Today, The Tragically Hip digitally releases the commemorative boxset of their Diamond-certified debut album, Up To Here, the latest installment of special deluxe packages. Up To Here was originally released September 5, 1989, as The Tragically Hip’s first full-length studio album, an introduction that brought them breakthrough success, including two Canadian rock radio #1 singles, “Blow at High Dough” and “New Orleans is Sinking.” The album also earned the band a JUNO Award for “Most Promising Artist” in 1990.
The expanded reissue of Up To Here is a must-have for collectors, presented as a four-LP set on 180g vinyl, alongside liner notes documenting the history of the debut album era. The reissue includes a 2024 remastering of the original album and five previously unreleased songs that didn’t make it on the original Up To Here album - “She’s Got What It Takes,” “Get Back Again,” “Rain, Hearts And Fire,” “Hailstone Hands Of God,” and “Wait So Long” are also shared as part of this expanded package, remastered and mixed in Atmos. A recording of Live at Misty Moon, the special filmed for MuchMusic in 1990 from the Misty Moon Cabaret in Halifax, is also included, with an accompanying 1-hour concert film on Blu-ray. The package also contains demos from 1988 that were recorded prior to the Up To Here recording session. The four-LP box set, as well as a three-disc CD format, will be released on Friday, November 15. Fans can order Up To Here HERE today via UMe.
In June, The Tragically Hip officially dropped the new single “Get Back Again,” which fans consider to be the holy grail of previously unreleased tracks from the band. The track was recorded before signing to their first major record deal with MCA (now Universal Music Canada), produced by Chris Wardman in November 1988, before the Up To Here sessions, now remixed and mastered to today’s standards. The song recently reached #1 in Canada, marking their first chart-topping hit in 15 years. The band performed “Get Back Again” as part of the Live At Misty Moon set in 1990, which had been the only recorded version of the track from the band until now.
THE TRAGICALLY HIP IN 2024:
2024 marked the band’s 40th anniversary, which included physical releases (boxset featuring unreleased tracks, also available on DSPs and radio), fan-centric activations (Record Store Day, in-person screenings, listening parties, and public singalongs), the global premiere of a docuseries, a coffee table book in partnership with Genesis Publications, new merch, dedicated support at radio, streaming platforms, syncs, and social media campaigns.
The celebration kicked off in March when fans were teased with the upcoming coffee table book, This Is Our Life. In April, the band was tapped as the Canadian Record Store Day Ambassadors and released exclusive vinyl from their 1993 performance at NYC’s iconic CBGBs.
On August 8th, the band’s hit “Ahead By A Century” was featured in The Umbrella Academy on Netflix. The next day, Prime Video’s trailer was released, leading to a 138% spike in Shazam searches in one day.
No Dress Rehearsal, directed by Mike Downie (brother of the late Gord Downie, lead singer of the band), opened the Toronto International Film Festival in September, where it won the People’s Choice Documentary Award, the first time a series received this honor in the festival’s history. Following the premiere, a massive public singalong of the band’s hits took place in downtown Toronto, attended by fans. The series received rave reviews from Rolling Stone Magazine, SPIN Magazine, NPR, BBC, and others. It also had additional screenings at film festivals and won the 25th Anniversary Audience Award for Top Overall Score at the Calgary International Film Festival.
40 YEARS OF THE TRAGICALLY HIP:
The Tragically Hip has been at the heart of the Canadian musical zeitgeist, evoking a strong, unrivalled emotional connection between their music and their fans. A five-piece group of friends including Rob Baker (guitar), Gord Downie (vocals, guitar), Johnny Fay (drums), Paul Langlois (guitar) and Gord Sinclair (bass), who grew up in Kingston, Ontario, The Tragically Hip have achieved both mass popularity with more than 12 million albums in Canada and over 2 million sold in the U.S, as well as peer recognition through 17 Juno Awards – picking up the distinguished Humanitarian Award in 2021 at the 50th annual JUNO Awards, which recognizes Canadian artists or industry leaders whose humanitarian contributions have positively enhanced the social fabric of Canada and beyond. In 2022, they were inducted into Canada’s Walk Of Fame for Humanitarianism in pursuit of social and environmental justice. They had previously received a star on the Walk Of Fame in 2002 for Arts & Entertainment. Most recently, the band, along with their manager, Jake Gold, received the War Child Canada Founder’s Award, celebrating over 20 years of support for the global humanitarian organization. The Tragically Hip's tireless activism and philanthropic pursuits have raised millions of dollars for multiple social and environmental causes, such as Camp Trillium, the Canadian Cancer Society, the Sunnybrook Foundation, WAR Child, the Special Olympics, and the Unison Benevolent Fund. Their studio catalogue includes their self-titled debut album The Tragically Hip (1987), Up To Here (1989), Road Apples (1991), Fully Completely (1992), Day For Night (1994), Trouble At The Henhouse (1996), Phantom Power (1998), Music @ Work (2000), In Violet Light (2002), In Between Evolution (2004), World Container (2006), We Are The Same (2009), Now For Plan A (2012), Man Machine Poem (2016) and Saskadelphia (2021). A National Celebration was the final show of The Tragically Hip’s Man Machine Poem Tour, recorded on August 20th, 2016, at the K-Rock Centre in their hometown of Kingston, Ontario, and is their last performance as a five-piece band. Through their career, the band became a cultural touchstone in Canada, who, despite their accolades and numerous recognitions, will always be proudest of the humanitarian work they have done over the years through numerous charitable organizations and causes. The legacy of the band's frontman, the late Gord Downie, continues with The Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund, which aims to build cultural understanding and create a path toward reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.
Established in 1984, 2024 marks 40 Years of The Tragically Hip – a milestone for the beloved band. The Tragically Hip broke open the archives, reminiscing with fans on four decades of music, friendship, and philanthropy. The band’s legacy is being honored with a yearlong celebration, which started with the designation of the Record Store Day Canada Ambassadors, the launch of a four-part Amazon Prime Documentary titled No Dress Rehearsal, which won The People’s Choice Award at TIFF, and the 25th Anniversary audience award for top overall score at CIFF. On October 1, in partnership with Genesis Publications, they released a deluxe, hand-crafted book titled This Is Our Life, the band’s story as told in their own words and features more than 300 pages of unseen rarities pulled from the band’s personal collections. The Up To Here boxset celebrates the early days of The Tragically Hip and is the latest installment of a series of reissues released over the last few years honoring the band’s extensive catalog – Road Apples 30th Anniversary Deluxe Boxset (2021), Fully Completely Vinyl Release (2022), Phantom Power 25th Anniversary Deluxe Boxset (2023).