New Found Glory Comes Home

When pop-punk band New Found Glory set out to make its latest album, "Coming Home," the group decided to shake things up a little.

Instead of writing songs on the tour bus as they have in the past, band members decided to rent a house in Malibu and focus solely on the album.

"We just lived there for two months and wrote songs all day and all night," lead singer Jordan Pundik told TheShowbuzz.com. "Everything closes so early in Malibu that's all you do."

The result is the band's most musical album yet, with a fuller sound thanks to the addition of strings, acoustic piano, and lush vocal arrangements.

"I really feel like we cut these thirteen songs each (with) its own identity," guitarist Steve Klein said.

Although the songs are varied, there is a central theme that ties them together.

"This record ... is more about confidence and responsibility," said guitarist Chad Gilbert. "All the songs are relationship songs about taking responsibility and coming home to the ones you love."

The music video for their first single, "It's Not Your Fault" shows a couple as they reverse the usual boy-meets-girl, boy-beds-girl plot.

"The video doesn't really have anything to do with the song," said Gilbert, "except it being about a guy and a girl, I thought it was a different interesting twist."

Another song, "When I Die," deals with the loss of Gilbert's father.

"A lot of bands write sad songs about death; this is more about accepting life and what happens," said Gilbert. "It's about being thankful for what you're given and not being as afraid to die because you have someone that you love waiting for you."

The guys in the band aren't worried about recreating the sound from the album when they go out on tour. They know they won't be able to take along a string section and a female choir, but there are ways around that.

"I don't think we will be able to recreate the strings," said Klein, "but for the vocal parts, we'll just have the crowd sing it."

Fans will be able to pick up "Coming Home" on Sept. 19, which gives them a few weeks to start practicing before the band hits the road in early October.

By Judy Faber