Kansas City’s Get Up Kids play melodic, pop-inflected emo similar to the Promise Ring and Braid, with whom the band released a split single in 1998. The influential group consisting of vocalist/guitarist Matthew Pryor, guitarist/vocalist Jim Suptic, bassist Robert Pope, and drummer Ryan Pope (Robert’s younger brother, who replaced Nathan Shay early on) debuted in 1996 with a slew of 7″s, includingShorty on the Huey Proudhon label and All Stars on Doghouse Records.
Both the Woodson EP and their debut full-length, Four Minute Mile, the latter recorded with Shellac’s Bob Weston, were released in 1997. The well-received albums started a growing buzz around the indie rock scene, even causing the band members to field offers from major labels, which they ultimately turned down. In 1998, the Get Up Kids toured extensively with bands like the Promise Ring and Jimmy Eat World and released more singles, including “I’m a Loner, Dottie, a Rebel,” which also appeared on their classic 1999 album, Something to Write Home About.
We managed to catch up with the band at Rockaway Festival and had a little interview session.
Concertkaki: How’s Malaysia been so far?
It’s been great but hot! The food here has been really great, the people here have been really
nice. I think we’re having a great time. It feels like we’re on vacation. Holiday in Malaysia!
Concertkaki: What do you guys like to do in your spare time on tour?
We wander around, eat, drink, party, play shows and explore. We’re usually pretty good at
exploring. Also many places we go. We have a lot of friends there, so hanging out with them and
trying to play good rock shows! We walked around today for over 2 hours, and we walked into a
peaceful protest. It was nice!
Concertkaki: From your Instagram, we can see photos of you guys writing your new album. What can fans expect from your new album?
It’s really good, but we’re not done with it yet. We’ve only done 2 songs, we don’t know what to
expect yet. But we’re very excited about it. There are a lot of loud guitars; kinda pop record.
Concertkaki: How does it feel to be back writing an album after 6 years?
It’s been fine! So far it’s been really good, but we’re not far in yet. We’re not overthinking it too
much. We try to make sure the record is fun for everybody; ourselves included!
Concertkaki: Since you guys have played many shows, which show has been the most memorable and why?
The memorable show would be the most recent show in New York at Irving Plaza because we nailed it and it felt really good. Everything went right and there was no kick ourselves when we got off
stage or each other.
Concertkaki: What’s your favourite band to go on tour with?
We’ve toured with many bands, but honestly our favourite bands to tour with are bands that are fun to hang out with. We’ve played a lot of shows with this band called Braid, probably more shows than any other band. They’ve been a lot of fun! We also tour with Reggie and the Full Effect, they alright and they’re pretty cool guys I guess.