After ten years and five albums, Goldfinger remains as influential, and underrated, as ever. After singer/songwriter John Feldmann’s successful collaborations with bands such as Good Charlotte, Story of The Year, Mest and The Used as a producer and on occasion song writer; after drummer Darrin Pfeiffer’s extensive touring as tour manager with Billy Talent and serving as a producer for several up and coming bands, the original punk band are due to return with a new CD on 22nd February 2005, titled "Disconnection Notice".
Citing Foo Fighters, Joe Jackson, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Less Than Jake, No Doubt, Reel Big Fish, Buck-O-Nine, Rancid, Operation Ivy, the Cure and Cheap Trick as influences, this album looks to be one of Goldfingers most surprising and eclectic CDs yet.
Despite playing for thousands of fans almost every night of the year, Goldfinger still feel like rock's biggest secret. At one point Goldfinger appeared to be on the same path to punk rock glory as their peers in Green Day, Blink-182 and No Doubt. The band was formed in 1994 after John Feldmann and the band's original guitarist, Simon Williams, met while working at the same shoe store in California. Within two years the group had landed a major-label deal and released a massively successful ska-punk single, "Here In Your Bedroom" (taken from their 1996 record Goldfinger). But instead the band decoded to do things a little differently, they toured constantly, travelling the world and creating fans the old fashioned way, by putting on an amazing live show, filled with energy and spunk that today’s punk bands try to emulate.
Their concerts, a combination of tight musicianship, make you smile covers, such as a cover of the Darkness' "I Believe In A Thing Called Love", crowd singalongs and abundant energy, became the group's calling card.
Along the way two original Goldfinger band members left the fold, replaced by guitarist Brian Arthur and bassist Kelly Lemieux. After 2002's Open Your Eyes, the group left their old label and began writing songs for a new record. But things were different now - John Feldmann got into animal rights activism, which led to a their playing a major part in the upcoming album and new groups influenced by Goldfinger in their own youth, were begging Feldmann and Pfeiffer to take them under their wings.
Feldmann went on to produce the rock sensation The Used, co-wrote the hit "The Anthem" with Benji and Joel of Good Charlotte and also had production credits for Story of the year and Mest, clearly just happy to contribute to the development of rock music. Pfeiffer went on to produce Mugshot, The Spicoli's, manage Summer Hero and serve as tour manager for rock band Billy Talent.
Due to the bands growth as musicians and artists many songs on "Disconnection Notice" were recorded in a single day, giving the songs a rougher, rawer feel. The CD will show the bands musical progression from pop punk to so much more.
Animal rights play a big part in Goldfingers musical progression, John Feldmann tends to write about his beliefs so much so, that he asked PETA president and co-founder Ingrid Newkirk to let him sample one of her speeches on animal cruelty, to use in the song "Behind the Mask". Feldmann does this in the hope that by preaching his beliefs he can influence Goldfinger fans to go Vegan.
On "Disconnection Notice" Goldfinger can seem evidently older and wiser, the elder statesmen of Punk, if you will. Influencing bands of the next generation to live up to the catchy pop punk they have created.
The first single from Disconnection Notice "Wasted" is available for listen on the bands website.
www.goldfingermusic.com