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“We try to stay positive, even through all the hard shit. And when we are together and writing a record, everything else just shuts off.”
As these words leave Jordan Pundik’s lips, they feel like a summation of New Found Glory’s whole career, rather than just what they have been feeling right now. A band that have soundtracked the loves, losses, longings and learnings of, at this point, several generations of pop-punk enthusiasts, every step of their journey has been defined by keeping things bright and breezy. Of making sure that a smile was always the solution. Nearly thirty years spent writing songs that feel like an arm around the shoulder.
Well, the truth is that those words have never been more pertinent than they are right now. Because the last few years have been littered with the hardest shit the band has ever had to deal with. Since guitarist Chad Gilbert was diagnosed back in the winter of 2021 with Metastatic Pheochromocytoma, a very rare malignant tumor, it has been a long and winding road of cancer treatment that has completely changed the way that the band have had to function.
It’s gone a long way to even defining the way that they went about creating their new album ‘Listen Up!’, a collection of songs that were written and recorded whilst Chad was in the middle of a particularly heavy stream of chemotherapy, nicknamed the Red Devil to give you a hint of just how heavy. There have even been moments where Chad has been unsure whether he would even make it to see the album be released; that is the truth of how scary and uncertain this time has been.
Yet, even with all of that, the positivity that had guided the band through every storm has prevailed. And with this batch of songs, the mission statement was not to linger in the what-ifs and share the heartache, but to be the guiding light through whatever hardship may be plaguing those who hear it.
You can make it through the darkness, and this band will be there with you every step of the way.
“I wanted to make a record for people that struggle,” Chad admits. “I would sit in these chemo rooms, and it’s full of different races and nationalities, religious and political backgrounds, and none of that mattered. It’s just people getting along. Everyone joking while being plugged into machines, trying to keep us alive. I wanted to bring this joy through the songs. I wanted the album to feel fun. I wanted to make an album that offered hope to people going through hardships, disease, or sickness, or who feel like outcasts, so that they could find an escape. Because making it was an escape for me, and that’s not bullshit. That’s something that I was really living.”
THE SOUND
When the decision was made to work on a new record, the main thing that Jordan and Chad knew was that they wanted to take their time with it. Looking back to how they had made 2020’s ‘Forever + Ever x Infinity’, a record that they admit got a bit lost in the chaos of COVID, they realised that the experience had been defined by simply trying to get it over the line rather than making sure what they had made sense for where they were. When it came to ‘Listen Up!’, it became more about making sure they trimmed the fat and focused on what was important.
Now, some of that importance came with making sure things away from the band weren’t being pushed aside either. For Jordan, that meant a three-month trip to Japan with his family was actually enjoyed rather than littered with band-shaped stresses. For Chad, it meant that treatment, rest, and recovery were still taking precedence. The songs would come when they came.
But with all this time, there was also a lot of room for reflection. From Chad’s perspective, that came in the form of the riffs he wanted to write. Looking back to how the band wrote them in the very beginning, how time changed that process, and what that meant for the mood he wanted to amplify now.
“In the past, I would write songs and the riffs would come first, and I would never think about the vocals,” he explains. “The classic riffs that have stuck with people through the years are because they could sing them without ever needing the vocals. Then, with the last few albums, when people abandoned this music and picked up keyboards and synths, I was like, ‘Okay, I’m going to write melodies first.’
“But with this record, I wanted that feeling, that fun. I wanted the guitars to be the driving force like they used to be. So, I’m going to write a riff, and I’m going to let it take me where it wants to. Whether that’s something weird, a key change, or an off timing. As long as that feeling is there, that’s what matters.”
Those revelations would come via sessions at Chad’s home, where bassist Ian Grushka and drummer Cyrus Bolooki would make the trip and flesh things out on the acoustic with him, before sending snippets across the world to Jordan in Japan. It would continue in the studio, too, with Four Year Strong’s Dan O’Connor joining the ranks and offering further six-string backup, after spending time on the road with the band when it was impossible for Chad to join and play.
The result is ten songs that feel as quintessential as anything else that NFG have put their name to over the last three decades. From the chugging intent of opening ‘Boom Roasted’ and the hardcore ferocity of ‘Beer And Blood Stains’ to the pop-punk majesty of ‘You Got This’ and emo quirks of ‘Medicine’, the band’s whole adventure is represented in its most polished, punishing and powerful forms. There is as much brute force pulled from 2015’s ‘Resurrection’ as there is bubblegum pomp from 2002’s ‘Stick and Stones’. A definitive half hour of power.
Though more than anything, the purpose of these songs was to make those who heard them feel unstoppable. Because that’s the effect it was having on the band.
“When I was hearing the riffs and melodies, it felt more like when we were recording ‘Catalyst’,” Jordan comments. “It felt big. Not big like it’s going to be on MTV or whatever, but big meaning like this record is something someone will put it on and think, ‘Oh man, this brings back memories’ or, ‘I haven’t heard them do a riff like this in a long time’. I feel like there’s a good mix of that, and it felt good. We took our time, we focused on ten really great songs, and I think that really comes through. I was stoked, and I feel like people will feel that when they hear it. They are going to hear how much we put into it.”
THE LYRICS
The thing about New Found Glory is that they can only ever write about where they are standing right now. That’s always been the case. From the lovelorn musings of their youth to the relationships that have come to define their older years, both romantic and platonic, each record is a capsule of what they were feeling in the moment it was being written. A snapshot in time. It’s just that the picture that was being captured in 2025 was much more complex than in previous years.
For much of the lyric writing process of the record on his part, Chad did it whilst sitting with tubes pumping what he simply describes as “stuff” into him. With headphones on and notebook in hand, he would listen through demos they had created from those home sessions and figure out what words and melodies would slot into place. He would ever ask the doctors and nurses checking on him what they thought of a part he was working on, even to the point of one of his doctors taking a photo of the chorus to ‘Treat Yourself’ because it reflected how he was feeling so perfectly.
