Pop punk legends New Found Glory have shared their new acoustic album, ‘Make The Most Of It,’ via Revelation Records. The album features seven brand new tracks written in the wake of guitarist Chad Gilbert’s cancer diagnosis, alongside seven live acoustic versions of fan favorites. Mixed by Mark Trombino (blink-182, Jimmy Eat World), ‘Make The Most Of It’ is a rumination on what it means to grieve, to live, to approach every day with appreciation and a sense of fulfillment.
In December 2021, fresh off the celebratory Pop Punk’s Still Not Dead Tour in support of their 10th album, ‘Forever + Ever x Infinity,’ Gilbert was found unresponsive in bed at home, rushed to a local hospital, and diagnosed with an 8-inch cancerous tumor, a rare pheochromocytoma. Hospital stays, surgery, and a long road to recovery followed – but, in typical New Found Glory fashion, so did the songs.
“I didn’t want this to be the ‘cancer record’ originally,” Gilbert admits. “But when we went on tour and people started hearing the story and connecting to it, I gave up on trying to control the narrative. Not all bands are dealt these cards, but we were. Let’s take these songs and help the disease get awareness and raise money for a cause that’s working on education and research for my rare cancer.”
A percentage of proceeds from ‘Make The Most Of It’ will go to The Pheo Para Alliance, the longest-standing internationally recognized leader in advocacy for, and awareness of, pheochromocytoma.
“Even though the songs are sadder, they’re still hopeful,” Gilbert says. “You hear so much online about mental health and fear and anxiety. I feel proud that we can release an album with joy and honesty in a way that will hopefully make people less fearful of life. A lot of times we punish ourselves for things that might never happen. I’m going through something that did happen, but doing it with hope and joy and a greater appreciation.”
New Found Glory – ‘Make The Most Of It’ artwork
‘Make The Most Of It’ tracklist:
01. Dream Born Again
02. Mouth To Mouth
03. Get Me Home
04. Watch The Lilies Grow
05. More Than Enough
06. Kiss The Floor
07. Bloom
08. Understatement
09. All Downhill From Here
10. Dressed To Kill
11. The Story So Far
12. Failures Not Flattering
13. My Friends Over You
14. Hit Or Miss
The band has announced the Make The Most Of It Acoustic Tour. The tour kicks off in January in St. Louis, Missouri, and makes stops across the country at unique, primarily seated venues before concluding in March in Miami Beach, Florida, with special guest Leanna Firestone making appearances on all dates as well.
Make The Most Of It Tour Dates:
January 28 – St. Louis, Missouri – Delmar Hall
January 29 – Omaha, Nebraska – Slowdown
January 31 – San Antonio, Texas – Aztec Theatre
February 2 – Phoenix, Arizona – Celebrity Theatre
February 4 – Garden Grove, California – Garden Amp
February 5 – San Francisco, California – August Hall
February 7 – Seattle, Washington – Neptune Theatre
February 8 – Portland, Oregon – Aladdin Theater
February 10 – Salt Lake City, Utah – The Depot
February 11 – Denver, Colorado – The Oriental Theater
March 10 – Franklin, Tennesee – The Franklin Theatre
March 11 – Chicago, Illinois – Thalia Hall
March 12 – Pontiac, Michigan – Flagstar Strand Theatre
March 14 – Glenside, Pennsylvania – Keswick Theatre
March 15 – Washington, DC – Sixth and I
March 16 – Somerville, Massachusets – Somerville Theatre
March 17 – Red Bank, New Jersey – Count Basie Center For The Arts
March 18 – New York, New York – The Town Hall
March 20 – Graham, North Carolina – Haw River Ballroom
March 21 – Atlanta, Georgia – Center Stage
March 22 – Orlando, Florida – The Plaza Live
March 23 – Miami Beach, Florida – Miami Beach Bandshell