THE UPSIDES Share IN THE MAZE Single and Video

New York City indie rock band The Upsides return with 'In The Maze,' the title track and focus single from their upcoming second album, In The Maze, due October 16 via Dream Wolf Records. Arriving October 14, the bold, driving track serves as the album's opening statement, exploring unpredictability, difficult circumstances and the unexpected blessings that can emerge from them.

The Upsides, brothers Matt and Dan Fullam alongside longtime friends Hart Mechlin, Pat Freeman and Matt DaSilva, have spent years shaping their sound through friendship, collaboration and experimentation. With In The Maze, their first album for Dream Wolf Records, the band moves beyond their jangly garage-rock roots into bolder, more emotive territory.

'In The Maze' arrived unusually late in the writing process, coming together just three weeks before the band traveled to Marlboro, New York to record most of the album. Despite its late arrival, the track quickly became central to the record's identity. Once the band locked down its intro, they knew it had to open the album, providing the kind of bold statement they felt In The Maze deserved.

'This tune was born quite late in the writing process, maybe three weeks before we went to Marlboro, NY to record most of the album. Once we locked down the intro, we knew this song would be the album opener.' Fullam explains. 'The lyrics relate to a chaotic landlord situation that my brother Dan had to go through at the end of 2025. While hopefully that isn't something most folks have to deal with, the theme of unpredictability and being able to find a blessing amongst the curse of a difficult situation is what we were looking to convey in this one. We felt like this album deserved a 'bold statement' opening track, and we've really loved starting to rehearse the song live. A number of people in the band have mentioned that they feel this song will inspire some future writing for us.'

The track follows 'New Jersey in the 90s,' the album's previous single, a wistful and nostalgic reflection on childhood, memory and the loss of innocence through a deeply personal story rooted in the band's New Jersey upbringing. While 'New Jersey in the 90s' looks back on the experiences that shaped the band's understanding of the past, 'In The Maze' turns toward the uncertainty of the present, embracing the unpredictability that comes with moving forward.

The song also marks a significant moment in the band's evolving sound, arriving as a forceful introduction to an album that moves beyond the jangly garage-rock roots of their debut. Across In The Maze, The Upsides continue to experiment with new sounds while retaining the collaborative spirit that has defined the band from the beginning.

Much of the album came together during a ten-day songwriting retreat in Parksville, New York, just one month after the release of The Upsides' self-titled debut. Matt, Dan, and Hart spent the retreat experimenting with new sounds before the band eventually recorded at The Building, a converted rural church in Marlboro, New York.

As the album's title track, opening song and focus single, 'In The Maze' brings together many of the ideas at the heart of the record: uncertainty, unexpected turns, difficult circumstances and the search for something meaningful within them. Arriving just two days before the full album, the track serves as The Upsides' final introduction to the world of In The Maze.

'In The Maze' by The Upsides is out October 14th. In The Maze is out October 16th, 2026 via Dream Wolf Records.

In The Maze Tracklisting

1. In The Maze

2. Very Bad Kids

3. Say Follow

4. Pretending it Fades

5. New Jersey In The 90s

6. Telepathic

7. Fast Angel

8. Twist Our Fate

9. Space Monkey

10. Limbo

11. Sepia

About The Upsides

The Upsides are an indie rock band based in New York City consisting of brothers Matt (guitar and vocals) and Dan Fullam (drums) alongside longtime friends Hart Mechlin (lead guitar), Pat Freeman (keys, guitar) and Matt DaSilva (bass). Long-standing relationships, chance encounters and a transformative songwriting retreat have continued to shape and refine the group as they enter a new era with In the Maze, their second album and first on Dream Wolf Records.

More than half of In The Maze came together in June 2024, one month after the release of their self-titled debut album. Matt, Dan and Hart spent 10 days tucked away in Parksville, New York experimenting with new sounds and even swapping instruments. After a year of working on demos, The Upsides left their New York City base yet again and went upstate to record at The Building, a converted rural church in Marlboro, New York. The band all sensed they were heading into bolder, more emotive sonic territory than their jangly garage rock roots.

After post-production was complete in February 2026, In the Maze was mixed in Burbank, California by Austin Asvanonda (Sam Fender, The War on Drugs). The album was mastered by Steve Fallone, with additional production by Nick Perri (Silvertide, Luke Spiller) and string arrangements by Richard Jones and Laura Moody of Elysian Collective (Florence + The Machine, Fontaines D.C.).

The tracks on In The Maze are full of universal themes told through specific, lived-through stories; about coming to terms with the past, reaching a make-or-break point in life, and realizing there are no simple, easy answers.