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New Found Glory
New Found Glory perform at Princeton University in 2008. L-R: Ian Grushka, Cyrus Bolooki, Jordan Pundik and Chad Gilbert
Background information
Also known as	NFG1
Origin	Coral Springs, Florida, United States
Genres	Alternative rock, pop punk, punk revival, easycore, emo, melodic hardcore
Years active	1997–present
Labels	Epitaph, Bridge Nine, Geffen, Drive-Thru, Eulogy, Fiddler
Associated acts	ISHC, Shai Hulud, Hazen Street, Green Day, Blink 182, Set Your Goals, Paramore
Website	http://www.newfoundglory.com
Members
Jordan Pundik Chad Gilbert Steve Klein Ian Grushka Cyrus Bolooki
Former members
Joe Moreno

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, lead guitarist and composer Chad Gilbert, rhythm guitarist and lyricist 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 remained unchanged ever since.² Influenced by punk revival bands from the 1990s such as Green Day and NOFX,³ the five-piece are renowned for incorporating pop melodies into a punk rock sound.⁴ Subsequently, they are now widely credited as a key pioneer in the fusion genre of pop punk.⁵⁶⁷⁸⁹ Also noted for their energetic live performances,¹⁰¹¹¹² the band have garnered a devout following over the course of their career. As of 2007, New Found Glory has sold approximately 2.5 million records.¹³

Having met during high school, the band soon released the debut EP It's All About the Girls (1997) on independent label Fiddler Records. Later, debut album, Nothing Gold Can Stay (1999) was released on Eulogy Recordings and helped earn the band a significant following. Whilst still in their teens, the five-piece signed their first proper record deal with Drive-Thru Records,¹⁴ and released an EP featuring covers of songs from film soundtrack's titled, From the Screen to Your Stereo (2000). Later that year, debut single "Hit or Miss" peaked at #15 on the US Modern Rock Chart,¹⁵ which helped propel the band to a mainstream audience. Subsequently their self-titled second album New Found Glory (2000) reached #1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart,¹⁶ and spent 21 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart, peaking at #107.¹⁷

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 mainstream breakthrough, Sticks and Stones (2002), peaked at #4 on the Billboard 200 chart¹⁷ helped by popular singles "My Friends Over You" and "Head on Collision" (charting at #5 and #28 on the Rock Chart respectively).¹⁵ "All Downhill from Here" reached #11 in the Rock Chart before fourth album, Catalyst (2004) peaked at a career-high #3 on the Billboard 200.¹⁷ Their next album, Coming Home (2006), marked a stylistic change that differed largely from earlier material.¹⁸ Despite a lack of label support it entered the Billboard chart at #19,¹⁷ and was warmly received by critics for its maturity.¹⁹

The following year the band issued their second cover album titled From the Screen to Your Stereo Part II (2007). After a spell without a contract, they signed with Bridge Nine Records and released a new EP titled, Tip of The Iceberg (2008). Sixth album, Not Without a Fight (2009), produced by Mark Hoppus, was recorded before they signed with independent label Epitaph Records. The album helped renew their popularity as it debuted at #12 on the Billboard 200 and at #1 on the Top Independent Albums.¹⁷

History

Formation, It's All About The Girls EP & Nothing Gold Can Stay (1997–1999)

	"The Blue Stare" Sample of "The Blue Stare" from Nothing Gold Can Stay. The album's release and a rigorous touring schedule soon earned the band a significant following. "Hit or Miss" Sample of "Hit or Miss" from New Found Glory. Originally on their debut album, the newly recorded version was released as a single and helped propel the band into the mainstream.
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The band formed under the name "A New Found Glory" during 1997 in Coral Springs, Florida. Jordan Pundik (vocals) had met Steve Klein (guitars) in high school and 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".²⁰ 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. Soon after Chad Gilbert (lead guitar), former vocalist of Shai Hulud joined to complete the quintet.²⁰

The band recorded their debut EP, It's All About the Girls (1997) in a friends apartment which was distribted 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".²⁰ Soon after Moreno was replaced by current drummer Cyrus Bolooki after two rehersal sessions.²⁰ The band went on to tour up and down the East Coast and quickly sold out the entire pressing of the EP.²¹ The bands underground success soon caught the attention of Eulogy Recordings and the quintet subsequently signed shortly afterwards in order to increase distribution of their music.²⁰ 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.²² 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.²² 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".²³

From The Screen To Your Stereo, New Found Glory & Sticks and Stones (2000–2003)

Vocalist Jordan Pundik

After signing to Drive-Thru Records, the quintet 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; subsequently, their eponymous second album, New Found Glory, was released by MCA the same year. In a Kerrang! 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."⁴ 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.⁴ Their third studio album, Sticks and Stones, was released in 2002, coinciding with an appearance on the Vans Warped Tour. Both albums went on to be certified gold by the RIAA.²⁴

Catalyst (2003–2005)

Catalyst, the bands fourth album, saw them experiment with a heavier sound¹⁸

After a stint on the Honda Civic Tour with Good Charlotte and Simple Plan, the band released Catalyst in May 2004.²⁵ It debuted at number three on the Billboard album chart, selling 146,000 copies in its first week.²⁶ The band toured with Green Day in the fall of 2004 on the American Idiot Tour. The heavier style of the record, which included some metal and new wave influences,²⁷ 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..."²⁸

Their song, "This Disaster", was featured in EA Sport's Madden 2005. "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.²⁴

Coming Home & From The Screen To Your Stereo Part II (2005–2007)

Coming Home saw the band collaborating with Thom Panunzio. It featured multi-layered harmonies and keys to produce a slower and more mellow sound.¹⁸

