PUP Confirm New Album (‘Who Will Look After The Dogs?’)

Last month, PUP returned with a new track called ‘Paranoid’ and shared plans for a UK tour later this year. Today, the Canadian outfit has revealed details of their new album. ‘Who Will Look After The Dogs?’ is the quartet’s fifth full-length, and promises to be PUP‘s “most immediate, no-frills, and hard-hitting” record yet.

Produced by John Congleton (St. Vincent, Explosions in the Sky, Sharon Van Etten, Mogwai), the 12-track collection considerably sees the members of PUP at a crossroads. With other members getting married, and embracing fatherhood, vocalist and lead songwriter Stefan Babcock found himself isolated. It resulted him in writing over 30 songs in a year. In the past, it would take him two to three years just to write 12. “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.”

The final twelve songs that made the cut to ‘Who Will Look After The Dogs?’ allow Babcock to explore his relationships; both externally and internally. The album’s narrative is chronological as Babcock writes from his past youthful naïveté, to frequent bouts of self-loathing, to acceptance. “There’s a lot of sadness in the back half of the record, but there’s a lot more hope here too,” says Babcock. “I’m just coming to peace with who I am.”

“Within days of announcing our last album, coincidentally titled The Unraveling of PUPTHEBAND, my life unexpectedly imploded. I wrote the lyrics for ‘Hallways’ while all that was going on. It was a weird fucking week,” shares PUP‘s vocalist. “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.”

The announcement of the album is joined by its lead single – ‘Hallways’. It proves to be a tight-knit number that maintains PUP‘s melodic richness and rugged punk ethos. You can view its surreal video below.

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

As previously announced, PUP will be touring the UK in May. Support comes from Illuminati Hotties and Goo.