NEW FOUND GLORY **

New Found Glory (formerly A New Found Glory) is an American rock band from Coral Springs, Florida, formed in 1997. Founding members were lead vocalist Jordan Pundik, guitarists Chad Gilbert and Steve Klein, bassist Ian Grushka and drummer Joe Moreno. Current drummer Cyrus Bolooki replaced Moreno after only a handful of shows and the lineup has since remained unchanged. Their brand of music is drawn from influences such as punk revivalists Green Day and NOFX, to hardcore acts like Hatebreed and Madball.

The band is noted for their blend of pop melodies with the energy and fast tempos of classic punk rock.Subsequently, they are widely considered a key pioneer in the fusion genre of pop punk. Indeed, Allmusic have credited the band for "practically serving alongside the work of Blink-182 as the blueprint to the entire genre for the early 2000s." Also renowned for their energetic live performances, the fivesome have garnered a devout following over the course of their career.

After releasing the home-recorded EP, It's All About the Girls in 1997, the band were able to build a cult following after a rigorous touring schedule of the East Coast area and the release of debut album Nothing Gold Can Stay (1999). The album was distributed on independent label Eulogy Recordings and sold over 300,000 copies. The following year, debut single "Hit or Miss" charted on the US Modern Rock Chart and exposed the band to a wider audience. Their subsequent three studio albums; New Found Glory (2000), Sticks and Stones (2002), and Catalyst (2004) all charted on the Billboard 200 and achieved gold certifications by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

After a break from touring, the band worked with Thom Panunzio on their critically acclaimed fifth album, Coming Home (2006). The record drew influences from classic rock and marked a departure from the band's earlier work. After a spell without a contract, the band signed with independent label Bridge Nine Records and released a new EP titled, Tip of The Iceberg (2008) which paid homage to their melodic hardcore influences. Their sixth and most recent studio album, Not Without a Fight (2009), was recorded and produced by Mark Hoppus before they signed with current label Epitaph Records. In January 2011, the band announced that they will be returning to the studio in March to record their seventh album. They plan to release it later on in the year, with Neal Avron the producer.

History

Formation, Debut EP and Nothing Gold Can Stay: 1997–1999 

The origins of the band date back to the summer of 1997 when Jordan Pundik (vocals) had met Stephen Klein (guitars) at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and the pair began writing music together. Pundik later stated the band name was created whilst he and Klein were working in Red Lobster together; "We came up with A New Found Glory, we wrote it on a napkin. I think we pulled some of it from "A Newfound Interest in Massachusetts" by the Get Up Kids". They recruited friend Ian Grushka on bass, who they had previously played with in a band named "Inner City Kids". Practicing in his garage, they later invited Joe "Taco Joe" Moreno to play drums. Shortly thereafter, Chad Gilbert (lead guitar), former vocalist of Shai Hulud, joined to complete the quintet.

The band recorded their debut EP, It's All About the Girls (1997) in a friend's apartment, and the EP was distributed by local independent label Fiddler Records. However, the band were growing uneasy with the contribution of Moreno, and Gilbert later stated the drumming on the record was "so bad". Soon after, Moreno was replaced by current drummer Cyrus Bolooki after two rehearsal sessions. The band went on to tour up and down the East Coast and quickly sold out the entire pressing of the EP. The band's underground success soon caught the attention of Eulogy Recordings and the quintet subsequently signed shortly afterwards in order to increase distribution of their music. Following the success of their EP, the band recorded their debut full length album, Nothing Gold Can Stay (1999), initially selling one-page insert copies at their shows supporting NOFX. Richard Reines, co-founder of Drive-Thru Records had also noted their devout following and held talks with the band. Drive-Thru subsequently signed the five-piece and paid Eulogy $5,000 to licence Nothing Gold Can Stay, which went on to sell more than 300,000 copies. In 2009, Alternative Press included the album in their "10 Classic Albums of '99" feature. Brendan Manley wrote, "Like it's title emplies, Nothing Gold Can Stay is the sonic transcript of a glorious, fleeting time for NFG - and for pop-punk. But just as gold never loses its luster, it's only fitting that 10 years later, Nothing Gold Can Stay still shines".

