Uphold was formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in late 2024, after guitarist JR Minter had been looking to start a new project for a while when he crossed paths with bassist Tony. "Tony ran out of his barbershop as I was walking and literally yelled that he was trying to start a hardcore band and asked if I was down," Minter tells No Echo. "That was an immediate yes from me, a total no-brainer."
Tony, also of Damage Done, had already brought in vocalist James from Damage Done and Battle!. Guitarist Jackson, who used to front New York's Artisan, joined soon after. Finding a drummer took longer.
In February 2025, drummer Kyle Smith died unexpectedly, forcing the band to consider whether to keep going. "That really hit the group hard," Minter says. "With Kyle, I think we all felt we had found the missing piece of the group. He was a guy who was impossible not to love, and he just destroyed his drums. After his passing, we had to decide if continuing made sense, and ultimately we decided moving forward was what he would have wanted."
Eventually, the band connected with Julian, who brought it all home. "He had a close, almost little-brother relationship with Kyle, and being a part of this means a lot to him because it gives him the chance to almost carry a piece of Kyle with him."
Uphold plays direct, no-frills hardcore with a clear nod to the 2000s. The members' roots in Virginia, New York, and Massachusetts shape their sound as much as their home in Jacksonville. They draw influence from bands like American Nightmare, Blacklisted, Comeback Kid, Terror, Mindforce, and Sick of It All.
For their latest release, The Real World, which follows their 2025 demo, Uphold recorded again with John Howard (Magnitude, Contention). "Our sound hasn't changed from our demo in 2025, but it definitely is us starting to lock in and come together as a band," Minter says about their stylistic approach.
Uphold plans to stay active through the rest of 2026 and into 2027. They recently played a short run in Georgia, with an excellent surprise standing out as a highlight. "Brunswick was awesome," the guitarist says. "More bands need to go through there. Really cool kids coming out to those shows."
Back in Jacksonville, Uphold will play with The SET before marking the 7" release of The Real World on September 11. Tampa follows the next day, then Gainesville with Contention on September 25. More shows are planned for the fall and winter.
Minter is quick to highlight what's happening in Northeast Florida. He names NME, Wisdom of the Gods, Vanish Twin, Glazed, Green 80, St. Clovis, Step 2 This, Arson, Leaving Time, Orca, Think About It, Rhythm of Fear, Another Reason, Magic Cross, and Peptide as bands to check out. "This list goes on, and there is just a lot of good music coming out of this city," he says.
Even with plans for more touring and recording, Minter returns to the idea that started the band. "The whole goal of this band is to add value to our local scene and any other places we have the privilege of visiting."
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Uphold on social media: Instagram
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