PUP (abbreviation for Pathetic Use of Potential) is a Canadian punk rock band formed in Toronto, Ontario in 2010, originally under the name Topanga.

[2] In December 2013, PUP signed with SideOneDummy Records and re-released their debut album in the United States on April 8, 2014.

Bassist Nestor Chumak, guitarist Steve Sladkowski, and drummer Zack Mykula are childhood friends who attended school in Toronto together.

Babcock encountered Chumak, Sladkowski, and Mykula on occasion at local Toronto music venues, but was not close with them at the time.

While attending Ryerson University, he worked with Nestor Chumak to record a song he had written for a school project.

[11] Following its completion, the duo teamed up with Chumak's friends Sladkowski and Mykula to form a group called Topanga.

The name comes from Topanga Matthews (née Lawrence), a character on the 1990s Disney sitcom Boy Meets World whom the band has called "our first middle-school crush.

"[12] They decided to record a four-track EP together, although Babcock says that at the time, they considered this a one-off project and didn't think of themselves as a "real band".

[16] In 2012, Topanga began contemplating making their first full-length album, and wanted to find a producer who could help them capture their heavy performance style in a studio recording.

[8] In addition, Disney had announced a new spinoff series based on Boy Meets World, and the band didn't want to be associated with it.

[2] From September to the end of November 2013, PUP joined Hollerado and the Zolas on a 24-stop tour across Canada to promote the album.

[20] PUP won two Bucky Awards from CBC Radio 3 for Best Live Show and Best New Artist in 2013, and was nominated for Best Video.

[21] In December 2013, PUP signed with SideOneDummy Records and re-released their debut album in the United States on April 8, 2014.

In late 2014, PUP completed its first head-lining tour of Canada and the US, culminating in a sold-out concert at Toronto's Lee's Palace featuring a "next level" performance.

[30] During spring and summer 2017, they made appearances at several music festivals, including Shaky Knees,[31] Boston Calling,[32] WayHome,[33] Lollapalooza,[34] and Osheaga.

[35] In September 2017, PUP made their cable television debut on Last Call with Carson Daly on NBC, performing "Sleep in the Heat"[36] and "If This Tour Doesn't Kill You, I Will / DVP".

[5][42] The second single from the album, "Free at Last", was released on February 27, 2019, and featured guest vocals from Eva Hendricks of Charly Bliss.

[43] The band performed "Kids" on Late Night with Seth Meyers on March 21, 2019, in anticipation of release of Morbid Stuff.

PUP won two Bucky Awards from CBC Radio 3 for Best Live Show and Best New Artist in 2013, as well as a nomination for Best Video.

The national newspaper The Globe & Mail called them out as front-runners in the contest along with Arcade Fire, Mac DeMarco, BadBadNotGood, among other artists.

[88] In March 2021, "This Place Sucks Ass" was nominated on "Alternative album of the year" category of 2021 Juno Award.