I’ve always liked ghey pop punk, ignorant hardcore, and brutal death metal in pretty much equal amounts. These days, that isn’t all that remarkable, but back in the day it was not encouraged– you were definitely not allowed to listen to say NOFX, Madball, and Disgorge unless you were willing to put up with the scene police lecturing you. Thanks to all the annoying punker-than-thou turds who hectored me about listening to pop-punk, I’ve always appreciated bands who bridged the gaps between genres and DGAF about that haters.
There are few better examples of that than one of my all-time favorite bands, New Found Glory. I’ve always had a soft spot for NFG since we’re about the same age and both come from the 90s hardcore scene. I don’t know any of the guys in NFG, but we have a lot of friends in common, and whenever I’ve met them, they were very nice and seem like the kind of people I’d hang out with. Like 18 Visions, I think people didn’t realize how good they were until a good 10 years or so after they started, and I am happy to see that NFG is starting to get some credit for not only being a great band, but also inventing easycore (both in name and in style).
In this post, I will share my thoughts on NFG’s career. Please tell me what you think!
The original version of “Hit Or Miss”– video definitely reminds me of being 18 and fucking around with my friends
The first NFG record isn’t very good IMO, but that’s pretty understandable since they were like 16 or 17 when they did it and recording technology back then wasn’t nearly as good as what we have today. Even so, it’s pretty funny how a lot of “I only like the demo” types these days will say it’s the only NFG album they like when I’m pretty sure the guys in the band will be the first to tell you it’s their weakest release. Another funny thing is how the guys at Eulogy tricked some idiot girl into selling them the NFG 7″ for peanuts, then Drive-Thru tricked Eulogy into selling the first LP to them for peanuts and sold 300,000 copies of it.
Note Chad’s Midtown shirt and early/mid 00′s hottie Rachel Leigh Cook in the starring role
It’s been well-documented that Chad was the original singer for Shai Hulud, but what a lot of people now don’t realize is that everybody thought he was crazy for quitting to do NFG full time. At the time, Shai Hulud was a popular hardcore band with a lot of buzz, and New Found Glory was just some gay little pop-punk band who could barely draw 50 kids when they played at some pizza parlor in Orlando or whatever. I’ve seen idiot teenagers on Absolute Punk or whatever talk about it like he “sold out” because he wanted to be a rock star or something, but in reality it was the exact opposite.
My favorite song in the early NFG catalog is without a doubt “Vegas,” although it doesn’t seem to get a lot of love
IMO New Found Glory didn’t come into their own until the first two albums, which have some of my favorite songs of all time on them. Along with Blink-182 “Enema Of The State,” they were the perfect soundtrack to my life as a 19-21 year old kid from the suburbs who was into going to the mall, fucking around with my dumb friends, and trying to get girls to like me.
Again, I think it’s important to note that these albums were not considered cool at the time. People talk about them now like they are classics of the genre, and rightly so, but back then NFG was looked at as a gay, trendy band for teenage girls, more or less like people look at Forever The Sickest Kids or All Time Low these days. I think that says a lot about how some people will hate on anything that’s popular, but I should also note that New Found Glory actually write all their own songs, unlike FTSK, ATL, and lots of other bands these days.
It blew my mind to see “My Friend’s Over You” on TRL
Back in like 1999-2002 or so I used to play music with my friend Lee, who was one of the few people I knew who also liked death metal and gay pop punk equally. We became friends because we were both into New Found Glory, Skarhead and Devourment. Half the songs were technical, brutal death metal (we were heavily into Origin, Cephalic Carnage and Hate Eternal at the time), the other half were technical pop punk (like Strung Out and RKL). His dad also had a gay sex dungeon in his basement that I saw when I went over there for a Sunday barbecue, but that’s another story. I miss that guy.
Never knew they had a video for “It’s Not Your Fault”
“Oxygen” was aptly named since it was from NFG’s “adult contemporary” phase/album, but it’s pretty fucking good song
Is “At Least I’m Known For Something” the first easycore song?? It’s basically ADTR without the deathcore vocals.
I wasn’t as into the next two albums, because they wandered a little more into “alternative rock” territory. It’s understandable that they wanted to experiment, especially since some of them got married and all that, but overall I only liked a few of the songs. What’s more notable to me is that this is the period where they began to lay the foundations for easycore (including coining the phrase back in 2002 or so). They included a few more overt breakdowns, and people started to notice. I specifically remember when Chad was on Loveline around the time “Catalyst” came out, and some little kid called in to ask him about breakdowns. “That’s weird,” I thought, “little kids know what breakdowns are?” Little did I know about the torrential flood of breakdowns that was to come!
“Dig My Own Grave,” from the Bridge 9 EP- video is a lulzy parody of all the retarded tough guy bands of the 90s, I think
“Don’t Let Her Pull You Down” is brutal– nothing like a good song about getting divorced to make you want to slit your wrists :(
As much as I love the first two NFG albums, I think the current version of the band is the best yet. Starting with the EP they did on Bridge 9, they went back to their roots as a straight-forward pop punk band, but started using a lot more “lite breakdowns.” The result is, in my opinion, the best stuff they’d done in five years. I had kind of written them off as one of those bands who would never be as good as their first few albums, but “Not Without A Fight” proved me completely wrong, and I definitely feel like it revitalized their career.
