.Recently
signed to the Fat Wreck Chords label and featured on the new
Vertical Smile video is the band Face To Face. This three
piece from Victorville, CA has been together for three years
and released their first full length CD entitled "Don't
Turn Away" in February 1993, which followed a previous
seven inch EP.
The band
consists of Trever Keith on vocals and guitar, Matt Riddle
on bass and backing vocals, and Rob Kurth on drums and additional
backing vocals. With bar chord aggression similar to Black
Flag and vocal harmonies reminiscent of old Agent Orange,
Face To Face attain an "early 80's" punk sound, yet emerges
fresh and original. Here is a conversation with the band over
a 1:00 a.m. Circus Circus breakfast following a recent gig
in Reno, NV.
Heckler
(Chris Carnel): Where do your lyrics come from?
Trever:
I write the lyrics.
Heckler:
Like, for instance, the tune that goes, "Brains in your
head, feet in you shoes, You can steer yourself anyway you
choose." (Note: This is the song "You've Done Nothing"
used as an intro to the Vertical Smile video as well as the
first cut on the CD.) Was that part about anybody in particular?
Trever:
Actually that particular quote is Doctor Seuss from a book
called "Oh, The Places You'll Go." But that song, or
at least most of the ones I write, are about situations or
ideas and feels that I have. But I try to apply what means
something to me. And I try to leave the lyrics open to interpretation
so the listener can apply it to whatever situation he or she
thinks it's about. I'd rather not say that I wrote it about
this person or that person.
Heckler:
Oh, OK, but I thought I saw somebody's name mentioned after
that certain quote in the song?
Trever:
Ted Geisel, that's Dr. Suess.
Heckler:
Cool, I get it.
Rob:
Then about two weeks after we recorded that song, Dr. Suess
died. So it's kinda like a tribute to him.
Matt:
Even an adult can relate to Dr. Suess. It gives you a
different outlook on our band, were not just punk.
Trever:
We're more like teen rock. (sarcastically)
Matt:
Kinda like a Teen Beat thing.
Trever:
We're into pop music ... (pause) ... that's pissed off.
Heckler:
Maybe that's where you guys get your own sound. What kind
of music are you all into?
Matt:
We listen to everything, as long as it good. Rob likes Rush.
Rob:
A lot of different styles as long as its good playing, good
songwriting.
Matt:
I like a lot of classical stuff, I also like Tory Amos. Trever's
into the Beastie Boys and he also likes Jawbreaker.
Trever:
I really like the Cranberriesa lot.
Heckler:
How did you guys hook up with Fat Mike of NO FX and his label
Fat Wreck-Chords?
Trever:
A friend of ours who lives where we live, in the high
desert, was promoting shows in Orange County and Riverside.
He had called Mike trying to book some NO FX shows at the
Whiskey or something. He told me I should try and get a show
on with them, so I called Mike up and told him I'm Trever
of Face To Face and he had heard of us before. So I said I'll
send you a CD, check it out and maybe we can do some shows.
So after that I sent him a CD. Then later he talked to us
about maybe doing some recording and stuff. We then mentioned
how we weren't really happy about how the record (Don't
Turn Away) was being distributed and pressed. And he
said he'd be interested in picking it up so we were like,
yeah, let's do it! That was basically it.
Rob:
It was on another record label and it didn't have real good
distribution. So we decided to upgrade it to the Fat Records
label. It will do a lot better for us.
Matt:
Yeah, maybe this label will care a little about what happens.
Rob:
We're just re-releasing it on Fat Records. It will be a lot
better for us. Better distribution and advertising you know
that kind of thing. Let this ride awhile, if things work out
we'll start working on a second album.
Heckler:
So when are you going back into the studio?
Trever:
I hope we can have a record contract put together by the
spring and hopefully have a new record out by summer.
Rob:
In the near future we're doing our first major tour in Europe
and we're going out with Lagwagon. It should be good.
Heckler:
How long are you going to be in Europe?
Rob:
We'll be there for one month hitting five different countries.
Lagwagon stays there and we will be flying home. Then we'll
probably be going out in the spring with NO FX, in Canada
and the Northwest.
Heckler:
Do you guys do just this for a living?
Trever:
We're trying to find a label that will give us just a little
cash advance for tour support, cause we all do hold full time
jobs. We want to try and at least make enough money to pay
our bills and stuff. If we can't do that we'll still keep
trying.
Matt:
It's kinda like a goal of ours right now.
Heckler:
What type of jobs do you guys have?
Trever:
Working construction. Matt works at a screen printer.
Heckler:
How do you get time off, are you good friends with the boss?
Trever:
I work for my dad.
Matt:
No, Rob just quits.
Rob:
When we get done with the tour I'll probably have lost a lot
of money because of it. Then I'll decide to go work some more,
then tour some more. Hopefully someday it will all even out.
Matt:
Rob came out here from Wisconsin, got the most bitchen job
ever, it's a really hard job, got all kinds of money together
and bought a house.
Heckler:
Oh, really! thought you guys were just kidding.
