ARISTA RECORDING ARTIST UPSAHL REVEALS FIRST SINGLE “DRUGS” OFF UPCOMING DEBUT EP, OUT MARCH 1
ANNOUNCES SHOWS IN LA AND SF IN MARCH,
SET TO SUPPORT MAX FROST ON 2019 TOUR & APPEAR AT SXSW
“A vibrant debut…an instantly catchy chorus — the vocals sound refined enough to be taken for an industry mainstay.” – Billboard
“A bubbling swaying number…the 19-year-old artist displays a mature grasp and sense of self-awareness when it comes to relationships and her own emotions” – Consequence of Sound
“Her rich, radio-ready vocal belies her young age, whilst her knack for a catchy chorus is immediately evident.” – The Line of Best F
(January 18, 2019 – New York, NY) – UPSAHL shares her brand new single “Drugs” via Arista Records today. Building on the excitement of a growing fan base and widespread critical acclaim, the song once again highlights the nuances of her inimitable and idiosyncratic alternative pop. Driven by quirky guitar and delicate bass, the songstress presents tweet-worthy lyrical snapshots of a party marred by trivial conversation and millennial malaise before offering up her reason for being there in a sardonic admission: “I just came here for the drugs.”
“‘Drugs‘ isn’t meant to be literal. The song is basically a fake conversation with someone who is acting like they’re the shit. I’ve experienced this a lot, where I’ll be talking with someone, and the conversation quickly turns into a name-dropping brag fest.” UPSAHL continues, “‘I just came here for the drugs,’ is me saying that I’m not here for the extra BS or the clout that people think is so important. I’m just here for the realness. When listening to the song, I want people to feel like they’re at a party, overhearing a bunch of surface-level conversations. My voice throughout the song changes perspective, which reflects those conversations that you hear when you’re walking through a party. It’s supposed to be a feel-good song that embraces genuine people and honest connections.”
“Drugs” proves just as intoxicating as her recent single and music video for “The Other Team,” which has amassed over 500,000 streams and received praise from Refinery29, Billboard, Consequence of Sound, Alternative Press, Idolator, Ones To Watch, and more.
Revealing her touring plans for early 2019, UPSAHL will join Max Frost on half of his Gold Rush Tour in March/April, ending at The Troubadour in Los Angeles on April 10. March will also see UPSAHL make her SXSW debut in addition to a PopScene show in San Francisco at Rickshaw Stop on the 1st and a School Night! show in Los Angeles at Bardot on the 4th. Check out the full confirmed itinerary below.
Setting the stage for big things this year, “Drugs” will be the first single off of her upcoming debut EP out March 1.
Before even graduating high school, UPSAHL wrote and released a self-titled EP, which gained much-deserved recognition throughout the Phoenix music scene. A graduate of the Arizona School for the Arts, a performing arts middle/high school, UPSAHL continued to hone her craft, while being classically trained on piano, guitar and choir every day.
UPSAHL went on to ignite a groundswell of fan adoration and tastemaker praise by way of numerous indie pop gems. “Can You Hear Me Now” achieved palpable viral buzz followed by “Kiss Me Now” and “Rough.” Her enigmatic, endearing, and entrancing style garnered widespread critical acclaim from Nylon, Consequence of Sound, Indie Shuffle, Ones To Watch, The Line of Best Fit, and more. Signing to Arista, her rise to pop ubiquity (on her own terms) has only just begun.
2019 TOUR DATES
3/1 – San Francisco, CA – PopScene @ Rickshaw Stop
3/4 – Los Angeles, CA – School Night! @ Bardot
3/13-3/15 – Austin, TX – SXSW+
3/18 – Ann Arbor, MI – Blind Pig*
3/19 – Cleveland, OH – Grog Shop*
3/20 – Toronto, ON – Baby G’s*
3/22 – Boston, MA – Great Scott*
3/23 – Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s
3/25 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom*
3/26 – Washington, D.C. – DC9*
3/28 – Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle*
3/29 – Atlanta, GA – Aisle 5*
3/30 – Nashville, TN – High Watt*
4/1 – Dallas, TX – Dada*
4/2 – Houston, TX – House of Blues – Bronze Peacock*
4/4 – Austin, TX – Scoot Inn*
4/6 – Phoenix, AZ – Valley Bar*
4/8 – San Diego, CA – House of Blues – Voodoo Room*
4/10 – Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour*
*supporting Max Frost
+Festival