Pictured left to right: Zach Mykula, Nestor Chumak, Stefan Babcock, and Steve Sladkowski
PUP
Current Members: Stefan Babcock (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), Steve Sladkowski (lead guitar and backing vocals), Zach Mykula (drums and backing vocals), and Nestor Chumak (bass and backing vocals)
Origin: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Top Songs: DVP, Reservoir, Sleep In The Heat, Kids
Genre: Punk Rock
Label: Rise Records
Click here to visit PUP’s website
Meet PUP. PUP stands for Pathetic Use of Potential. They got the name from singer Stefan Babcock’s grandmother, who said that playing in a rock band was exactly that. The thing that sticks out to me about PUP is their versatility as a punk rock band. Want hardcore punk? Try “DVP” or “Reservoir.” Want pop punk? PUP has you covered with songs like “Dark Days” and “If This Tour Doesn’t Kill You, I Will.” Want something in between? Songs like “Kids” and “Sleep In The Heat” should fill that void for you. They literally hit just about every inch of the spectrum that is punk rock.
I first found out about PUP about three years ago when I was surfing the SideOneDummy website. SideOneDummy is the indie label PUP was signed to before signing with Rise this February. I was on the website because I had recently went to a concert featuring three other SideOneDummy bands (AJJ, Jeff Rosenstock, and The Smith Street Band) and wanted to see what other artists they had. I listened to PUP a little and thought they were pretty good but never really gave their music a chance until recently when I heard one of their newest songs, “Kids” on the radio. In hindsight, there wasn’t a better label to help PUP gain popularity. They fit the label really well and remind me of bands and artists like Jeff Rosenstock and AJJ. Their new album Morbid Stuff comes out April 5th. I’m definitely going to check it out and you should too.
In the meantime, check out the music video for “Kids”: