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Band of the Month: New Found Glory
Way back in 1997, five guys in Coral Springs, FL, formed a punk band called New Found Glory. Seven years later, they're releasing their fourth album, Catalyst. A lot has changed for the group since then, but they're still singing about girls and rocking out. Melissa Glassman caught up with guitarist and lyricist Steve Klein. Listen and watch New Found Glory's new single All Down Hill From Here.
You guys have been together as a band for a long time. What was your life like before NFG?
I don't know any other life than being in a band. We've been together since we were 16. Before that I wanted to be an English teacher and other than going to school, my whole life was just about seeing shows. I'd watch other bands and would be like, "Wow, it must be so fun to be in a band." I was working at Red Lobster when we decided to go on tour. We drove ourselves around and really learned how to take care of ourselves by being on the road. That's how we grew up and became men.
What are the best and worst things about touring?
The best is being able to play shows every night. The worst is obviously being away from my dog, Cleveland. He's a Shar Pei. And being away from your own bed, your own shower, your own toilet, your own everything. You live out of a suitcase when you're on tour — it's so much better when you can actually pick a shirt out of your closet and it's not wrinkled. It's a trade-off, but a good trade-off.
This is kind of a stupid question, but is it easy to meet girls being in a band?
It's easier because you have more opportunities since there are girls at every show. But when I'm talking to girls, I don't like to say I'm in a band, ever. I don't want that to be the reason they're talking to me.
Do you hang out with girls after shows?
I've had a girlfriend for a year, so I try not to put myself in any situation where... it's hard being on the road and having a phone relationship. But it's worth it when I get home, because there's someone waiting for me, missing me, and thinking about me.
Are there any songs on the new album about her?
Yeah, especially, "I Don't Wanna Know."
How does Catalyst compare to your previous albums?
It's way different than anything we've done before. We didn't want to put out the same record over and over again. We really try to mix punk, hardcore, emo, rock 'n' roll, and everything else, all into one. This CD really nailed what we want to do as a band, what our style is, and the way we want our music to go in the future.
If the band could collaborate with anyone, who would it be?
Bjork would be an awesome person to work with. She's not really our style of music — obviously she's pretty out there — but it'd be a crazy collaboration. On this record we actually covered her song "Joga," but we did it in our own style.
Listen and watch New Found Glory's new single "All Down Hill From Here" Audio:Real | Windows Media
