down below!

Music Feeds: You announced on stage in New York that your second full-length The Dream Is Over is due for release later this year, how excited are you to get that crucial second record out into the world?

Stefan Babcock: So excited. We’ve all lost a ton of sleep over this record. It’s kinda hi-jacked all of our lives for the past year plus. I think I’ll finally be able to sleep easy once its out.

MF: The first single, DVP is a rather frantic affair, powered by the passionate vocals and raw energy that have becomes synonymous with your sound, how indicative is DVP of the rest of The Dream is Over ?

SB: DVP is pretty representative of this record. The album, overall, is a bit heavier and more aggressive than our last album. The record, like DVP, is pretty short and fast, and maybe a bit abrasive.  But there are curveballs.

We’ve never been content just doing the punk thing. There are a couple of slower, dirgy tracks, a few quiet moments, and a some quirky weirdo riffs and stuff. And in between all that, we just grip it n rip it.

MF: Did the songwriting or recording approach differ much from the S/T debut?

SB: It was pretty different. Writing that first record was a pretty gradual process, song by song, over the course of several years. No time constraints, no pressure.

With this record, we had a whole different set of circumstances. We’ve, more or less, been on tour since the first record came out. So a lot of the writing took place on the road – at least conceptually. And then, we had this small amount of time between tours to get into the jam space, figure our shit out, and get into the studio.

I liked this process a lot more – It forced us to be way more focussed. I think we came at this record with a much clearer idea of what kind of band we are and the kind of record we wanted to make. To me, this record has a lot of similarities with the first one – its loud and raw and scrappy – but I think it just sounds more confident.  Like we actually knew what we were doing this time around.

MF: PUP are the name on everyone’s lips at the moment, playing sold out shows and earning top billing on many critics “most anticipated lists” for 2016, are you feeling any pressure at all to live up to the lofty expectations people have for The Dream is Over.

SB: I won’t say there isn’t pressure, but ultimately, no external pressure has ever been greater than the pressure we place on ourselves and each other. The most important thing for us was to write the best record we were capable of under the circumstances. And I think we accomplished that.

Obviously we hope people like the album, but we don’t let ourselves get too caught up in that stuff. We’re just grateful that people seem to be into what we’re doing and are excited about new music.

MF: The Dream Is Over is an interesting title, is there a particular lyrical narrative the record follows that lead you to choose that title?

SB: On the last tour, I had some fairly serious problems with my vocal cords. On the first day of the tour, I went to see a specialist, who diagnosed me with a vocal cyst and haemorrhaging (meaning my vocal cords were filling up with blood). She literally told me, word for word, “The Dream Is Over”. Which is such a fucking ridiculous thing for a doctor to say to their patient.

Anyway, I found it to be pretty funny. We powered through the next 6 weeks on tour, spent some time recovering, and I’m all good now.  If anything, the experience made me really appreciate how much fun I’ve had touring in PUP for the past few years, and no way in hell am I ready to just give up on “the dream” that easily.

A big theme on this record is disillusionment. We’re all at the age where you need to start accepting reality.  All around me, my friends are giving up on “the dream”, getting desk jobs, and settling down. It’s something that we’ve all considered too – I mean, I never thought I’d be 27 years old, sleeping in a van with a bunch of dudes in a Walmart parking lot.

But, hey, I get to play music with my best friends every day. So, in my own way, I’m living my dream. It may not be exactly as I pictured it, but that’s all part of the fun.

MF: Your debut was met with near universal critical acclaim, but its success came about in gradual, organic manner with most of the hype being built by word of mouth, following extensive touring. Are you expecting something similar with The Dream is Over?

SB: Yeah, I hope so. We’re not a radio band, we don’t play stadium rock. We’ve never expected, nor desired overnight success. We like putting in the work. We’ve had fun seeing our crowds grow from tour to tour.  It’s been really rewarding.

