The Therapeutic Power Of Upchuck: ‘It’s A Never-Ending Cycle Of Energy’

Mary Varvaris

As Upchuck ready themselves for their debut Australian tour, vocalist Kaila “KT” Thompson opens up about the influence of Amy Taylor and the force of new album 'I'm Nice Now.'

Upchuck(Credit: Michael Tyrone Delaney)

Three albums into their career, and Upchuck are one of the hottest, unmissable bands in punk rock.

Next month, the American band – comprising vocalist Kaila “KT” Thompson, guitarists Michael “Mikey” Durham and Hoff, bassist Ausar Ward, and drummer Chris Salado – will make their Australian debut, performing in intimate venues along the East Coast. Their gritty, bass-driven punk sound might just blow the roof off The Tote, Black Bear Lodge, and The Lansdowne.

In addition to a run of headline shows, Upchuck will appear on this year’s Golden Plains line-up and make their debut in New Zealand, playing in Auckland and Wellington.

Upchuck will perform on the Golden Plains bill alongside dance music legends Basement Jaxx and Cut Copy, plus Marlon Williams performing songs from his te reo Māori album Te Whare Tīwekaweka, Norwegian art-pop duo Smerz, Aussie rockers Bleak Squad, R&B stars Kee’ahn and Becca Hatch, and many others. And Upchuck love a bill like this one.

“We love that shit,” KT tells The Music with a smile ahead of the band’s debut Australian tour. “Even in Atlanta, we’ll be on bills or set up bills that don't normally make sense, you know?

“It definitely brings a community and ears that never even thought that they would hear what they heard that night. I think it’s good to share that. It almost feels like gatekeeping when you just keep it all one sound. I think others are deserving of learning, and I think others are normally open, you know? We love a mixed-up bill, for sure.”

While the forthcoming tour dates mark Upchuck’s first-ever shows in the Antipodean region, they’ve already formed a relationship with Australia, having shared stages with homegrown rock icons Amyl And The Sniffers, C.O.F.F.I.N., and King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard.

“I’ve been waiting for this for a minute, I feel,” remarks KT. “Honestly, I feel like we’ve been wanting to go to Australia since, like, touring with Amyl [in the US in 2022].

“We’ve been trying to get over there. So, we’re just stoked that we finally get to. I’m sure it’s going to be rowdy every night. I’m just ready to get there at this point. It’s so close, but so far away.”

Like Amyl And The Sniffers’ Amy Taylor, KT is an energetic firecracker of a vocalist, delivering mesmerising performances on stage as she tears through the band’s songs, spitting bars through each track.

Recalling the experience of touring alongside Amyl And The Sniffers, KT smiles warmly when she describes Taylor as “that girl!”

View this post on Instagram

“Amy is always going to be that girl; always been that girl,” KT says. “I don’t know if it’s just Australians in general, but every Australian band—even on like a UK tour, we had a tour with another Australian band called Gut Health—we were like, ‘Damn, like, how the fuck we keep fucking with y’all?

“It’s always just an immediate sync-up of energy. They’re inspiring. I think, especially with Amyl and seeing them grow so rapidly and so deservedly. It seems possible now, you know?

“And I learned to have that energy is possible. Like, you know, to continue doing this is not easy, but, you know, it’s worth it in the end, for sure.”

Upchuck formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2018. Known for their energetic live performances and politically charged lyrics, the band released their self-titled debut EP in 2020. Their debut album, Sense Yourself, was released in 2022 via Famous Class Records. The band dropped their third album, Bite The Hand That Feeds, in 2023.

In 2024, they signed with Domino Recording Company and released their third album, I’m Nice Now, last October.

Hoff, Durham, Ward, and Salado first started jamming together in Atlanta’s skateboarding and DIY punk scene before recruiting KT on vocals. In the early days, the band established a name for themselves through performances at house shows, skate parks, and small venues. By 2019, they’d amassed a local following and appeared on festival lineups such as Afropunk.

Like Bite The Hand That Feeds, I’m Nice Now was produced and mixed by American garage rock revivalist Ty Segall. The record came together at the legendary Sonic Ranch Studio in Texas and was mastered by Heba Kadry.

In the lead-up to the album’s release, Upchuck dropped the singles Forgotten Token and Un Momento.

Upon the release of Forgotten Token last July, KT commented, “You can lose things easily and not care, thinking you’ll just get another one. But people aren’t objects,” referring to her sister’s passing during the recording of the album.

“We just started writing,” KT says, revisiting the process behind I’m Nice Now. “Hoff, Mikey or Ausar would come up with an idea and work around it with each other, and then I would come in and put vocals on it.”

She continues, “But as far as a theme, we never really have one. I never really start off with one in the writing process. It’s more so just how it's turning out, which is sick.

“Even the name of it all just came out from a saying that I would be saying all the time on tour, saying like, whenever I get irked, I’ll just react and, you know, splurge my excess energy that I don’t need to be using on some dumb shit, on rage baiting and shit. I’d be like, ‘You know what? I’m nice now.’

“So, I would just keep my peace, you know, and save my energy on whatever the fuck was going on at that time.”

KT’s feelings on the album are beautifully represented on the album artwork. The striking album cover shows a close-up of KT’s smile, with silver coverings on her teeth and a knife—with light reflecting on it—pressed to her bottom teeth. It’s cheeky and filled with personality, just like the band behind the songs.

View this post on Instagram

“[The album art] coincides in a sense,” KT concurs. “Because it’s like, I’m nice now. I don’t know about later. I don’t know about tomorrow, but I’m nice right now.”

Reflecting on the power of being in a band, KT values expressing herself alongside her bandmates. “I really fuck with like the feeling of not being alone. I think it always goes back to that unifying factor.

“It’s like, I'm spitting this shit, but you’re also spitting this shit and relating with others. It’s that community aspect. My rage is your rage, so we rage together. That’s what keeps me going. I can't do shit without them. When they rage, I rage. If I go harder, they go harder. It’s a never-ending cycle of energy.”

The release of such a strong-willed, confident album has led to full-throttle, cathartic shows for Upchuck, and especially for KT. It only serves to build upon the band’s extraordinary reputation as a live band, which has become the stuff of legend.

“It definitely attracts people, so the legend continues,” she chuckles, adding that it’s Upchuck’s brand of “controlled chaos” that consistently draws audiences to their shows.

“There’s a level of control, like controlled chaos, in a way. It’s a splurge of energy coming from everyone, but a respect that keeps that level of control amongst all the chaos,” KT explains.

“I think everyone just kind of syncs up with each other at certain points, so we can all release together. It’s a unity thing.”

She continues, “I feel like I’m not even a controlled chaotic person, but I feel like I’m a chaotic person. We all got something to release. Like, we all got shit to get out. Shit ain’t getting better, as we all can see worldwide. So, it is a release at all times, but a much-needed one. It’s almost therapeutic.”

Upchuck fans can look forward to catharsis, “energy and liveliness” at their debut shows in Australia and New Zealand.

“Expect to go in and release some energy, to get some shit out, move around and get busy,” KT shares. “Just move around and release and yell and scream. Maybe throttle your neck for a second, bro. A safe space to do that, for sure.”

Upchuck will tour Australia and New Zealand in March 2026. I’m Nice Now is out now.

Presented by I OH YOU and MG Live