The excellent powerpop band Stereo Skyline has a line in this song that goes “Watch you dance around to New Found Glory in the front seat of my car.” Are they even old enough to drive?? Either way, they were literally shitting their diapers when NFG was releasing their first LP.
The other thing that is interesting and cool is that they’re clearly a huge influence on the current generation of bands. A Day To Remember is the most obvious example, and All Time Low is named after a line from “Head On Collision,” but you hear their name come up all the time as a seminal band. Rightly so, because they had tons of great songs, but it’s definitely very different than how they were perceived 10-12 years ago when everybody in “the scene” hated on NFG. The same goes for their peers like Saves The Day and to a lesser extent H20. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that NFG simply stuck around for so long, constantly touring and writing, when other bands from that period like, say, Get Up Kids didn’t.
What is your favorite NFG song/album? How old were you when NFG put out their first album?? Did you LOL @ Chad back in the day for quitting the highly successful hardcore band Shai Hulud to play in his small-time pop punk band? Is New Found Glory the most successful DIY band of the decade?????
SO MUCH NFG LOVE IT’S BEAUTIFUL!
Excuse me while I worship this band even though I was like 7 when their first album dropped.
Heard the Bridge 9 split with ISHC and was beyond stoked. Then they completely hit a homer with Not Without a Fight.
That b-down in “I’ll Never Love Again” holy fawwwk that’s how pop/punk should sound.
Without a doubt one of their best songs. Was just listening to that record last night- so, so good.
God I love the breakdown in Dig My Own Grave. Fuck!
I need to learn from my mistakes!
I remember being 15 (this is in 2000) when NFG were beginning to make waves over in the UK and all my tru punx friends painted them with the same brush as all the other poppy teen pop punk and it really frustrated me. So stoked to see now they’ve got the respect and credibility they deserve.
2002 they were band my little sister listens to. I had been out of my 1st pop punk for a good 6 years at that point so of course my uptight ass thought they sucked shit.
3 years ago when I finally awoke from my decade long metal coma became one of the first bands I used to “catch up” and effing love em now.
I look at “My Friends Over You” as the proto-easycore example and in that one you can kind of see where this could be going. Will agree that song off Catalyst is first true one though.
New easycore shit… or how one might called back in early 2002: Melodic Hardcore. Not to be mistaken with Seattle’s Melodic Hardcore term that involves Sinking Ships and Champion, and all those bands. The point is that new bands are too much, there a fucking blend of everything. Going back and forth, from hardcore punk to brutal breakdowns with soft voices. Shit! is going on here!
That’s why NFG is being crowned has the Kings of Easycore(if such thing exist??), because they have been solid in their style. Even when they went supper poppy with songs like “Hold my hand” or who could forget the faggoty cover that will get you laid in the back of the car “Kiss me.” The point here is that easycore is often a blend of pure non-sense without a structure or real lyrics. They only dig around there teenage bullshit; most of these kids will end-up looking like jocks hitting big bongs, and fucking tons of girls with Business B.A.s and Marketing. You know, not that smart girls.
Back then, one will listen to NFG, (Early)Saves the day, Lifetime, Kid dynamite, and such, just to take a break from the heavy hardening heart music that sXe, and bro-core were throwing to you at every show. It was the music to release stress, and not become one of those bullying scene police earth-crisis loving social wards.
Yes, I’m old.
I have a BA in Marketing and I used to live with the drummer for Champion (I have known him since like 8th grade)
Dude, my brother has a B.A. in Marketing too. I’m obviously generalizing. Champion is my favorite band. Even went to the last show, with some friends from Mexico.
Love the blog by the way. I’m a getting a B.S. in Physics btw.
Do you like Betrayed? Todd plays drums for them too and from what I remember they sound like Champion. Maybe I should interview him??? Do people still like Champion?
I dig champion hard.
oh since we’re measuring dicks, B.S. in Engineering..BOOSH!
Yeah, I saw Betrayed three or four times, in Sound & Fury and Revelation Records Showcase at the gilman, and other sorted shows. Pretty cool dudes, real humble conversations.
Are they still around? Do they play? Cause’ from what I’ve heard The First Step is over, and most of the times it was that combo: Betrayed next to The First Step.
To answer your question, Yes, people love Champion. It has become of an Unbroken status respected by ol’ dudes, and worshiped by new kids who wish they had been around in the times before Have Heart was the ruler of every 17 year old in the scene.
Btw Engineering can not be compared to any Science major. Go make robots, and get paid by someone overpaid for his experience and age, who barely knows what you do. I will be on my own in my lab. Thank you.
100 mile is named that because it is 100 miles from the oringial mile 0 in Lilooet, BC. It’s now in Victoria (down in beacon hill) where the names 4 mile, 6 mile and 17 mile pubs come from.