From The Screen To Your Stereo EP, and New Found Glory: 2000–2001

Whilst still in their teens, the five-piece signed their first proper record deal with Drive-Thru Records, and released an EP of cover songs from film soundtracks entitled From the Screen to Your Stereo in 2000. Drive-Thru's relationship with MCA Records ensured that the smaller label's more popular bands would be picked up by the major. Later that year, debut single "Hit or Miss" peaked at #15 on the US Modern Rock Chart, which helped propel the band to a mainstream audience. Subsequently their self-titled second album New Found Glory (2000) reached number one on the Billboard Heatseekers chart, and spent 21 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart. In a Kerrang! magazine article years later, they referred to the album as the band's Essential Purchase. They wrote, "marking one of the biggest and quickest improvements in alternative music, the major label debut hurled them to the forefront of the punk scene barely 12 months after its predecessor. Packed with infectious melodies and sing-along anthems, it would see them jostling with the likes of Blink-182 for the genre's crown." The album also marked the official debut of the band's new moniker, which dropped the indefinite article "A" from their original name due to some fans struggling to find the band's records in stores. The album was certified gold by the RIAA.

Sticks and Stones and Catalyst: 2002–2005

Between 2002 and 2004, the band experienced the height of their popularity with headline slots on the Warped Tour with Blink-182 and a supporting tour with Green Day. Third album and major label debut, Sticks and Stones was released on June 11, 2002 and peaked at number four on the Billboard 200 chart. The record spawned two popular singles; "My Friends Over You" and "Head on Collision". Following the success of the album, the band headlined the 2002 Warped Tour and later saw the album certified gold by the RIAA. Lead single for their fourth album, "All Downhill from Here" reached #11 in the Rock Chart before Catalyst (2004) peaked at a career-high number three on the Billboard 200, selling 146,000 copies in its first week. The heavier style of the record, which included some metal and new wave influences, was due to the comparisons that magazines and other media outlets would make between New Found Glory and other popular bands. Chad Gilbert stated: "Well, when Sticks and Stones came out and we were doing that Honda Civic Tour, we were getting compared to bands like Good Charlotte and Simple Plan we were angry with that. At that point, we were getting compared to more pop bands and we aren't a pop band." Producer, Neal Avron also said of the record: "There's definitely more going on, and we were using keyboards more frequently. There's also some string arrangement and choir stuff. The intro to that record was basically a fuck you to bands who were copying." The band promoted the album with a supporting tour with Green Day during the fall of 2004 on the American Idiot Tour. The song, "This Disaster", was featured in EA Sport's Madden 2005, and "At Least I'm Known for Something" was featured in EA's Burnout 3: Takedown. This became the band's third record to be certified gold by the RIAA.

Coming Home & From The Screen To Your Stereo Part II: 2005-2007 

After the release and tour in support of Catalyst, the band took an extended break before beginning pre-production for another album in 2005. On June 14, 2006, Gilbert announced to MTV that their fifth album would be titled Coming Home and that it was scheduled to be released on September 19, 2006. He also stated that first single, "It's Not Your Fault" would be released sometime in July 2006. The band worked with Thom Panunzio (Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, Ozzy Osbourne) having moved into a house together in Malibu, California called the Morning View Mansion to write and record. Despite this, Gilbert took into the studio a book containing over 40 riff ideas that were written during the previous tour. Unlike their previous releases, Gilbert and Pundik also worked on lyrics alongside primary lyricist Steve Klein for the first time.

