Formed in 2018 through shared connections in Atlanta’s teeming skate scene, Upchuck’s musical aspirations have always been uncomplicated. They play for each other, and for anyone who is willing to move alongside them—there are no trappings of genre worship or social politicking in their sound, only an open spirit of friendly connection. As guitarist Hoff recollects, “When we started the band, all we wanted was to be louder and have more fun than everyone else—we wanted to have as many amps as possible onstage, and we wanted to play with our favorite bands, that’s it.” 2022 saw the release of their first LP, Sense Yourself (Famous Class), which sports a cover photo of vocalist KT gripping a rusted mic as blood gushes down her body from a gash to her forehead, perfectly encapsulating the debut record’s ferocious sense of abandon. Shortly after the release of Sense Yourself, Upchuck absconded to Souther California to record Bite the Hand That Feeds, enlisting the production talents of Ty Segall and the airy reprieve of his secluded Topanga Canyon home studio. Upchuck credits Segall, who recorded the entire record live to tape over the span of five days, with helping to elevate the arrangements of their second record to bold new heights—fans of Segall’s extensive catalog will undoubtedly recognize the shadow of his creative touch in Bite the Hand That Feeds’ commanding, layered drum polyrhythms, tasteful use of oddball effects, and fuzzed out, every-guitar-pushed-into-the-red ethos.