New Found Glory
New Found Glory (formerly A New Found Glory)[1] is an American rock band from Coral Springs, Florida, formed in 1997. The band currently consists of Jordan Pundik (lead vocals), Ian Grushka (bass guitar), Chad Gilbert (lead guitar, backing vocals), and Cyrus Bolooki (drums).[2][3] Longtime rhythm guitarist and lyricist Steve Klein left the band in late 2013.[4][5][6] During their lengthy recording career, the band have released ten studio albums, one live album, two EPs, and four cover albums.
New Found Glory
- NFG
- A New Found Glory
- International Superheroes of Hardcore
Coral Springs, Florida, U.S.
1997–present
- Jordan Pundik
- Ian Grushka
- Chad Gilbert
- Cyrus Bolooki
- Steve Klein
- Joe Marino
After forming in 1997, New Found Glory released their debut studio album Nothing Gold Can Stay in 1999. The band then released their self-titled major label debut in 2000, with the album's song "Hit or Miss" peaking at number 15 the Alternative Songs chart. In 2002, the band became mainstream with their album Sticks and Stones and the album's hit "My Friends Over You". The group's popularity continued with their 2004 album Catalyst, of which the video for "All Downhill From Here" was nominated for a VMA for Breakthrough Video of the Year. Led by single "It's Not Your Fault", the mid-tempo and critically acclaimed Coming Home followed in 2006. The release showcased a temporary move to an alternative rock style instead of their usual pop punk sound.[7] The quintet returned to their energetic roots with the release of Not Without a Fight in 2009. They have since released four more albums; Radiosurgery in 2011, Resurrection in 2014, Makes Me Sick in 2017, and their tenth studio album Forever + Ever x Infinity in 2020.[8]
Emerging as part of the second wave of pop punk in the late 1990s,[9][10] music critics consider them a key pioneer of the genre.[11][12][13][14][15] Often labelled the "godfathers of pop punk",[16][17][18] AllMusic notes how their "raucous, fast-paced anthems carried them through the decades",[19] whilst crediting them for "practically serving alongside the work of Blink-182 as the blueprint to the entire genre for the early 2000s."[20] Rock Sound have championed their "classic sugar sweet sound", which combines "pop-punk and hardcore in one neat package."[21] Alternative Press have praised the group for their "innovative and entirely irresistible fusion of punk melodies and hardcore breakdowns."[22] As such, the band is considered highly influential in the development of the subgenre easycore.[7][23]
History[edit]
Formation and debut releases (1997–1999)[edit]
The origins of New Found Glory date back to 1997 when Jordan Pundik (vocals) and Ian Grushka (bass) played together in the bands Inner City Kids and Flip 60. After disbanding Flip 60, they recruited Stephen Klein (guitar), who Pundik met at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and had previously played with him in the band Fallview. The three began to jam together. Practicing in Grushka's garage, they later invited Joe "Taco Joe" Marino to play drums. Shortly thereafter, Chad Gilbert (lead guitar), former vocalist of Shai Hulud, joined to complete the quintet.
Pundik later stated the band name was created while he and Klein were working at 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".[25]
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. Soon after, Marino was replaced by current drummer Cyrus Bolooki after two rehearsal sessions.[25] The band went on to tour up and down the East Coast and quickly sold out the entire pressing of the EP.[24] 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.[25]
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 MxPx.[26] 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 license Nothing Gold Can Stay, which went on to sell more than 300,000 copies.[26]
Rise in popularity and stardom (2000–2005)[edit]
The five-piece signed their first proper record deal with Drive-Thru Records,[27] 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 No. 15 on the US Modern Rock Chart,[28] which helped propel the band to a mainstream audience. Subsequently, their self-titled second album and major label debut New Found Glory (2000) reached number one on the Billboard Heatseekers chart,[29] and spent 21 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart.[30] 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."[1] 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.[1] The album was certified gold by the RIAA.[31] In 2001 the band performed at EdgeFest Calgary.[32]
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 Sticks and Stones was released on June 11, 2002, and peaked at number four on the Billboard 200 chart.[30] The record spawned two popular singles; "My Friends Over You" and "Head on Collision".[28] Following the success of the album, the band headlined the 2002 Warped Tour and later saw the album certified gold by the RIAA.[31]
The lead single for their fourth album, "All Downhill from Here" reached number eleven in the Rock Chart before Catalyst (2004) was released. The album peaked at a career-high number three on the Billboard 200,[30] selling 146,000 copies in its first week.[33] The heavier style of the record, which included some metal and new wave influences,[34][35][36] 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."[37] 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 Sports' Madden NFL 2005,[38] 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.[31]
Side projects and collaborations[edit]
The International Superheroes of Hardcore 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's songs are humorous in nature with titles such as "Back to the Future" and "Superhero Sellouts". The band also recorded an internet-only music video for "Dig My Own Grave" with director Joseph Pattisall.[83] While not currently active, the band went to Australia in February 2011 for the Soundwave Festival, replacing Sum 41 after frontman Deryck Whibley fell ill with pneumonia for the Melbourne and Adelaide shows. The band did not play the Perth show of the festival, due to Captain Straight Edge himself falling sick too. In an interview in 2012, Ian Grushka and Steve Klein announced that the band had been scrapped.
