The lives of New Found Glory run parallel to the lives of most of their fans over the past few years -- they've experienced heartbreak, left school for the real world, finally moved out of their homes and found careers. And though the group has spawned outstanding international notoriety over the past couple years, New Found Glory are just as easy to connect with as a best friend, with hardly any fan/band separation to be found.
And even for those who haven't lived along the same lines, relating to New Found Glory's music and message is a cakewalk. Heartache? Loss of a loved one? Enjoying your life? Mixed emotions? Just a few of the topics New Found Glory have touched upon, if not delved into, during their illustrious career.
Launching in 1997 as a conglomerate of various acts in the Florida region (including Shai Hulud, a rather accomplished hardcore group), New Found Glory's winning mix drew from several hats -- straightforward rock hits, pop-punk energy and hardcore song structure -- to create a unique melding of musical ideas.
After releasing an EP on a local Florida label, Drive-Thru Records caught wind of the group, releasing a full-length (Nothing Gold Can Stay) in 1998 and an EP (From The Screen To Your Stereo). In 2000, MCA and Drive-Thru teamed up to release the band's highly successful self-titled album that spawned such hits as "Hit Or Miss," which flew straight into heavy rotation charts of the nation's largest rock radio stations and resulted in nearly-gold sales.
With all the aforementioned points, would one really expect another record that mimics their self-titled full-length, boasting much of the same content? It's not likely.
Enter Sticks And Stones, to be released June 11 on MCA/Drive-Thru. The only resemblance Sticks And Stones bears to the self-titled album are the skillful, melodic songwriting, trademark hook-laden melodies and choruses, all released on the same label, created by the same musicians and coordinated by the same producer, Neal Avron (Everclear and the Wallflowers).
So, what's changed? The lyrical content, for one, has matured.
"On the last record, all the songs were about girls. That's what I think we write the best," says Steve Klein, guitarist. "On this record, we try to kind of steer away from that a little bit, [yet] still keep the same feeling and melodic lyrical content. We actually have a song about Jordan's grandfather that passed away, and there are songs about leaving your hometown, moving to a new state and growing up."
Still Sticks And Stones has plenty of heartbreak material to whet many a fan's appetite. In fact, the album's first single, "My Friends Over You," is a straight-up relationship track.
Steve explains, "is about experiencing a bad and hurtful relationship in the past and not being able to get over it. Though you meet a really nice person and things are great, you can't take it to the next level, since you keep remembering how much your last relationship took out of you. It's about taking the easy way out and choosing your friends, since that's a sure bet you won't get hurt.”
Sticks And Stones is also a more diverse record sonically. Though the signature pop-punk stylings of their self-titled record are fully in tow, the band has reached out even further, generating fresh ideas and expanding their musical bandwidth outwards. There are more hardcore-inspired breakdowns (the NFG boys even called in their hardcore friends Bane and H2O for a little added assistance on Sticks And Stones), creating more built-in crowd interaction parts. "It's awesome how kids sing along and go crazy -- and I think we put a lot of shout crowd interaction parts on the CD," vocalist Jordan adds. Chalk it up to simple progress.
"I think that [Sticks And Stones] is more aggressive and punchy, and the melodies and lyrics are in a similar vein, but they're more mature," says guitarist Chad. "All the things on this record are a natural maturity - and I think that's what people will notice. It still sounds like New Found Glory, but it just sounds like we can play our instruments better and write more diverse songs now."
But don't let that sway you into thinking that New Found Glory have veered off course in their musical adventure - they've firmly planted their roots, proven the success of their previous releases and are ready for whatever life throws their way. And what’s coming their way soon is a huge summer tour.
After seeing NFG consistently sell out venues last year that veteran, platinum acts were only half filling, the organizers of Warped Tour have secured the band for a headlining slot. So, whether you are cranking the CD in your car or checking out the band live…
Give Sticks And Stones a fair shake and climb on board the ride through life.
