The Playlist: Jim Suptic
The Get Up Kids’ lead guitarist Jim Suptic on his journey from cowboy boots to Campfire kansas
The first song I can remember… Mama don’ t let your babies Grow up to be cowboys– Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson
“I remember loving this song as a kid. Any time it came on the radio while we were in the car I would get excited. I used to love wearing my cowboy boots when I was little and at the time I couldn’t understand why a mom wouldn’t want their child to be a cowboy. To me it seemed like a sensible career move.”
The song that made me want to play… Waitingroom – Fugazi
“I will never forget the moment I heard this song. I was a freshman in high school at a party with juniors and seniors. Travis Millard, the artist who made the covers for our albums Something to Write Home About and On A Wire, came into my friend’s room and said, ‘You should be listening to this!’. I didn’t know music could sound like that. The next day we started a band.”
The first song I covered in a band… Eggraidonmojo – Beastie Boys
“I think the reason we learned this is because it is so easy to play. The other guitarist in the band loved Beastie Boys too. It’s a pretty stupid childish song so it worked perfectly in our set.”
The riff I wish I’d written... Corpsepose – Unwound
“The opening riff of this song is so sick! They were such an underrated band that did a lot of really creative things. I remember seeing them in Lawrence, Kansas the night Elliott Smith played on the Oscars. Everyone in the band and everyone in the bar watched before their show. Weird night.”
The song I’d play to someone who had never heard our band… Actionandaction – The Get Up Kids
“I think this is one of the most Get Up Kids-sounding songs we know, whatever that means. We have gone through so many changes as a band that it’s really hard to come up with the right song. This one seems to always be a crowd favourite though.”
I’d like to cover… Don’tchange – INXS
“This song has been covered many times before but I think we would do a really good job with it. We used to do a cover of Never Tear Us Apart that was a lot of fun to play but this song is my all-time favourite INXS song. It has a great
youthful energy about it.”
The song I’m most looking forward to playing on tour… Fair weather friends– The Get Up Kids
“We have played this song a few times live and it went over pretty well. It only has two parts but it has a solo I am pretty proud of, so I get a chance to show off a little. Ha!”
My favourite solo… Hotel California – The Eagles
“This is the dictionary definition of classic rock. Felder and Walsh were pushing each other to the limit. Parts of this solo inspired my solo on the song Salina off the new album.”
The song I’d like us to be remembered for… Campfire Kansas – The Get Up Kids
“Anytime Matt Pryor [lead vocals, rhythm guitar] plays solo acoustic he gets asked to play this song. The only problem is I wrote and sing this one. At this point he must think that’s more funny than annoying but it always makes me laugh.”
The Get Up Kids’ new album Problems is out now on Polyvinyl Records