Drawing influences from classic rock, the album marked a considerable stylistic change as the pace of the songs were slower and were regarded as "the most mellow of New Found Glory’s career". Guitarist and lyricist Steve Klein, described the sound as "less guitar driven and more melody driven, more than any other of our records. Everything about the record is way more classic rock sounding". With a new direction in mind, Pundik recalls, "Usually with every record we think, 'We’ve got to put the fast punk song on it or people won't like it', but this wasn't anything like that."He did admit that around thirty songs were written, including some fast-paced songs, but were excluded as, "(they) didn't really fit." Speaking of the underlying theme of the album, Pundik explained, "Coming Home is really, I don't want to sound like a Christian rock band or something, but the new record is a little more uplifting and positive in a way. This record definitely has more of a theme. It's about taking responsibility in relationships and being away from people, and people you love and stuff."

Demo's were tracked with long term friend and studio engineer Paul Miner, before the band entered the studio with Panunzio. The band had decided against working with Neal Avron, who had produced the band's three previous albums, as they wanted to try something different.Pundik explained that, "We love Neal, and Neal's amazing and he's one of our really close friends. But after three records with him, after writing those records and a lot of other bands started to come out and get kind of popular, we kind of wanted to try something different."After hearing a demo of "On My Mind", Panunzio was keen to work on the project. "One of the songs that really got him to say. 'OK, I want to do this' was that song 'On My Mind.' That song really got him. Thom's done everything from like the Go-Go's to Bob Dylan, so he's very well rounded in music." The frontman also said of Panunzio that, "he brought this classic vibe to it, especially with the tones he got. We learned we don't have to double-up 15 Mesa cabinets and make it all distorted to make it sound big." While all the songs were written on guitar, Panunzio brought in Benmont Tench to add keyboard and piano melodies that are prominent throughout the album. Pundik said that the acoustic track, "Too Good to Be" was written in minutes whilst in the studio; "The funny thing is, that's the song you'd think we wrote sitting on a beach around a fire."

The release proved popular with many critics giving the album positive reviews. It was acclaimed for its "matured and nuanced songwriting", and was generally recognised as being the band's most mature work. It was also featured on the Alternative Press end of year "Essential Albums of 2006" list. Despite a lack of label support it entered the Billboard chart at nineteen. Due to no further singles being released, the band eventually left Geffen Records. They would later be critical of their former label after signing with Epitaph in 2008. Bassist Ian Grushka said, "My goal for this album (Not Without a Fight) is to sell more copies then we did of Coming Home. We are so happy to be on Epitaph now. Our old A&R guy at Geffen was a tool so it would be like a 'fuck you' to him when we sell more CDs".

From the Screen to Your Stereo Part II, the band's follow-up to From the Screen to Your Stereo, was released on September 18, 2007 via Drive-Thru Records. Unlike the earlier EP, Part II is a full-length album, containing 11 songs plus one bonus track for the Japanese edition and iTunes. The first and only single from the album was "Kiss Me" and the music video can be viewed on MySpace.

Hits and Tip of The Iceberg EP: 2008

On March 18, 2008, a compilation named Hits was released. Two previously unreleased songs, "Situations" and "Constant Static," are also featured on the album. This was their last release on Drive-Thru/Geffen before going on to sign with independent labels, Bridge Nine Records and Epitaph Records. In April 2008 a compilation from the Punk Goes... series, called Punk Goes Crunk, was released, and features New Found Glory covering "Tennessee", originally by Arrested Development. New Found Glory had previously released another cover song, "Heaven", on Punk Goes Metal.

On April 29, 2008, the band released a new EP with six tracks on Bridge 9 Records containing both new material that paid homage to their melodic hardcore influences. The EP, entitled Tip of the Iceberg, was released on CD, 7" and through digital music outlets. The CD also included an extra disc from The International Superheroes of Hardcore, named Takin' It Ova!. The ISHC is a side project of all members of the band and features Gilbert on vocals and Pundik on guitar, with the remaining members playing the same instruments they play in New Found Glory. All the members use pseudonyms for their "characters" in the band (e.g. Gilbert is known as "Captain Straightedge"). The band also recorded an internet-only music video for "Dig My Own Grave" with director Joseph Pattisall.

