PUP announce UK tour, pay tribute to "the unsung heroes who run the merch table" with their brilliantly inventive lyric video for new single Paranoid

PUP — (Image credit: Martyna Wisniewska)

PUP are paying tribute to "the unsung heroes who run the merch table" on tour with a wonderfully inventive video for Paranoid, their first single in two years.

The video was made by the Toronto punk band's long-time collaborator Jeremy Schaulin-Rioux, who says, “What started out as a way to keep the bruising and heartbreaking lyrics to Paranoid front and centre turned into a little love letter for rock band merchandise and the unsung heroes who run the merch table. Special thanks to co-director Clem Hoeney and all the real PUP fans who came out and went so hard for a hundred takes!”

Speaking about the song itself, the band's Stefan Babcock says: “My favourite part of this song is the breakdown 1:45 in. Whenever we try and do a heavy breakdown with catchy vocals we end up sounding like the world’s worst melodic hardcore band. But somehow it worked on this song. I think because it’s so intense in that moment that it’s actually kind of funny and a bit hard to take seriously. There’s some humour in that and how it plays against what I’m yelling about in a way I really like. Plus Nestor [Chumak] plays the melody from The Lion Sleeps Tonight on the bass at the heaviest moment in the song which really cracks me up every time I hear it.”

Watch the video below:

Pup - Paranoid (Official Video) - YouTube

Watch On

Beginning a Canadian tour supporting Sum 41 tonight at the Save On Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria, BC, PUP will return to the UK in May for an eight date headline tour.

The will play:

May 07: Birmingham XOYO
May 08: Leeds Project House
May 10: Manchester O2 Ritz
May 11: Glasgow SWG3 (TV Studio)
May 12: Newcastle University
May 13: Bristol Marble Factory
May 15: Southampton Engine Rooms
May 16: London O2 Forum Kentish Town

Illuminati Hotties and Goo will support.

A music writer since 1993, formerly Editor of Kerrang! and Planet Rock magazine (RIP), Paul Brannigan is a Contributing Editor to Louder. Having previously written books on Lemmy, Dave Grohl (the Sunday Times best-seller This Is A Call) and Metallica (Birth School Metallica Death, co-authored with Ian Winwood), his Eddie Van Halen biography (Eruption in the UK, Unchained in the US) emerged in 2021. He has written for Rolling Stone, Mojo and Q, hung out with Fugazi at Dischord House, flown on Ozzy Osbourne's private jet, played Angus Young's Gibson SG, and interviewed everyone from Aerosmith and Beastie Boys to Young Gods and ZZ Top. Born in the North of Ireland, Brannigan lives in North London and supports The Arsenal.