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.
During "Not Without a Fight" 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.[51]
Dashboard Confessional were to be main support for New Found Glory's headline American tour in 2010.[84] However, shortly before the tour was due to commence, Dashboard withdrew due to personal reasons and the tour was subsequently canceled.[85] A split EP, titled Swiss Army Bro-Mance had initially been due for sale on the previously cancelled tour,[86] but was later made available online on a limited pressing of 2,500 copies.[87] The two bands played several acoustic dates in December 2010.[88]
On December 10, 2011, New Found Glory performed a live set for "Guitar Center Sessions" on DirecTV. The episode included an interview with program host, Nic Harcourt.[89]
Style, influences and legacy[edit]
New Found Glory are widely recognized for their fast and energetic pop-punk music.[24][90][91][92] The band temporarily moved to an alternative rock style with their album Coming Home in 2006,[93] and is sometimes described as such in general.[94][95][96][97] The aforementioned Coming Home was viewed as a change in direction for the band with its more layered and mid-tempo sound and has been described as a "somber, honest, polished and alternative record."[98] They have also been described as melodic hardcore.[46][47][99] The band's traditional sound has been described as "chunky and melodic",[100] with Rolling Stone noting their penchant for "catchy, riffy punk-rock."[101] Consequence of Sound writer Megan Ritt called the band "paragons" of the pop punk genre and noted how "the seasoned Floridian rockers are renowned for their heartfelt guitar anthems."[102] The band's music typically builds upon verse-chorus song structures, combining pop-influenced melodies with fast punk rock tempos, hardcore-tinged breakdowns, and often gang vocals.[14] Their fusion of pop punk with hardcore breakdowns has been labeled as easycore, a genre they are considered to have helped pioneer and named with one of their tours.[103]
Critics have praised the band for their ability to write infectious hooks and the sincerity of their lyrics, often about growing up and relationships.[1][104][105] 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 affects us in life and those are our relationships".[39] 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."[3] 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."[106] Rhythm guitarist Steve Klein was the band's primary lyricist, while lead guitarist Chad Gilbert is the main composer of the songs. Although since the recording of Coming Home, Klein, Pundik and Gilbert all worked on lyrics together.[39] They have recorded covers of The Ramones, Shelter, Lifetime, Gorilla Biscuits, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, The Wonders, Limahl, Aerosmith, Cyndi Lauper, Peter Cetera, Bryan Adams, Celine Dion, Sixpence None The Richer, Bob Dylan, When In Rome, Go West, Lisa Loeb, The Cardigans, Goo Goo Dolls, Simple Minds, Yann Tiersen, Madonna, Tears For Fears and Survivor. New Found Glory's influences include Green Day, Texas Is the Reason, Björk, Silverchair, They Might Be Giants, The Get Up Kids, Earth Crisis, Discount, The Promise Ring, Blink-182, Unwritten Law, Britney Spears, The Beatles, Pennywise, NOFX, Bad Religion, Superchunk, Dinosaur Jr., Nirvana, Sparklehorse, Rocket from the Crypt, Descendents, My Bloody Valentine, and Sugar.[107][108][109][110][111]
In recent years, the band have been cited for their long lasting influence on contemporary pop-punk music.[11][14] Josh Martin, bassist for band The Wonder Years, has claimed that "Influentially, when you think about the top three pop-punk bands of all time...it's Blink-182, New Found Glory and Green Day. At least in my brain, they're on that level eternally."[16] In 2009, Alternative Press included Nothing Gold Can Stay in their "Classic Albums of '99" feature. Brendan Manley wrote, "Like its title implies, 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".[112] Likewise, Jason Heller of The A.V. Club reflected how their debut "snuck beneath the radar to become a massive influence on the new millennium's eruption of pop-punk."[100]