Not Without a Fight and Self Titled Anniversary Tour: 2009-2010 

Their sixth studio album, Not Without a Fight, was released on March 10, 2009, and was produced by Mark Hoppus. It was released through the band's new label, Epitaph Records. Hoppus has said that during recording, they had felt like a different band altogether. The lead single from the album was called "Listen to Your Friends". The music video for the song was filmed in Los Angeles. The single was released December 23, 2008 in the US & a day earlier in the UK, both via iTunes & AmazonMP3. Following the albums release, the quintet set out on the "Not Without a Fight Tour" with support from Set Your Goals, Bayside and Shai Hulud. During the tour, a split EP with Shai Hulud titled Not Without a Heart Once Nourished by Sticks and Stones Within Blood Ill-Tempered Misanthropy Pure Gold Can Stay was exclusively released. There were two colors limited to a total of only 500 copies and only for sale from either Shai Hulud or New Found Glory at these shows.

During the summer, the band made appearances for major festivals at the Rock AM Ring in Germany and Reading and Leeds Festivals in England. In June 2009, internet radio station PunkRadioCast teamed up with Jones Soda to create a punk pop 6 pack featuring labels designed by PunkRadioCast and five artists. As well as New Found Glory, Less Than Jake, Bad Brains, Thursday and The Gaslight Anthem also featured. Shortly afterwards, Cyrus Bolooki also confirmed they had finished shooting the video for second single "Don't Let Her Pull You Down", which was expected to be released in late summer/early autumn. The video premiered on October 15, and was released on October 20 via limited orange and sky blue vinyl prints.On October 17, Chad Gilbert announced the band would be playing a free show at their practise studio in South Florida. Around 120 fans packed into the studio where the band played a setlist made up of fan requests.

In late 2009 AbsolutePunk announced that Dashboard Confessional had been confirmed as the main support for New Found Glory's headline American tour. Chad Gilbert then hinted the band had been rehearsing Dashboard songs for a possible split EP, which he later confirmed on his Twitter account days later.Gilbert later posted regular studio updates including a video of him recording his guitar lines for the release. However, shortly before the tour was due to commence, Dashboard withdrew due to personal reasons and the tour was subsequently cancelled. Soon after Chris Carrabba confirmed that as an alternative, a new tour had been arranged which would see both bands perform a series of unplugged shows. The split, titled Swiss Army Bro-Mance had initially been due for sale on the previously cancelled tour, but was later made available online on a limited pressing of 2,500 copies.

During this time band announced they were planning a commemorative tour in early 2010 to celebrate the tenth anniversary of their self-titled album. A special edition re-release of the album was planned which would feature seven bonus tracks and a DVD. Soon after in December 2009, AbsolutePunk officially announced the special anniversary edition of the album would be released on January 26, 2010 through Geffen Records. The additional material included new liner notes, demos, b-sides, The Story So Far DVD and a remix of debut single "Hit or Miss" by the late Jerry Finn. A full tour was also confirmed where the band would play the record in its entirety, with support from Saves the Day, Hellogoodbye and Fireworks. On the 29th and 30th May New Found Glory headlined the Pop-Punk festival SlamDunk Festival held in Hatfield and Leeds.

In 2010, guitarist Chad Gilbert announced he will be releasing solo material online at some stage for free of charge. Shortly before the start of the bands commemorative tour, Gilbert visited his doctor for pneumonia. After suspicious cells were discovered in his thyroid, he underwent surgery which caused him to miss the first three dates of the new tour. Anthony Raneri of Bayside replaced him for this period. He later posted on his twitter that the surgery was a success. Later that year, the band headlined the Slam Dunk Festival along with Alkaline Trio and Capdown. In early June, it was announced the band were shooting the video for "Truck Stop Blues", the third single from Not Without a Fight.

In summer of 2010, New Found Glory opened for Paramore, which had Chad Gilbert's girlfriend, Hayley Williams, alongside Tegan and Sara and Kadawatha on the Honda Civic Tour.