Hey you said you lived with the drummer from champion? Was that in the house that trial and stay gold played shows at a few time that patrick rowell lived in at one point?
No this was in the U District, on 17th with all the frat houses
I really enjoyed this article, I was expecting you to bash on NFG glad I was wrong. Also oh dear god ATL suck.
NFG is easily one of my favorite bands. Im almost 23 so i too have grown up with this band. First time i saw them live was 2002 and have seen them about 15 to 20 times since. They are a great live band so I have never been let down by their shows. I am actually seen them at chain reaction next week and could not be more excited. Cool part is im taking my little brother who’s 17. NFG is one of his fav bands 2.
I first heard NFG in 2001 when I was discovering Drive Thru Records. I was a freshman in college and would most definitely be shunned by the “scene” kids because of their fear people like me would “water down” their “scene.” Except, I as pretty much viewed the same way by the “pop(ular)” kids as well. I’ve just always existed somewhere in the middle. And that is exactly where NFG exists as well.
Some hardcore appeals to me. Some pop appeals to me. No one has ever been able to find that perfect blend of those elements other than NFG has. I didn’t know it when I was 18, but they were the band who capture the perfect musical aesthetic for my life–mainly because I didn’t know what aesthetics were. Almost a decade later, I’ve come to understood how my non-drinking non-drug-using individualistic lifestyle is straight edge and pop punk is part of my soul.
Thus, it gives me great joy to see the tide finally turn so that New Found Glory is finally getting the respect they deserve. I’ll never forget Bayside opening for them and asking the crowd, “Who’s the greatest pop punk band of all time?” Someone in the crowd, of course, yelled Blink 182. What was Bayside’s response? “If you say Blink 182, you’re an idiot.”
Why? Because pop punk isn’t about pop…but it’s also not about punk. It’s about BOTH. That’s something the guys in NFG have always understood. Their success and happiness is a life lesson we should all pay careful attention to because at the end of it all:
“It’s your own life. Live it for yourself.”
Interesting take on it– I agree with just about all of your sentiments, though I’d like to point out that your flagrant use of the word ‘gay’ really seemed unnecessary throughout–it’s offensive and seemed to have little to do with the point you were making. I understand that I chose to read this, but I noticed you asked for comments, so I’m being honest. Glad you dig NFG as much as I do, and recognize all their accomplishments, though.
It was actually a donut shop in coconut creek called “Dads Donuts,” not a pizza parlor in Orlando. I saw them play a parking lot of a bagel store in Sunrise FL once too! I love this band.
R
Thank you SYWH for this NFG article, especially for posting the song Hit or Miss. That being said, it’s not a tr00 SYWH article until you explore all the stupid facts, and the one I’m wondering about is why they changed their name from A New Found Glory to simply New Found Glory? In the beginning of the My Friend’s Over You video, you can see the A is crossed out.
Here’s a dumb fact: I saw NFG once in like 2005 or so, and wore the fucking EXACT SAME outfit as Chad by coincidence (camo shorts, nikes and Vietnom shirt). To make matters worse, I met him that night (we have a friend in common)– he didn’t say anything but I’m sure he thought it was REAL COOL that I was dressed like him haha.
My friends have long hated on me for loving what they call “poser punk,” namely NFG. I found them when Catalyst came out but have since bought every previous album and post album that I can get my hands on. They have a song for every emotion that comes and goes in my life so they have cemented themselves as one of my all time favorites…
Anyway…sweet writings about the band! I thoroughly enjoyed it! I found out about this post from a retweet so hopefully lots of peeps will come read it and fall in love with “poser punk” too! :)
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My Friends Over You is my favorite song.
I was probably seven when their first album came out.
i live in the UK. I’m 22 years old.
i first heard NFG from my older sisters Boyfriend at the time, he had the self titled album.
i was about 13 / 14 from that point on i was hooked. something about Jordan’s winey voice just captured me. from there i got into the movielife, saves the day, the starting line, homegrown. and any other drive – thru styled band i could find back on WIN-MX or LIME-WIRE! back in 03.
my favourite NFG albums are S&S and the Self titled album. but i do have a huge passion for NGCS.
i was way to young and far too “small towed” to know of any “scene” at the time. it was just music that i liked. it reminded me of america if that makes any sense. like maybe how the smiths reminds you of England maybe? or bob marly makes you wanna watch the sun set on a tropical beach smoking good sinsemilla with a tall glass of rum on the rocks?
now I’m a “new pop punk sucks” kinda guy, who of corse made the progression into hardcore and now live with the attitude that i am better that everyone else.
fourth best band ever behind saves the day, blink 182, and boys night out.
also, their first record was my favorite, but it’s more of a “ties to nostalgia” thing. the second release was their best IMO.
Spot on! I’ve been listening to NFG since I was 13, I’m 26 now, and the show I’m excited about the most this year is NFG in June. I also think that with every record they made since”Catalyst” they became even better. Take that, nostalgia! I’m not that into that Bridge Nine EP though, too obvious on the “Hardcore background”.