We play somewhat niche music, so our survival depends on staying on the road, and people telling their friends about us. So, like the last record, we’ll tour the hell out of this one, and hopefully people keep coming to shows and it grows a bit, and we can keep doing what we love doing the most.

MF: PUP have a deserved reputation as a “must-see” live act, what do you think it is about your music that makes it connect with people so intensely live?

SB: I think people seem to be drawn to our live show, because its so apparent that all four of us just love playing live. Usually when we play, there are bodies flying all over the place, and there are so many things that could go wrong. And that chaotic element is part of the excitement, and makes every single show unique.

There’s something really special about a room full of sweaty people who are all screaming in each others faces and having a good time together. I don’t think there’s anything as fun or as cathartic as playing rowdy, loud music. And the fact that we get to do it with a bunch of people who are having (almost) as much fun as we are is, hands down, the thing I love most about playing in this band.

MF: The video for Dark Days painted a rather honest depiction of the grind that accompanied the touring cycle for the S/T record, are you taking a different approach this time around or are you taking that “rock till you drop” approach?

Rock til you drop baby.

MF: You toured with local favourites The Smith Street Band in 2014, and stole the show nightly, can we expect to see you on our shores to support The Dream is Over?

We will definitely be back. We had such an amazing time in Australia, with the smithies. Those guys are… What do you call it in Australia? Legends? They’re legends.

I think that was the most fun tour we’ve ever had. So thanks to anyone who came out to those shows. And if you didn’t get a chance to see us on that tour, yes, 100% we will be back soon.

MF: One of the things that seems to make PUP stand out is an ability to connect with fresh-faced scene kids and jaded old lifers alike, how do you think you’ve managed that?

Honestly, I think the kids getting into this brand of rock are mostly pretty intelligent. The jaded lifers and the kids aren’t so different anymore. They’re both looking for something new, exciting, and honest. The kids that come out to our shows don’t really buy into those bands who are 30 something and singing about how they’re sad and high school sucks.

Like the lifers, they can smell a fake from a mile away. So we just write songs that are earnest and true to our own lives. We don’t try to write about things we don’t know about. And we just hope that the kids and the lifers and whoever in between can find some way to relate to what we’re talking about.

MF: PUP have toured or at least played shows with a ton of scene luminaries, are there any experiences that have stood out as “pinch me, I’m dreaming” moments?

We had the chance to open for The Hives in London. That was pretty wild… It seemed like (and in fact it was) only months before, that we were a completely unknown band covering The Hives in shitty dive bars in Toronto. I remember sound checking and looking over and seeing members of The Hives side stage nodding along to our music and thinking “what the hell is happening right now?”

MF: As Toronto natives, I’m almost obligated to ask you a few questions, firstly: Where do you stand on Drake vs Meek Mill and on Drake in general?

SB: For this question I might hand it over to my friend Steve, who is the “rap guy” in PUPTHEBAND…

Steve Sladkowski: What beef? Drake killed that sucka. Opinions about Drake’s music are split in the band, however the effect that he’s had in raising Toronto’s profile abroad is undeniable. It’s surreal to know that there’s someone at the top of the rap game who reps the city so hard.

It’s crazy to say, but his profile & influence have had a ripple effect for touring bands from this city. People think differently of the city & its cultural exports because of him.

MF: Why is Shad not more popular overseas? Is this the year that the Raptors win a playoff series?

SS: Part of the problem with Drake’s extreme success is that a lot of people think there was no such thing as hip-hop in Canada pre-Drake/OVO. People like Shad, Kardinal Offishal, K’Naan, and Maestro Fresh Wes — to name a few — are living legends of the scene in a time before the 6ix.

Toronto has a rich hip-hop history that is deeply connected to the roots of Caribbean and African immigrants that have been a central part of its population for generations.

As for the Raptors, this is the best team in franchise history. Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan are two of the best Raptors in franchise history. And this is the year they win a playoff series. Mark my fucking words.

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‘The Dream Is Over’ is out later this year.



EXCLUSIVE GALLERY: PUP in the studio recording new album The Dream Is Over