New Found Glory will release Catalyst, the follow-up to the Florida rockers' breakout Sticks and Stones, on May 18th. Singer Jordan Pundik promises that the new set will expand on the pop-punk territory claimed by the band's three previous albums.

"We didn't want to put out the same record two or three times because that would be gypping our fans," he says. "There's all different songs. There's a thirty-second hardcore song, a song with orchestra violins and a song with a gospel choir."

Emblematic of New Found Glory's newfound ambition is the ballad "I Don't Wanna Know," which features string embellishments by arranger (and Beck's father) David Campbell and backing vocals by female singer-songwriter Kendall Payne.

The video for the single "All Downhill From Here" also finds the band branching out. The clip, directed by Meiert Avis (U2, Bruce Springsteen), combines live action and animation.

"We took a different approach because all the bands that are coming out now are coming out with the same video, the typical rent-a-crowd pumping the fist and the boy-girl, blah, blah, blah," says Pundik. "We've done that shit with the past few but we've grown out of that."

New Found Glory return to the Warped tour this summer, co-headlining a bill that includes Good Charlotte, Bad Religion, Coheed and Cambria, Story of the Year and Taking Back Sunday.

"It's like summer camp," Pundik says. "There is a cool camaraderie. You barbecue, hang out and just have a good time."

COLIN DEVENISH
(April 27, 2004)