California native Tony Molina spent years working in the punk and hardcore scenes before venturing out into his much poppier solo work. Living in the Bay area, Molina played in various D.I.Y. hardcore acts starting in his teenage years, such as Dystrophy, Lifetime Problems, and Caged Animals. In 2013, while still fronting the much more aggressive Caged Animal, Molina released his solo debut, Dissed and Dismissed, a collection of 12 short and fuzzy tunes that took notes from '90s indie and power pop acts like Weezer, Dinosaur Jr., and Teenage Fanclub. The incredibly brief album (the 12 tunes rush by in as many minutes) caught the ears of various labels and booking agents, and by the end of the year, Molina released an EP, Six Tracks, for Matador and signed with Slumberland. The former label re-released Dissed and Dismissed in March as Molina prepped his next album. He wrote and recorded over 40 songs, feeling pressure to make the record just right and wavering about which musical direction to take. In the end, he pivoted from making an album to releasing a single for Slumberland in late 2016. Stripping away the power and guitars from his pop sound, the eight-song Confront the Truth single featured Molina playing acoustic guitars, adding keyboards, and channeling his love of the Beatles. ~ Fred Thomas