Toronto punk powerhouse PUP are back with a characteristically unhinged new single, Olive Garden, a gloriously heavy and darkly funny track that leads the final charge toward the band’s hotly anticipated fifth album, Who Will Look After The Dogs?—out this Friday, 2nd May, via Little Dipper / Rise Records.
In classic PUP fashion, Olive Garden manages to toe the line between emotionally raw and hilariously absurd. Originally penned as a soft acoustic demo by frontman Stefan Babcock, the song quickly mutated into one of the album’s most crushing moments after drummer Zack Mykula insisted on taking things in a heavier direction. The end result is a jagged wall of detuned guitars, breakneck drums, and catchy, twisted melodies that prove once again that PUP thrive in chaos.
PUP
“It’s a very stupid, but also wonderful song,” Babcock says. “Zack heard my cute little acoustic guitar demo and decided we should try and make it as heavy as possible. Objectively, a very annoying thing to suggest. But he was right.”
With a video created by bassist Nestor Chumak to match the track’s unhinged tone, Olive Garden isn’t just a send-up of youthful naiveté—it’s a celebration of PUP’s trademark blend of angst, humour, and sonic destruction. The line “‘Olive Garden’ rhymes with ‘Grandma in a coffin’” is already legendary in its absurdity, and it perfectly encapsulates the band’s gift for spinning the dark and ridiculous into punk gold.
Never ones to do things halfway, PUP are marking the album release with a once-in-a-lifetime event on 1st May: they’re opening an actual Olive Garden in Toronto. Well, sort of. In a lovingly tongue-in-cheek tribute to the restaurant chain (which barely exists in Canada), the band will host a fully immersive album launch party featuring Olive Garden-inspired décor, Italian-American food by celebrity chef Matty Matheson (via Rizzo’s House of Parm), a live set, and of course, a full album playback. It’s a one-night-only transformation of a secret Toronto venue into a breadstick-laden fever dream. If the band’s Instagram is anything to go by, expect chaos, carbs, and more surprises than you can shake a parmesan shaker at. “When you’re here, you’re family,” the band teases. That’s either a comforting promise or a warning—maybe both.
While the title may sound like a throwaway joke, Who Will Look After The Dogs? was born out of real emotional upheaval. Written during a period of isolation and heartbreak, the album sees Babcock stepping back from the band after a decade-long relationship ended, leaving him both figuratively and literally alone with his thoughts. What followed was a burst of songwriting unlike anything in the band’s history—over 30 songs written in a year, distilled into the final 12-track album. “So many early songs were about how I’m a complete fuck-up,” Babcock says. “While that remains true, I stopped hating myself as much. This record reflects that growth.”
Produced by John Congleton (St. Vincent, Death Cab for Cutie), the band recorded the album in just three weeks in LA, capturing a raw, immediate energy reminiscent of their early records—but with tighter musicianship and, surprisingly, a bit more hope. Tracks like Hallways, Paranoid, and Get Dumber (featuring Jeff Rosenstock) tear through self-doubt, fractured friendships, and mental spirals—but often with a wink and a scream-along chorus.
The band, notorious for their perfectionism and internal creative clashes, let go of overthinking this time. “If we can’t solve a problem in the room between the four of us in a few minutes, it’s not worth solving,” says Mykula. The result? An album that feels loose, lean, and more alive than ever.
With the album set to explode into the world this Friday, PUP won’t be sitting still. They’re heading out on a massive international tour throughout North America, Australia, and the UK/EU. The UK leg kicks off on 7th May in Birmingham, with support from Illuminati Hotties and Goo.
Their live shows—long celebrated for their unpredictability, sweat-drenched energy, and cathartic singalongs—promise to be the perfect vehicle for this new batch of songs. If the emotional devastation doesn’t get you, the stage dives might.
Over a decade into their career, PUP are still gloriously frayed at the edges—but Who Will Look After The Dogs? might be the sound of a band settling into themselves, scars and all. There’s no pretence, no polish—just brutal honesty, riffs that hit like a bus, and the thrill of watching a band constantly teeter on the edge of combustion. And yes—somehow, through all the sadness, the sarcasm, and the noise, they still manage to make it all sound fun.
Who Will Look After The Dogs? is out on 2nd May. Olive Garden is streaming now.
Upcoming UK Tour Dates:
MAY
7th – Birmingham, UK @ XOYO Birmingham
8th – Leeds, UK @ Project House
10th – Manchester, UK @ O2 Ritz
11th – Glasgow, UK @ SWG3 (TV Studio)
12th – Newcastle, UK @ Newcastle University
13th – Bristol, UK @ Marble Factory
15th – Southampton, UK @ Engine Rooms
16th – London, UK @ O2 Forum Kentish Town
Share Thing