face to face Release First-Ever Acoustic LP, "Hold Fast (Acoustic Sessions)," Today

FACE TO FACE RELEASE FIRST-EVER ACOUSTIC LP
HOLD FAST (ACOUSTIC SESSIONS)
TODAY VIA FAT WRECK CHORDS

ALBUM RELEASE SHOW TONIGHT AT SLIM’S IN SAN FRANCISCO, CA WITH 
APPEARANCES CONFIRMED THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER & FALL WITH 
FRANK TURNER, LUCERO, CORY BRANAN AND AUSTIN LUCAS ON SELECT DATES.

“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.” – Brooklyn Vegan

STREAM: HOLD FAST (ACOUSTIC SESSIONS)
(ON SPOTIFY)

Fat Wreck Chords and legendary West Coast rock band face to face are pleased to announce the release of the band’s new album, Hold Fast (Acoustic Sessions). Out today, the album is a career-spanning collection of some of the band’s signature songs, jumping from 1992’s classic Don’t Turn Away to the band’s most recent effort, 2016’s Protection, reimagined into a body of work serving as the band’s first-ever acoustic album. Illustrating the sheer breadth of frontman Trever Keith’s songwriting capacity, Hold Fast (Acoustic Sessions) distills these beloved tracks down to their simplest form, allowing for Keith’s craft to be put on full display. Stream the album in full on Spotify HERE and purchase the album via Fat Wreck Chords HERE. 

Additionally, the band recently announced a full acoustic tour in support of the album. Spanning this summer and fall, the tour will take in evenings in more intimate venues across the U.S. with special guests Cory Branan and Austin Lucas appearing in select markets. face to face will also be performing with Frank Turner and Lucero at Red Rocks Amphitheatre on Friday,August 3 and will be making an appearance at this year’s Riot Fest in Chicago, IL fromSeptember 14-16. A full listing of dates can be found below and more information on tickets can be found on the band’s official website HERE. 

When you think of West Coast punk rock, there aren’t many names more culturally resonant thanface to face, the melodic-punk group formed by frontman Trever Keith 27 years ago. The band has weathered the shifting sands of punk rock and pop culture more times than anyone can count, and here they are, nearly three decades later, not only still going strong but finding new and exciting ways to keep their band and their fans invigorated.

“During last year’s Econo-Live tour, we included a VIP package for the first time ever,” Keith says. “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.

“We’re a band that isn’t afraid to try new things and stretch out beyond what people define as punk rock – it’s part of our career ethic and something we will never change,” Keith continues. “An acoustic record is something we never would have done in 1994 because it wasn’t ‘punk rock’ then, but the world has changed, our supporters have changed, we’ve changed, and the timing just feels right.”

face to face will be making the following appearances throughout the summer and fall. Dates below with more to be announced soon. 

07/27/18 San Francisco, CA at Slim's *
07/28/18 Sacramento, CA at Holy Diver *
07/29/18 Riverside, CA at Concert Lounge @ Romans *
08/03/18 Morrison, CO at Red Rocks Amphitheatre (w/ Frank Turner, Lucero)
09/14/18 Chicago, IL at Cobra Lounge #
09/14/18 Chicago, IL at RIOT FEST 
09/16/18 Pittsburgh, PA at Club Cafe #
09/17/18 Buffalo, NY at Knitting Factory #
09/18/18 Brooklyn, NY at Knitting Factory #
09/19/18 New York, NY at City Winery #
09/20/18 Asbury Park, NJ at Crossroads #
09/21/18 Croydon, PA at Neshaminy Creek Brewing #
09/22/18 Ithaca, NY at The Haunt #
09/23/18 Boston, MA at City Winery #
09/25/18 Virginia Beach, VA at Shakas #
09/26/18 Washington, DC at City Winery #
09/27/18 Richmond, VA at Broadberry #
09/28/18 Atlanta, GA at City Winery #
09/29/18 Cincinnati, OH at Northside Yacht Club #
09/30/18 Nashville, TN at City Winery #

* - Acoustic only performance w/ Cory Branan
# - Acoustic only performance w/ Austin Lucas

Hold Fast (Acoustic Sessions) track listing:
All For Nothing
Disconnected
Shame On Me
Keep Your Chin Up
Velocity
AOK
Don’t Turn Away
Blind
Ordinary
Bill Of Goods