Face to Face releasing acoustic album (stream "Disconnected")
West Coast punk vets Face to Face are releasing their first acoustic album, Hold Fast (Acoustic Sessions), on July 27 via Fat Wreck Chords. It’s got acoustic versions of songs from all over Face to Face’s lengthy career, from their classic 1992 debut Don’t Turn Away through their latest album, 2016’s very solid Protection. Here’s some background on how the album came to be:
“During last year’s Econo-Live tour, we included a VIP package for the first time ever,” [frontman Trever Keith] begins. “I wanted to do something more than just signing autographs or taking pictures, so we added an acoustic set every night before the show. What came out of that experience was this realization that our songs, when stripped down, had a really cool identity that didn’t exist the way that we play them as a full band, punk-rock style. We started to notice this connection with the people who were watching, and we started thinking, ‘Maybe we should record this.’” So Keith and his band—longtime bassist Scott Shiflett, drummer Danny Thompson and guitarist Dennis Hill—did just that, booking a studio during an off-day on tour to capture this raw, stripped-down snapshot of their catalog. From there, the band approached Fat about releasing the album, but even though the label was supportive of the project, Keith himself wasn’t happy with the result: He decided to scrap the original sessions and have the band hit the studio once more, this time with more songs and refined arrangements that include guest musicians (including accomplished pedal-steel player Gary Brandin and Dirty Heads percussionist Jon Olazabal) and unique instrumentation such as mandolin, piano and harmonium.
The first single from the album is the acoustic version of Face to Face’s most loved song, “Disconnected” from their debut, which premieres in this post. As Trevor Keith himself discussed, the acoustic versions bring something new out of these songs, and that’s very true of “Disconnected.” Like a lot of songs that took off during the alt-rock/punk explosion of the ’90s, there’s always been a well-written, melodically sweet pop song beneath the crunch of “Disconnected,” and that’s the side that really comes through here. It’s a treat to hear the song this way, as you can check out for yourself below.
The band will support the album with an acoustic coast-to-coast tour in July (including some shows at seated venues), and that’s still TBA, but first, they have a few East Coast shows in June, including a Rocks Off Cruise in NYC on 6/21 (tickets) and Asbury Park’s House of Independents on 6/24 (tickets). They also play an acoustic set at Red Rocks with Frank Turner and Lucero in August. All currently announced dates are listed below.
Face to Face — 2018 Tour Dates
06/02/18 Thornville, OH Punk In Drublic Craft Beer & Music Fest
06/21/18 New York, NY Rocks Off Cruise#
06/22/18 Washington, DC Rock and Roll Hotel#
06/23/18 Lancaster, PA Chameleon Club#
06/24/18 Asbury Park, NJ House of Independents#
08/03/18 Morrison, CO Red Rocks Amphiteatre (acoustic)^
^ – w/ Frank Turner, Lucero
# – w/ Counterpunch