Though it would be easy to write about the ups and downs of his everyday – of the pills he was taking to keep his blood pressure up, the trips to check whether his heart was failing or if his lungs were breeding tumors. It would be easy to share that with their fans, to document such difficulties. But that’s not what he has ever wanted this band to be.
“I feel like in pop culture there are people who are very successful and then they also ask their fans to feel sorry for them,” he muses. “You have people around you who you can ask for that from. That’s not up to your fans. It’s not their responsibility to take care of it. I wanted the opposite.
“One of the things I saw when I was a kid was when we would open for bands who have been around for years and years, and there was a bitterness,” he continues. “I was always like, ‘Man, these are bands I have looked up to, I’m never going to be like that’. We get excited in the same way we got excited at the start.”
That’s why ‘Listen Up!’ is filled with songs to inspire rather than infiltrate. Though Chad speaks of his condition in the closer ‘Frankenstein’s Monster’, it’s in a way that’s getting to be who he wants to be rather than wallowing in the pain. It’s why a song like “Medicine’ speaks of the ointment that friendship offers rather than what can be provided in hospital walls. From the joy sprinkled throughout ‘Laugh It Off’ to the devotion that sits at the core of ‘100%’, it’s all through the lens of PMA. Though things are difficult, it doesn’t mean the one thing that provides help should be defined by it too.
And for Jordan, it’s a case of writing exactly what his heart is saying. Being completely in awe and head over heels in love with his wife? That’s where ‘A Love Song’ comes from. Thinking about how amazing it is that the band are still on the road after all these years? That’s where the reflection of ‘Beer and Blood Stains’ fits in.
There have been hard days. Hell, you can only imagine how heartbreaking it must be to see your best friend going through what he is, especially in the middle of something as ritualistic as the making of an album. But that makes it even more important to double down on what this band has always meant, what it means right now and what it will continue to mean in the future.
“There is so much bullshit going on in the world, and there are hard things that are happening in our lives,” he adds. “But why make music that is going to remind you of that and bring you down more? There are bands I love that are sad and melancholy, bringing you to tears when you listen to them. But for New Found Glory, we want to have a good time and forget about everything. If our band had a mission statement, that would be it. Forget about the bullshit, let’s have a party. We’re recognising that there is hard stuff, but maybe listening to us can help you get through that.”
THE TITLE AND ARTWORK
When the band were first presented with the bare-bones artwork for ‘Listen Up!’ put together by Tim Singer, better known as the vocalist for hardcore heroes Deadguy, the use of the arrow sparked curiosity. Though as more colour and texture were added – from the chaotic crowd at its base to the cuttings from old flyers in its background, the intent sank in that little bit more.
“The arrow is a symbol of moving forwards and moving up,” Jordan states. “Being able to push yourself through that hard shit. It really does represent that. When Tim came up with that layout, we thought it was interesting, but then as he started adding more iconography to it and colouring it in, it started to feel like we were really making a statement on moving through something.”
Because ultimately, that is what this record is. It’s not a lament or a milestone; it is just what New Found Glory does. It’s what they have always done. And by having a symbol that always points in one direction or another, they can keep that intent at the forefront of what they do.
Though when it comes to Chad’s ongoing position within the centre of this, it unfortunately isn’t as simple as just moving forwards. Where in the past, that sense of always moving would be defined by being on the road, he has to pick and choose the moments that he steps out and onto the stage again. He has to handpick the nights that work best, health and circumstance depending. The rest of that time has been spent more at home than he ever been in the lifespan of the band. But in not letting being in one place get to him, it’s also allowed him time to ponder on some of life’s more vital aspects.
And that is where ‘Listen Up!’ as a title comes into play. It’s a reminder for people not to coast along. To not get bogged down in the things that don’t matter. To be grateful for the air in your lungs and blood in your veins. Because it’s so easy for us to lose sight of what matters and let the bullshit take over. Sometimes, we just need a pink-and-yellow nudge in the right direction.
“I am looking at the world through a tube and at a slowed-down pace,” Chad comments. “You really start to notice things about people that make you ask, ‘Why are you hurting so much when things are going great? Why are you so upset? Why are you so mad?’ You have your health, you have your life. With ‘Listen Up!’ I feel like it’s an awakening to pay more attention to your surroundings. Life moves fast, and you can lose sight of reality really easily. You can lose sight of what is really important.”
THE FUTURE
Life really does move fast. Almost thirty years since they first burst onto the Florida hardcore scene with a sound that set them apart from the baying pack, and New Found Glory know that better than most. Perhaps there’s a part of them that thought they never would make it here. There’s probably another part that knew that they would go the distance. But the truth is that nobody knows what’s going to happen. That is one of life’s most brilliant traits, but it is also one of its most damning.
At one of the most challenging, unpredictable, and ultimately unifying periods of their career, one that is still ongoing, they have weathered the storm in a way that would make their young selves proud. They’ve created an album that would make them proud, too. But what comes next? Well, who really knows?
All they can do is keep on moving. Keep on playing shows. Keep inspiring new generations to discover alternative music. Keep on supporting those who support them. Because no matter if tomorrow is the best or worst day of your life, we can still get through it together.
“It’s embedded in our heads that things are going to go a certain way, but you really can’t predict your future,” Chad concludes. “You really can’t predict anything. Anything can happen at any time. So, in those moments, to be joyful and grateful is key. There is a way to communicate, talk, and treat each other with respect, even if you’re on a different platform. That’s how we get through this.”
“Stability and understanding,” Jordan nods in agreement.
Hopefully, you are nodding too.