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.com 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 2006.²⁹ They had worked with producer Thom Panunzio (Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, Ozzy Osbourne), which marked a considerable stylistic change. The pace of the songs were considerably slower and were regarded as "the most mellow of New Found Glory’s career".³⁰ 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".³¹ The release proved popular with many critics giving the album positive reviews. It was acclaimed for its "matured and nuanced songwriting",¹⁹ and was generally recognised as being the band's most mature work.³² It was also featured on the Alternative Press end of year "Essential Albums of 2006" list.³³ However, no further singles were released and 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".²

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.³⁴ 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.³⁵

Hits, Tip of The Iceberg EP & Not Without a Fight (2008–present)

	"Right Where We Left Off" Sample of "Right Where We Left Off" from Not Without a Fight. The album saw the band return to their faster and more energetic roots.
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Tip of the Iceberg paid homage to the band's melodic hardcore influences³⁶

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 an new EP with six tracks on Bridge 9 Records containing both new material and covers of classic melodic hardcore songs. 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.³⁷

Their sixth studio album, Not Without a Fight,³⁸ 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. "These guys wanted to come out swinging. So we went in and tracked what I think is the hardest-hitting NFG record to date. We worked really hard to get great, gritty guitars, big drums, edgy bass, and Jordan is singing stronger than he ever has. In the band four of the five members hold fast in their opinions, and when it comes to voicing their views about what they do or don't like, there are no holds barred. Throw in me with my thoughts and Chris Holmes with his, and it made for more than a few heated moments in the control room. But it totally worked. In those short moments of disagreement and raised voices, the songs really came together, and I think it shows through in the music. It's a great album and I can't wait for people to hear this".³⁹ 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.⁴⁰ 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.⁴⁰

Lead guitarist Chad Gilbert

During the summer, the band made appearances for major festivals at the Rock AM Ring in Germany and Reading and Leeds Festivals in England.⁴¹ 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.⁴² 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.⁴³ The video premiered on October 15,⁴⁴ and was released on October 20 via limited orange and sky blue vinyl prints.⁴⁵ On October 17, Chad Gilbert announced the band would be playing a free show at their practise studio in South Florida.⁴⁶ Around 120 fans packed into the studio where the band played a setlist made up of fan requests.⁴⁷⁴⁸

In late 2009 AbsolutePunk announced that Dashboard Confessional had been confirmed as the main support for New Found Glory's headline American tour.⁴⁹ Chad Gilbert then hinted the band had been rehearsing Dashboard songs for a possible split EP,⁵⁰ which he later confirmed on his Twitter account days later.⁵¹ Gilbert later posted regular studio updates including a video of him recording his guitar lines for the release.⁵² However, shortly before the tour was due to commence, Dashboard withdrew due to personal reasons and the tour was subsequently cancelled.⁵³ 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.⁵⁴ The split, titled Swiss Army Bromance had initially been due for sale on the previously cancelled tour,⁵⁵ but was later made available online on a limited pressing of 2,500 copies.⁵⁶

During this time band announced they were planning a commemorative tour in early 2010 to celebrate the tenth anniversary of second album, New Found Glory.⁵⁷⁵⁸ A special edition re-release of the album was planned which would feature seven bonus tracks and a DVD.⁵⁹ 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.⁶⁰ 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.⁶⁰ 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.⁶⁰

In 2010, guitarist Chad Gilbert announced he will be releasing solo material online at some stage for free of charge.⁶¹ 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.⁶²

Musical style and influences

New Found Glory are renowned for their fast and energetic "pop punk" music.⁶³⁶⁴⁶⁵ They typically use a traditional verse-chorus song structure and are known to combine pop melodies and chord progressions with fast punk rock tempos, hardcore-influenced breakdowns and sometimes gang vocals.

They have also been described as "punk revival",²¹⁶⁶ "alternative rock",⁶⁷⁶⁸⁶⁹ as well as "emo",⁷⁰⁷¹⁷² due to their expressive and often confessional lyrics. Third EP, Tip of The Iceberg (2008), was seen as their most obvious display of their "melodic hardcore" influences,³⁶ while fourth album, Catalyst (2004), was regarded as being a "heavier" record.¹⁸ The sound was described as "combining their renowned knack for massive choruses with some of their hardest hitting riffs".⁴ Following album, Coming Home (2006), came in contrast as it drew heavy influence from "classic rock", featuring slower melodies and chord progressions.³¹ Compared to their earlier recordings, it was viewed as a "much softer album laden with piano riffs and acoustic guitars".¹⁸

In 2010, Brendan Manley of Alternative Press, wrote of the band; "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".⁵ While British rock magazine Kerrang! summarised, "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."⁴

Rhythm guitarist Steve Klein is the band's lyricist, while lead guitarist Chad Gilbert is the main composer of the songs. 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.."² They have cited hardcore bands Hatebreed and Madball, as well as fellow pop punk band Green Day as major influences on their career.⁷³

Members

L-R: Ian Grushka, Cyrus Bolooki, Jordan Pundik, Chad Gilbert and Steve Klein

• Jordan Pundik – lead vocals (1997 – present)
• Chad Gilbert – lead guitar, backing vocals, composer (1997 – present)
• Steve Klein – rhythm guitar, lyricist (1997 – present)
• Ian Grushka – bass guitar (1997 – present)
• Cyrus Bolooki – drums, percussion (1997 – present)

Former members

• Joe Moreno – drums, percussion (1997)

Touring members

• Michael Bethancourt – keyboards, synths (2007 – present)
• Anthony Raneri - guitar (2010)
• James Dewees – keyboards, synths (2003 – 2005)

Discography

References

External links

• New Found Glory at MySpace
• New Found Glory at PureVolume