Toronto’s Pup are set to release their fifth album, Who Will Look After The Dogs?, this Friday, May 2, via Little Dipper / Rise Records. Ahead of the launch, the band—Stefan Babcock, Nestor Chumak, Zack Mykula, and Steve Sladkowski—have dropped one final preview with the single “Olive Garden.” Originally written as an acoustic demo, the track was reshaped into one of the heaviest moments on the record.
Babcock describes it plainly: “This is a very stupid, but also wonderful song. The band get all the credit for turning it into something really special. Zack (who plays drums) heard my cute little acoustic guitar demo and decided we should try and make it as heavy as possible. Which is objectively, a very annoying thing to suggest. But you know what, I’m glad I kept my stupid mouth shut, because it works.” He highlights the contrast between “sweet vocal melodies” and “a wall of disgusting, grinding, detuned guitars,” calling the result “kinda upsetting and uncomfortable but also, catchy and fun.” About the song’s humor, Babcock adds, “I don’t care what anyone says, ‘Olive Garden’ rhymes with ‘Grandma in a coffin’ – listen to this crap and tell me I’m wrong.”
The band also released a video for “Olive Garden,” directed by bassist Nestor Chumak, embracing the song’s goofy spirit.
Who Will Look After The Dogs? was recorded in Los Angeles with John Congleton across three weeks. Described as their most immediate and hard-hitting album yet, it strips away the perfectionism that weighed down earlier projects. The record channels the intensity of their debut but with tighter musicianship and a more reflective lyrical approach. Over 12 tracks, Babcock turns inward, exploring romantic relationships, dynamics with bandmates, and his own self-image. There’s still the chaotic edge in the arrangements, but this time it’s paired with a looseness the band deliberately reclaimed.
Babcock points to the title’s origins during a turbulent personal moment: “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.” He explains that Who Will Look After The Dogs? was the first thing he wrote during that period. “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.”
Critics have previously noted Pup’s ability to capture chaos with structure and heart. The New York Times described the band’s approach as “frenetic punk-pop with neat verse-chorus-bridge structures underlying Stefan Babcock’s raucously overwrought and fully self-aware lead vocals.” The New Yorker observed how Pup removed their creative limits with The Unraveling of PUPTheBand, while NPR Music pointed out the group’s knack for showing “the rage and frustration of human fallibility with crashing drums and infectious irreverence.”
Following the album’s release, Pup will tour extensively through Europe, the UK, Australia, and North America. Their European dates kick off on May 18 in Amsterdam and include stops in Cologne, Hamburg, Berlin, Munich, Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, and San Sebastian, with Illuminati Hotties joining on selected shows.
PUP live shows:
05/18/25 – Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg*
05/20/25 – Cologne, DE @ Club Volta*
05/21/25 – Hamburg, DE @ Logo*
05/22/25 – Berlin, DE @ Hole44*
05/23/25 – Munich, DE @ Strom*
05/25/25 – Paris, FR @ Bellevilloise*
05/27/25 – Madrid, ES @ Sala Mon
05/28/25 – Barcelona, ES @ Upload
05/29/25 – València, ES @ Loco Club
05/30/25 – San Sebastian, ES @ Dabadaba
* support from Illuminati Hotties