New Album and Recent Events: 2011 - Present

New found glory are set to Tour Australia again as part of the 2011 Soundwave Festival with acts like Iron Maiden, Queens of The Stone Age, Slayer, Primus, 30 Seconds To Mars, Bullet For My Valentine, Millencolin, Sum 41, MxPx and more. The tour starts on the 26th of February in Brisbane and concludes 7th of March in Perth.

In January 2011, New Found Glory announced that they will be returning to the studio in March 2011 to record their seventh album. They plan to release it later on in the year. The album will be released on Epitaph records, and produced by Neal Avron.

Musical style and influences

New Found Glory are widely recognised for their fast and energetic pop punk style, although over the course of their career, their music has also ventured into a more rounded rock sound, as well as alternative rock, punk revival, and melodic hardcore. Their traditional sound builds upon verse-chorus song structures, that combines pop melodies and chord progressions with fast punk rock tempos, hardcore-influenced breakdowns, and sometimes gang vocals.

NME magazine have noted that on their self-titled second album, the band add "just the right amount of pop tinge to their relentlessly hard-charging tunes," while Allmusic have described their earlier sound as encompassing "choppy uptempo rhythms, spiky buzzing guitars, and youthful harmonies." College Music Journal have likened their earlier material to bands such as Green Day, Blink-182 and Lifetime, stating they are "abrasive, yet extremely catchy." The band's sound was seen to have progressed somewhat by fourth album Catalyst (2004), which was regarded as a "heavier" record, that built upon the bands hardcore influences and also implemented the use of choir vocals, synthesizers and keyboards. Kerrang! magazine described the album as "combining their renowned knack for massive choruses with some of their hardest hitting riffs". Their following album however, moved drastically in the opposite direction and was regarded as a "massive departure". Featuring the most "mellow" songs of their career, Coming Home (2006) infused piano and string parts to resemble a more matured, classic rock-influenced sound. The Palm Beach Post opined that, "Coming Home is similar, in spirit, to the 1990s crooning of Chicago's brilliant Smoking Popes. Jordan Pundik's vocal delivery curls into sweetness, rather than a snarl. Wrapped around journal-entry cute lines on the boppy, '80s-ish "Hold My Hand" and the earnestly protective pleadings of "It's Not Your Fault." Alan Sculley of The Daily Herald explained that, "Coming Home, pretty much leaves any punk element behind. The songs still rock - just note the wallop delivered by "Hold My Hand" or "Connected." But the band pulls back on the tempos of virtually all of the songs." AbsolutePunk founder Jason Tate also warned that, "it's crucial you abandon any pre-conceived expectations for this album. If you're anticipating the band's previous albums re-hashed, you're going to be completely let-down. While the choruses and sing-a-long hooks could compete with the best on any of their previous albums - it's the slower melodic approach to the songs that truly makes the album come alive and fully breathe." The band moved somewhat back towards their roots with the release of Tip of the Iceberg (2008). The EP, which contains three original songs and three covers, pays homage to the band's melodic hardcore influences. Most recent studio album, Not Without a Fight (2009) was seen as a "return to form", with the band revisiting a more stripped down and energetic sound similar to their earlier work. Bill Lamb of About.com wrote that the album contains, "choppy guitars and emotional choruses", and predicted that, "fans of their older work will be pleased", while Brendan Manley of Alternative Press said that, "opening track, “Right Where We Left Off,” builds upon a chunky guitar riff that recalls classic NFG, yet surprises with smart, subtle rhythmic twists. NFG’s true maturity though, shines in the album’s skillful composition that offers up instant classics like “Heartless At Best”." Kelly Knickerbocker of the Dallas Observer also noted, "Heartbreak bodes well for creative processes, it seems. Not Without A Fight is full of performances by pissed-off dudes who are taking it back to their roots: raw punk-pop."

