Stefan Babcock is no stranger to feeling like his world is falling apart.
The lead singer of award-winning Toronto punk rock band PUP, Babcock pens most of his lyrics from a place of existential angst, from the self-spiraling anthem “DVP” to uncontrollable external conflicts described in “Scorpion Hill”.
But what contrasts ideas about navigating through life’s many crises are fast and fun guitars with anthemic choruses and unforgettable witticisms. While Babcock’s lyrics deliver that sense of angst, his soaring vocals remind you that the worry and stress you feel in everyday life isn’t just you—everybody feels that way at some point.
This unique blend of punk rock raging and lyrics about trying to get it together will be on full display for Haligonians this Friday and Saturday, Aug. 2 and 3, when PUP plays at the Light House Arts Centre. Opening for them will be local alt band June Body.
“It’s been a while since we’ve been out there,” says Babcock of Halifax. “Things are a bit smaller in the Maritimes, but the crowds are just really rowdy and appreciative, and we just love being up there. It's one we’ve been looking forward to.”
The PUP Process
When it comes to songwriting, Babcock says he can always write—there’s no on/off switch for his anxieties—though he does have a process of refining his lyrics to be as sharp as they are.
“The hardest part about songwriting is writing lyrics that don’t feel embarrassing to say,” he says during a phone interview. “I can sit down and write a song pretty much any day I want to, but it does take a lot of time going back and rewriting, and thinking about how I can say things a bit less of a cheesy way—a way that can kind of find a bit of humour that wouldn’t normally be in songs like that.”
While the band has certainly come a long way from their university rock roots, back when they were named after a popular Boy Meets World character, Babcock says the material for their songs has yet to dry up. In his words, “The well is deep.”
“I mean, look at the state of our world right now. It’s as scary as it’s ever been since I’ve been a conscious adult,” he says.
And while the fuel of his angst has notably matured between records—going from annoying tourmates to an endless stream of morbidity around various aspects of everyday life—it all still comes from the same place for Babcock.
“It still remains,” he says of the angst he feels, now 36 years old. “Certain things have changed for me. You know, as you get older, I think people’s perspectives change. My perspective on angst has changed.”
While their songwriting evolves, so too does the band’s music. Their latest release, 2022’s THE UNRAVELING OF PUPTHEBAND, saw them mix up their classically punk instrumentation with pianos, synths and some programmed drums.
“For a long time, that was a point of pride for us,” says Babcock of sticking to the punk instrumental ethos. “But, at a certain point, I think it was kind of holding us back, because when we kind of learned about those types of instruments, it just sort of unlocked a lot in all of our brains.”
While working on THE UNRAVELING, Babcock purchased an electric piano and began learning basic synth and drum programming. This led to a wholly new approach on the record.
“It kind of opened my mind to a different type of songwriting, which, you know, I wrote a lot of songs on piano for that record, which I’d never done before, and then transposed them back to guitar,” he says. “It sounded a lot like the stuff we had been writing, but just kind of like a bit of a different flavour to it, which I was pretty excited about, and I think we all kind of leaned into that.”
And while the pride of using traditional punk instrumentation has been shed, Babcock still ensures listeners that they are, above all else, a guitar-focused rock band—they’re just finding ways to get more creative with it.
“I do think that, like, songwriting and being creative is hard enough in itself, and to close doors on yourself? No, it’s just not what I want to be doing anymore,” he explains. “I have come to the realization that PUP will always sound like PUP because of the songs that we write, and it’s always the four of us making them.
“I’m just trying to open every creative avenue and get those neurons firing as much as possible.”
Going strong for over a decade
Along with their Halifax shows and a stop in Saint John, PUP will also be joining up with veteran rock bands Sum 41 and Jimmy Eat World for Sum 41’s farewell tour throughout 2024 and 2025.
Babcock never imagined his band would get to this point in their career.
“I think most bands when they start don’t have any expectations,” he says. “That was certainly the case for us. We just wanted to write enough songs that we could play a 30-minute set, and play in Toronto, and play for a couple of our friends, and that was kind of it.”
In some aspects, little has changed since their 2013 self-titled debut—they’re still self-deprecating, still humorous and angsty, and still refuse to take anything too seriously. What has changed is their confidence.
“I’ve gotten a bit more confident in my own tastes, whereas on the first two records, I was kind of like, ‘Oh, I like this, but I don’t know if anyone else will.’ And now, I don’t really need to think about that anymore. I just kind of trust my intuition, and I think the other guys feel the same way about their intuitions.
“We’re just kind of riding the wave, and excited to be doing what we’re doing, and yeah, looking forward to these tours and putting out another record, and just keeping the train on the tracks.”
Although PUP’s first Halifax show on Aug. 2 is sold out, the Aug. 3 show at the Light House Arts Centre still has tickets available for purchase. They will also be playing at the Area 506 Festival in Saint John, NB on Sunday, Aug. 4.