Toronto punk icons PUP are back with a vengeance. The band has just announced their forthcoming album Who Will Look After The Dogs?, set to drop on May 2nd via Little Dipper / Rise Records. The follow-up to their 2020 album The Unraveling of PUPTHEBAND is an all-out sonic assault, and based on what we’ve heard so far, this album will be one for the books.
PUP’s fifth LP is as immediate and no-frills as it gets. Recorded in Los Angeles with producer John Congleton over the span of three intense weeks, Who Will Look After The Dogs? finds the band at their most raw and cathartic yet. It channels the chaotic energy of their self-titled debut but with a newfound sense of maturity (and, in their own words, they’re much better at their instruments now). The result? A punk rock rollercoaster that’s been distilled through over a decade of relentless touring and the undeniable chemistry between Stefan Babcock, Nestor Chumak, Zack Mykula, and Steve Sladkowski.
Across the album’s 12 tracks, Babcock dives deep into his relationships—romantic, with his bandmates, and perhaps most importantly, with himself. The themes are heavy, but the execution is unpredictable and thrilling. Expect plenty of sharp, acerbic wit, untamed chaos in the arrangements, and Babcock’s trademark self-deprecating humor. In an interesting twist, the band ditched their usual perfectionism to embrace the joy of making loud music together. The result? A record that’s as fun as it is ferocious.
Out today alongside the album announcement is the lead single, “Hallways.” This track, the first Babcock wrote for the album, is raw and intense but with an undeniable lightness to it. The haunting line “Cause when one door closes, it might never open / There might be no other doors” encapsulates the emotional core of the song, which was written during a personal unraveling in Babcock’s life. “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,” says Babcock. “I think it’s devastating, but in a ‘holy shit this is overdramatic’ kinda way… It’s hilarious once you’ve cooled off a bit. Sometimes you gotta laugh at yourself. It’s the only way out of the abyss.”
PUP’s Who Will Look After The Dogs? is a reflection of growth, turmoil, and, above all, the catharsis of playing loud, cathartic punk music together. After their sold-out dates with Jimmy Eat World last year, the band will take to the road again for a highly anticipated UK and EU headline tour in May 2025. They’ll be joined by Illuminati Hotties as their main support (excluding Spain), and Goo will join for the UK run.
Get ready to hear the pummeling, punk rock madness that is PUP in full force. Tickets are on sale now at puptheband.com.
UK and EU Tour Dates:
07/05/2025 – Birmingham, UK @ XOYO Birmingham
08/05/2025 – Leeds, UK @ Project House
10/05/2025 – Manchester, UK @ O2 Ritz
11/05/2025 – Glasgow, UK @ SWG3 (TV Studio)
12/05/2025 – Newcastle, UK @ Newcastle University
13/05/2025 – Bristol, UK @ Marble Factory
15/05/2025 – Southampton, UK @ Engine Rooms
16/05/2025 – London, UK @ O2 Forum Kentish Town
18/05/2025 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Melkweg
20/05/2025 – Cologne, Germany @ Club Volta
21/05/2025 – Hamburg, Germany @ Logo
22/05/2025 – Berlin, Germany @ Hole44
Don’t miss out on the wild ride that is PUP’s Who Will Look After The Dogs?—it’s going to be loud, messy, and 100% worth it.
PRE-ORDER WHO WILL LOOK AFTER THE DOGS? NOW
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