New Found Glory - Interview

Thrasher Magazine, Nov, 2002 by Sally Vitello

MAN I'M SO OVER THIS REHASHED DINOSAUR ROCK BUSINESS. Here are these guys, primed for putting a down-payment on the mid-life convertible, but instead decide to "Hey! Let's get the band back together!" Dust off the amp, tune up the git fiddle and hit the road, riding wings from the past with less hope than there ever was. Hang it up brother. If all your hot-lick guitar solos are so impressive, then how come all these 15-year-olds can play them? The Ice Age hit and survival of the fittest let the young'uns pass on through. Can't fight evolution. New Found Glory! OMFG! OMFG! The band is Ian Grushka-bass, Steve Klein-git, Jordan Pundik-vocals, Cyrus Bolooki-drums, and Chad Gilbert-git. -SC

How do you guys feel about the teenie-bopper fans that like you only 'cause they saw you on TRL and think you're hot? Do you resent that kind of exposure?

CB: Ever since we first started it's been about reaching our music out to people, and it doesn't really matter who the people are. I'm not gonna say," "Don't tell somebody about my band."

CG: I'm sure a lot of our old fans don't want us to get super popular, then they walk around seeing 12-year-old girls wearing our shirts. But again, we can't chose who likes our band.

The title of your first EP It's All About the Girls sums up what all your lyrics are about: girls. On Sticks and Stones the song "Sonny" is about the death of Jordan's grandfather. Did you just get tired of writing about chicks?

SK: We have more things to write about now. It's been two years since that record came out. A lot has happened since then. It's not like New Found Glory's totally changed what we write about, but it's a little bit more spread out.

CG: We're growing up and so are our fans.

CB: We're not changing. We're writing about our lives.

Do you guys all write the lyrics or is there one particular person who does?

CG: I'll write a couple words, or a chorus or a pre-chorus. But a lot of the lyrics come from Steve.

You guys have cited Hatebreed as one of your influences. What made you pop-punk music?

CB: Green Day.

CG: As far as I know I'm the really big Hatebreed fan. I'm the really big hardcore fan. We have the energy of a hardcore band, but it's a little bit more melodic.

Did you guys have any experiences with asshole bands?

CG: Not to say the name of the band, but they're on this tour (Vans' Warped Tour). I went to go see them; I was in the sixth grade. When they were done playing I asked the guitarist if he had a pick and he had them all in his hand. He's like, "No man, my picks are made from diamond, from like, China." Dude, he didn't have a pick made from diamond from China! Diamond? A punk band playing at the Edge and he wouldn't give me a pick. And the show was over and no one was there. They're on this tour. Now they talk to us. And I'm like. "You scumbag, I know how you treat your fans."

CB: I think that on the other side we have also had experiences with bands, like before we were in a band, that I remember when someone comes up to me and asks for an autograph. I got my picture taken with MxPx and know how cool it was or me.

There are so many bands out now that sound the exact same. What is the most unique aspect of your music?

SK: It's our inspiration not to sound like those bands. We have our own style.

CG: We grew up going to shows, listening to all different kinds of music, and you can tell by the way we play. Our songs, you can't really pinpoint it but there's different aspects of music involved. That's what really makes us unique; it's not all one style of song.

SK: Our music has soul. One of the guys from the Morgan Heritage band, he said our music has soul.

Do any of you guys skate?

CG: I used to skate to get places, like to get to the mall.

CB: I'm really tall so I don't really have any coordination.

Is there anything else that you guys wanna say to close this thing?

SK: We're excited to be in Thrasher magazine. It's been out for a long time, and it's a pretty respected magazine.

CG: Yeah, this is pretty rad!