GLDN was founded in 2017 in Brooklyn, New York by frontman Nicholas Golden. A litany of influences played an important role in the formation of the project's artistic identity, from bands like NINE INCH NAILS, EVANESCENCE, DEFTONES, HOLE, and PUSCIFER to films like Alex Garland's ANNIHILATION and Luca Guadagnino's SUSPIRIA. Golden has also been vocal about the inspiration he derives from the band's contemporaries in the New York area - LIP CRITIC, COHORT B, and DON PARDO, to name a few.