Shut up and Deal is a band of five friends bonded by their passion for making music. Speaking as one entity, Joe Heafy (lead vocals), Bill Laudenslager (bass/vocals), Pat Kish (lead guitar/vocals), Mike Kytoski (drums) and Paul LaBosky (guitar/vocals) describe themselves as, “Five normal guys from the small town of New Haven, Connecticut, “ everyone that is, “except Mike who grew up on in Bay Shore, NY on Long Island.”

Their pop driven rock sound came out of the band members listening to “a ton of different genres. We kinda of just melted what we liked together. We had all played in previous bands around the CT music scene and when those bands ended, we came together.”

Explaining that they were all self taught, they say, “We all just picked up on everything on our own and that why we’re probably as horrible as we are now,” they say. “All of our families are super awesome and totally support what we do. Had it not been for them, we wouldn't be doing what we were doing and probably would be miserable if we were forced to do something.”

“In all honesty, all of us don't really have too much of a personal life, as corny as it sounds. We all put 120% of our time into the band and were gone on tour months at a time so most of us don’t really have personal lives aside from getting tattooed and hanging out with each other on the road.”

Taking their name, “from a lot of playing poker and us just being fed up with people complaining about everything. Its like things aren’t that bad,” the band is now touring non-stop, playing more than 80 shows in a five month period. They set out on the road June fifth and won’t be back home until September nineteenth. “It's non-stop touring and promoting to everyone and anyone we can.”

”Music means the world to us. It’s what we turn to when there’s nothing else there and no matter what, whether we’re doing this for another month or another 50 years, it'll always mean as much as it did the first time either one of us heard a record or picked up an instrument.”

“We’re kinda of just taking it as it comes. We have a plan and where we want to be but were not going to force anything. Were just going to take each day as it comes and not try to worry too much and just roll with everything how it comes. Just one person coming up and saying they like the record or they had an awesome time at the show is great. That’s why we do what we do. Because as cliché as it sounds, you only really do get to live once.”

Shut Up and Deal’s EP, Don’t Act Like You’re Not Impressed, was recently released and can be found on itunes, amazon and smartpunk.