Rising alt-pop disruptors People R Ugly (PRU) return with their harmony-drenched new single “WAKE UP,” a shout-from-the-rooftops stunner accompanied by a hilariously dramatic music video starring iconic Blink-182 singer Mark Hoppus. The single comes off the band’s long-awaited debut album GARAGE, out via Verswire.
Written during a retreat in the small mountain town of Oakhurst, California, “WAKE UP” captures the electricity of a late night out. Inspired by a local bar the band frequented, the song’s hook describes locking eyes with a girl on the dance floor who unintentionally steals all your attention. As the night winds down, the lyrics “everyone’s crashing” reflect the inevitable end of the night – yet the fixation lingers. The chorus’s sticky refrain, “even if I wake up, I’ll still be dreaming,” channels the feeling of waking up next to your “dream” girl. Each verse layers the familiar anxieties of a long night out until everything freezes with the line “then you started dancing.” The song closes on a cinematic outro – sun rising, neighbors heading to work, while the connection made the night before finally finds its stillness.
The band’s debut album GARAGE is a raw and dynamic body of work that showcases PRU at their most adventurous, fusing alt-pop hooks with punk grit and emotional vulnerability. Written and recorded entirely in frontman Zak’s Orange County garage, the record embodies the spirit of DIY creation while pushing the band into bold new sonic territory.
“We’re beyond excited to finally share GARAGE,” the band shares. “This project is unlike anything we’ve ever made before. We had a blast experimenting, messing around, and pushing ourselves in new directions, and we couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. We hope it makes you laugh, cry, dance, mosh, and maybe even smile at a surprise feature you won’t see coming.”
