Classless Act On Release Of New Acoustic EP, ‘Storm Before The Calm’ Video Premiere

2022 proved to be a momentous year for L.A. rock quintet Classless Act.

Following spring dates with blues rockers Dorothy, the band offered up their debut album Welcome to the Show in June, a release long in the waiting thanks to pandemic-induced delays.

Just one week before the album dropped, the group made the jump to America’s biggest stages, joining Joan Jett, Poison, Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard on “The Stadium Tour,” performing as opening act on the eighth highest grossing tour of 2022.

Today, Classless Act drops their latest project Welcome to the Acoustic Show.

The new EP, now available via Better Noise Music, features a series of five specially reworked acoustic tracks and in studio videos, highlighting an entirely different side of the band.

The recordings find Classless Act taking a dramatic step forward, focused on gorgeous vocal harmonies while showcasing the musicianship that lies at the heart of the otherwise raucous songs.

“It was a good thing for us to show another side of us – how much more musical we can get. And to show our style. It was a good idea and it was really fun,” said bassist Franco Gravante, who mixed the new release. “Doing it acoustic like that is like being naked. There were no overdubs. And that was a good thing. Sometimes you feel the need to fix things but not with this,” he said.

“There’s no reverb. So it was tough. But I’m so happy that we did it,” added vocalist Derek Day. “We recorded at Sunset Sound. That’s where Prince recorded. So there’s this magic. And I felt so grateful to be a part of it. It felt really good.”

On stage and in the studio, Classless Act calls back to a bygone era, fully grasping the special feel that can be captured in the right studio despite today’s ease of recording at home.

Sunset Sound captured the audio of early Disney films like Mary Poppins, later boasting sessions by artists like The Beach Boys (Pet Sounds), Janis Joplin (Pearl), The Doors (The Doors, Strange Days) and Van Halen (Van Halen and Van Halen II), with a hand in more than 200 gold records since 1958.

For the Welcome to the Acoustic Show sessions, Classless Act hunkered down in studio 2, once home to work on Led Zeppelin IV.

The video for “Storm Before the Calm,” premiered by Forbes below, finds the band at home on Sunset Boulevard, lush harmonies combining with delicate instrumentation to drive the group’s new unplugged take on the track.

“We’re a very musical band. We love to show that side,” said Gravante. “And a good song is a good song. So if you can play it acoustic with five guys in a room making it happen, I think that’s the most important part of it,” said the bassist.

“We worked with [producer] Joe Chiccarelli. He’s worked with Alanis Morissette and Morrissey. So he knows how to twist and turn some knobs. He kind of made that track pop to life. So I think we really got a good little feel for that,” said the singer of his approach to “Storm Before the Calm.” “That was a good track. It was a lot of work. Franco did all of the backing vocals. Everything you hear in the chorus is Franco’s backing vocals. And I respect that. It’s a hitter.”

Last month, Classless Act embraced the holiday spirit via the new song “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” and are currently in the midst of “The Most Wonderful Tour of the Year,” a run of both headlining dates and shows alongside Texas-based rockers Giovannie and The Hired Guns which continues through December, culminating in a New Year’s Eve performance in San Diego.

Following “The Stadium Tour,” Day also took part in the L.A. staging of the Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts, joining Nikki Sixx, Tommy Lee and Foo Fighters on a pair of Mötley Crüe covers, a surreal experience for the vocalist who struggled to make it into the venue for soundcheck alongside his more famous colleagues.

“I was on the phone with Nikki like, ‘How do I get in here? I’m in a white Prius. Get me in the building!’ I had to pass the phone. Nikki was talking to a security guard like, ‘Let this guy in! He’s doing a song!’ So he came to the rescue,” recalled Day with a laugh. “Dave Grohl… He’s just like the nicest, sweetest person on the planet. And he works. He’s working. He played on almost every single song that night – minus five because of Queen. It was intense,” said Day of the epic 53 song concert. “So Dave is the man. Working with Pat Smear and the other boys from Foo Fighters, all of them are just sweet. It felt euphoric. It was awesome.”

As Classless Act move back into more intimate venues on this current live run, both Gravante and Day put the focus squarely on rock’s most unparalleled quality: unpredictable fun.

“We’re working on the set for the headlining shows. I think there’s gonna be a couple of surprises there. We’re working really hard to surprise the fans and play,” said Gravante.

“It’s so weird playing stadiums and then playing a club. They’re so different. It’s another beast. And sonically it’s crazy,” added Day. “But we’re always present and we always want everyone to just enjoy the show – because we’re enjoying it! So just have a good time!”