PUP: ‘I’ve probably trashed a hundred songs over the past 10 years’

FR: PUP, c’est l’un des meilleurs groupes de toute la décennie 2010 — et il faudra aussi compter sur lui pour la décennie en cours, preuve en est avec l’excellent “This Place Sucks Ass“. Sa musique a un aspect générationnel très fort, il me rappelle mes années d”université, les fêtes éternelles, les cohues. C’est tout ce dont j’ai parlé avec Stefan Babcock, le chanteur et guitariste du groupe. Boom.

One thing I’ve noticed about the press in Europe is they are seemingly obsessed with labeling bands. For better or worse, you need to be called “punk” or “emo” or “hardcore” or whatever. That doesn’t really happen as much in North America; you just are what you are. As to that question specifically, I think there is a lot of passion and emotion in our music. And we are loud and aggressive at times. So if it makes people happy to call us Emo Punk, it doesn’t bother me. I don’t put much weight behind that stuff. 

Honestly, it sounds stupid but there wasn’t much thought as to the intention with the record. It just kinda came out. I wasn’t specifically trying to say anything, or make anyone feel anything particularly, aside from trying to make myself feel a bit better about life. When we were writing Morbid Stuff, I was in a pretty dark place but also trying to find some sort of silver lining, something to feel hopeful about. Music, for me, is supposed to be fun, so taking that darkness and turning it into something chaotic and goofy and cathartic was just a natural thing that happened. But I’m glad it inspired some nostalgia in you; the great thing about music is we can all take what we want from it, create our own meanings, and ignore everything else. 

I’ve probably trashed a hundred songs over the past 10 years. My bandmates haven’t even heard most of the songs I’ve written. And out of the ones they do hear, we shelf about half of them. I’ve written a ton of garbage that doesn’t deserve to see the light of day. 

“Rot” is about self-sabotage. We’ve had so much success by being fuckups. The more we fuck up, the better this band does, and the better the band does, the more we fuck up, and it’s an endless cycle of self-sabotage. 

Yeah, Built To Spill are one of my favourite bands. There aren’t a ton of bands from that era I still love, but there are definitely a handful. 

Probably “DVP“. When that song came out, it definitely took us to the next level. But personally, one song that has really kept me going and motivated to keep writing and keep pushing is “Scorpion Hill“. I think it’s the best song we’ve written. It’s a song I’m really proud of, and I think being proud and excited about what you do is as important to the success of your career as the song that gets the most Spotify plays or whatever.

Yes and no. When we started off in Toronto, there was a really great community of other bands playing loud rock music that we played with a lot. As we’ve grown, our “community” has more just been about finding friends and other bands with mutual respect, whether we sound like each other or not. And I think the same can be said about the people who come to our shows — it doesn’t matter if you consider yourself a “punk”, or an “indie kid”, or don’t fit into any of those boxes, the scene we are trying to foster is just about connecting like-minded, empathetic and non-judgemental people who can find shared connection and experience through music. 

No, not really. Again, there is very little intention behind what we do, we kind of just do it. We never sat down and said “hey, if we want success in America we have to change to sound this way”. The way we sound is just how we sound. 

I think inclusivity and safety is the most important challenge right now. We want everyone to feel safe and welcomed at our shows, and for anybody to be able to come to a show and feel like they are represented there. There’s still a lot of work to do, and that work is the responsibility of every band with a following, no matter how big or small. 

Run The Jewels – “RTJ4“

There are lots. Last night, I was thinking about the last time we played in Italy. It was one of the smallest shows on the tour, but definitely the sweatiest and most out of control. So fun to see people whose first language isn’t English, and who maybe don’t understand all of the lyrics still screaming them back in your face. It’s a pretty crazy feeling. 

Listen, I’m just trying to take my life day by day. Things are so fucked up right now, I’m just trying to make it through tomorrow. 

I have never pictured my life more than a year or two in the future. So I honestly have no fucking clue! I hope we can keep this band going a few more years without killing each other, that would be nice. 

Probably. 

Thanks for the interview — stay safe and wear a mask! See you on the other side.