New Found Glory Signs With Epitaph

New Found Glory has called time on its major-label career and inked a new deal with Epitaph Records. Its label debut, produced by Blink-182's Mark Hoppus, is due next spring. 

The Florida-reared group signed to Drive-Thru in 2000, but found its biggest success after being up-streamed to parent label MCA on 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!," enthuses guitarist Chad Gilbert. "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.