John Feldmann – Goldfinger

John Feldmann is the lead singer and guitarist for American punk band Goldfinger, who have been going since 1994. The band released their debut eponymous album in 1996 and, as of 2026, have released nine studio albums, the most recent being Nine Lives. Goldfinger’s songs have been featured on animal rights music compilations including, Until Every Cage is Empty, and the song ‘Free Kevin Kjonaas’ was about an imprisoned animal rights activist.

Why John Feldmann is vegan

John Feldmann is vegan for the animals.

John became a vegan around 2000, after watching the film Babe starring fellow vegan and activist James Cromwell.¹Friedman, D. 2009. Take notice: Goldfinger’s back. News-Times. Available: https://www.newstimes.com/news/article/Take-notice-Goldfinger-s-back-242875.php [Accessed 19 March 2021]. After doing some research he found out that pigs are smarter than dogs and as he loved dogs and would never eat them, he shouldn’t be eating pigs either.

Since going vegan, John has become an outspoken animal advocate, working with many animal rights organisations and having educational material at Goldfinger shows. He has taken part in protests and rescued animals from slaughterhouses. He has even had his house raided by the FBI because they thought he had taken part in some illegal activist activity.²Loyal to the craft. 2025. The Hit Maker | John Feldmann Interview. Youtube. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdGDlSyuNvU [Accessed 27 May 2026].

Although parts of the internet now think John Feldmann is pescetarian, this seems to be taken from a story in Kerrang! in which he said when he was younger and “stupid” he would eat fish out of aquariums at parties. But later he became an animal rights activist and still feels bad for the goldfish he ate.³Pearlman, M. 2020. John Feldmann: “We would steal everything from our friends’ parents’ room and trade it for cocaine”. Kerrang. Available: https://www.kerrang.com/john-feldmann-we-would-steal-everything-from-our-friends-parents-room-and-trade-it-for-cocaine [Accessed 27 May 2026]. In a 2025 interview, he says he was eating an unhealthy vegan diet so started eating healthier but makes no mention of becoming pescetarian.⁴Loyal to the craft. 2025. The Hit Maker | John Feldmann Interview. Youtube. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdGDlSyuNvU [Accessed 27 May 2026].

“I went to a slaughterhouse and saw how animals are killed… And it’s, ‘Oh, my God, are you kidding me? You’re saying that that’s legal – that that’s actually allowed to happen, that they’re allowed to torture innocent animals that way?’ I just couldn’t believe it – couldn’t believe it.”⁵Friedman, D. 2009. Take notice: Goldfinger’s back. News-Times. Available: https://www.newstimes.com/news/article/Take-notice-Goldfinger-s-back-242875.php [Accessed 19 March 2021].