Punk rock group New Found Glory has called time on its major-label career and signed a new deal with Epitaph Records. Its debut for the indie label, produced by former Blink-182 member Mark Hoppus, is due next spring.
The Florida-reared group signed to Drive-Thru in 2000, but found its biggest success after parent label MCA took over with 2002’s “Sticks & Stones,” which has sold more than 863,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
But its sales had fallen greatly by 2006’s “Coming Home,” which has shifted 145,000. A hits collection issued by Geffen in March has sold 18,000.
“Epitaph is the place to be!,” guitarist Chad Gilbert said in a statement. “They were all longtime, true fans of New Found Glory and they understand us. We aren’t just some record to put out before the new Pussycat Dolls CD! We were over the big business of the majors.”
New Found Glory is on tour in North America through early October, and will also play South American and U.K. dates before year’s end.