THE UPSIDES to Release New Album IN THE MAZE, Share Single "Pretending It Fades"
Producer Nick Perri and mixer Austin Asvanonda contributed to the eleven-track record, with strings by Richard Jones.
New York City-based alternative pop rockers THE UPSIDES have returned with the single 'Pretending It Fades,' along with details of their forthcoming album IN THE MAZE, due October 16 via Dream Wolf Records. The release follows the band's recently released singles 'Very Bad Kids' and 'Say Follow.' The album was mixed by Austin Asvanonda (Sam Fender, The War On Drugs) with additional production from Nick Perri.
IN THE MAZE features contributions from Richard Jones from Elysian Collective Music (Fontaines D.C., Pulp, Florence + The Machine), who arranged and recorded a string ensemble on four of the album's eleven tracks: 'Pretending It Fades,' 'Sepia,' 'Telepathic,' and 'Limbo.'
Lead singer Matt Fullam, while speaking about the genesis of IN THE MAZE, recalls, 'The foundation of the album was written in a two-week trip to Parksville, New York in the summer of 2024. The property we were on was really isolating, and I think that naturally made us look inward and go back to our roots of the heavier, cathartic sounds we grew up on from the 90s. The sonic landscape we established during those two weeks built a world for our most vulnerable lyrics and storytelling to eventually find their footing in the finished songs.'
While discussing the themes and origins of the album, Matt's brother and drummer Dan Fullam shared, 'I view In The Maze as a succumbing in a way to the chaos and unpredictability of life, and so it's up to you individually to sort out which path you want to take within that thresher. So many people live with regrets that they chose a comfortable, cookie-cutter life, while so many people love the stability of a certain job, the warmth of family, which keeps them sane and away from chaos and that's beautiful too. I think the smartest people, regardless of what they accomplish in life, find that there are zero universally 'right' answers to anything. You do your best, and then you're dead basically. So go for what you want - the job, the partner, the creative endeavor - and go for it now.'
Speaking on the song out today, lead guitarist Hart Mechlin calls it, '...probably the most straightforward 'breakup song' on the album. Some of the imagery is specific to a personal relationship, but under the surface, there's a more nuanced message around loss. At first the chorus reads 'these wounds are taking longer to heal than I thought,' but as a whole the message is more like 'maybe these aren't actually wounds - this experience changed me and I'm getting used to my new shape.'
Tracklist
01.) In The Maze
02.) Very Bad Kids
03.) Say Follow
04.) Pretending It Fades
05.) New Jersey in the 90s
06.) Telepathic
07.) Fast Angel
08.) Twist Our Fate
09.) Space Monkey
10.) Limbo
11.) Sepia
Tour Dates
09/06/26 - Amagansett, NY @ Stephen Talkhouse
10/17/26 - New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge with B. Miles (In the Maze Album Release Show)
About Dream Wolf Records
Founded in 2025 by entrepreneur, investor, and longtime music obsessive Miles Paterson, Dream Wolf Records is an independent alternative label dedicated to helping artists achieve expansive creative visions without sacrificing independence. After spending more than 20 years building companies and rising to CEO within the tech industry, Paterson launched the label to merge his lifelong passion for music with his experience in branding, marketing, business development, and creative strategy. Built on an artist-first philosophy, Dream Wolf Records focuses on long-term artist development, combining expertise in touring, production, finance, and creative direction to help artists build sustainable careers while pursuing ambitious creative goals. Guided by the label's mantra, 'Dare to dream,' Dream Wolf aims to create a home for artists who value both artistic integrity and fearless growth.
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 shaped and refined The Upsides. The band is entering their prime 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 upstate New York experimenting with new sounds and even swapping instruments. A year later, 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. 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 are full of universal themes; about coming to terms with the past, reaching a make-or-break point in life, and realizing there are no easy answers.
Photo Credit: Brittany Rose Queen
Photo Credit: Brittany Rose Queen
