A new found life
After dealing with his father coming out, the lead singer of punk band New Found Glory is now ready to talk about it.
By JAY CRIDLIN
Published March 11, 2005
Jordan Pundik, the lead singer of New Found Glory, is getting married in September. And he has already turned to his father for advice.
"He wants decorating tips," his father, Carlos Pundik, says, laughing. "I'm his decorator."
The two chat by phone about twice a week when Jordan's band is on tour. And Carlos, who lives in Tampa, will be on hand when New Found Glory takes the stage Sunday night at Jannus Landing.
But life for the Pundik family has been anything but normal the last two years. In 2003, after 25 years of marriage and three children, Carlos, 46, announced that he was gay, leaving his family, including Jordan, stunned.
For the tattooed 25-year-old singer, the personal drama came in stark contrast to his band's rise to the top of the punk world.
With hits like My Friends Over You and All Downhill From Here, New Found Glory has developed a fervent fan base since forming in South Florida in 1997. Last year, the band headlined the Vans Warped Tour, traveled the country with Green Day and performed at the MTV Video Music Awards.
Jordan Pundik has never publicly discussed his father's sexuality. He's quiet by nature, and he generally prefers to keep his family life private.
But he wants to help his father tell his story because he knows it could make a difference to others.
"If a kid came up to me and said, "I heard your dad came out, and I'm trying to come out,' I would talk to him and tell him how I felt about it," Jordan said. "I'm not going to shun anybody."
Carlos and his wife were out of college a year when Jordan was born. Thinking of his young family, Carlos put his feelings of confusion aside.
For 25 years, the Pundiks lived a happy, if not entirely typical, American life in Broward County. The household was "very liberal," Carlos said, and the children - Jordan, Edra and Daniel - were encouraged to pursue their musical dreams. All three ended up singing in rock bands at some point.
"We were all friends," says Edra, now 21 and living in Boca Raton. "We were all so close, and everyone was always happy and together."
Jordan was the first to make it big. Some members were still in their teens when the band signed its first record deal, and the family was used to touring around Florida in its spare time.
Once Jordan left home, Carlos and his wife began to argue more. Carlos, a management consultant, took more and more business trips.
Two years ago, Carlos told his wife about his sexual confusion, and the couple went into therapy. "I was holding on as long as I could," he said.
About the same time, Jordan got engaged to his longtime girlfriend. When they came home to Coral Springs for an engagement party, Carlos and his wife decided it was time to tell the kids.
"At first, it was kind of a shock," Jordan said. "What was going through my mind was, "What is my mom going to do, where is she going to go, where is my dad going to go, what's the family going to say?' "
Jordan said his bandmates, who had known Carlos for years, were supportive.
"Our generation is pretty used to it," he said. "It's not like something out of the ordinary. I don't think it's really a big deal anymore."
After coming out, Carlos moved to Tampa, where he still takes consulting jobs. He also works at a health clinic in Tampa.
His children say the changes have been good for Carlos. "He's still the same goofy guy that we knew when he was with my mom," says Daniel, whose band, the Big Screen, signed a record deal last year. "Other people may look at him differently, but to me, he's still my dad, and he'll always be my dad."
In some ways, the children are still dealing with the issue. Jordan said the experience has not affected him creatively, but "when we start writing the next record, I'm sure it's going to come up."
He plans to relax with Carlos in Tampa this weekend, one of the few he'll get to spend with his family this year. If fans ask him about his father, he won't shy away.
"I'm the type of person that's not prejudiced against anybody," he said. "Black, white, gay, straight - if you're cool, then you're cool."
Jay Cridlin can be reached at 727 893-8336 or cridlin@sptimes.com
IF YOU GONew Found Glory plays at 7 p.m. Sunday at Jannus Landing with guests Reggie and the Full Effect and Eisley. $17.50, $20. (727) 896-1244.