Critics have praised the band for their ability to write infectious hooks and the sincerity of their lyrics, often about growing up and relationships. Joe DeAndrea of AbsolutePunk has described the band's lyricism as "blatant and to the point", yet "relatable". Michael Dabaie of College Music Journal opined that, "These guys exude sincerity, and lyrics like "The needle on my record player has been wearing thin/This record has been playing since the day you've been with him" will ring true with everyone who ever wore out their Descendents records during a bad breakup." Chad Gilbert has noted that, "if the delivery is honest and real, that's what keeps it from being the corniest thing you've ever heard before. New Found Glory is a band that people enjoy listening to not because we give off this harsh message. We write about who we are and what effects us in life and those are our relationships". Bassist Ian Grushka has stated that "all of the lyrics are based on real life experiences. A song can be created from something one of us is going through or a conversation we've had." While also adding, "We only really talk about personal things that have affected us first-hand, our songs are about emotions rather than some political agenda." Rhythm guitarist Steve Klein is the band's primary lyricist, while lead guitarist Chad Gilbert is the main composer of the songs. Although for the recording of Coming Home, Klein, Pundik and Gilbert all worked on lyrics together for the first time.They have cited hardcore bands Hatebreed and Madball, as well as fellow pop punk bands Green Day and Blink-182 as major influences on their career.

Impact

In recent years the band have been cited for their long lasting influence on contemporary pop punk music. Adam Webb of Ultimate-Guitar wrote of the band during a review of Not Without a Fight (2009); "In an age filled with formulaic, wannabe emo bands focused more on the haircut of the week rather than creating tunes that rock the copper wires off your speakers, the Floridian quintet, now 12 years into their existence, have created a rockin' pop punk album that shows just why they stand so tall above the crowd of uneventful scenesters that is the tragedy of the music scene today." He also opined that the bands music can appeal to fans of "pop, hardcore and punk" in equal measure. Brendan Manley, journalist for Alternative Press covered the bands history in a 2010 article. He stated, "In the 13 years since the South Florida-bred band took their place as the kings of easycore, New Found Glory have time and time again brought their signature fusion of melody and mosh to the masses. As impressive as the band's contribution is to the modern pop-punk cannon, their longevity and perpetual relevance is nearly as astonishing".

British rock magazine Kerrang! have also noted, "basing much of their lyrical content on heartbreak, the band have gained somewhat of a cult following due to their ability to connect with their fans on unusually personal levels, while their penchant for incorporating pop sensibility into a sound that (largely) stays true to punk's roots has earned them respect from much of the hardcore community." In a diffent Kerrang! article in 2010 covering the re-issue of their self-titled album, George Garner wrote "without them, pop-punk would be missing some of its most anthemic moments, and All Time Low wouldn't have their name." PopMatters also wrote an article on the album and it's anniversary tour. Melissa Bobbitt stated, "What a blessing it is to still have NFG around, on this, the 10th anniversary of their self-titled record. This tour served as a collection of whimsical snapshots in their prolific career. It may not be apparent to anyone outside of Alternative Press readers, but New Found Glory’s influence is vastly felt today. A testament to that was supporting act Fireworks. Their whiplash sound and choreographed jumping all came from the pages of the NFG guidebook to punk-pop."

Ian Chaddock of Big Cheese magazine has also praised the bands longevity; "What makes NFG better than all the pop punk bands coming through these days? The songs, that's what. And the Florida quintet have accrued plenty of infectious anthems in their 12-year history." Jason Tate, the CEO of AbsolutePunk, wrote of the band, "Back when New Found Glory's Self-Titled album was released there weren't many that gave it a chance to be one of the building-blocks for an entire genre. However, in hindsight, it appears as though that disc may have had more of an impact than anyone ever could have guessed." Rock Sound magazine have also opined that even some of the stronger pop-punk releases in recent years have "only been bettered by their US peers New Found Glory's 2000 self-titled effort." Mark Hoppus, who later produced the bands sixth studio album, said of New Found Glory: "It was one of those records that never found its way out of my CD player. New Found Glory just had something different and unique. I was really drawn to their melodies, and their guitar parts were more interesting and more creative than a lot of the stuff that was going on." It was also explained that when Jared Logan was producing Fall Out Boy's debut album, he asked bassist Pete Wentz about the sound the band had desired for recording. Wentz responded by "handing over the first two New Found Glory records".