The album was recorded on January 12th at Nickel and Dime Studios in Atlanta (other bands who have recorded there in the past include Indigo Girls, The B-52's, Shawn Mullins) in front of 100 lucky fans who were chosen at random from over five thousand entries. Family and friends of the band were also in attendance. "Before The Amplifiers" is the perfect collection for both the hardcore band fans (a.k.a. Hazelnuts) and for listeners just discovering the band for the first time.

Says band lead singer Ken Block: "One of my favorite things about our band is that we have always appreciated breaking it down just as much as we love to crank it up. The fans have always connected with the acoustic sets and enjoy the acoustic moments at our bigger shows. They've been asking us to do an acoustic record for as long as we've been a band. We felt like we were in the perfect space to capture an acoustic evening and it turned out great. There are a lot of different sounds and several alternate arrangements that were a blast to play. Acoustic versions really get their power from musical subtleties, the lyricism and the naked harmonies. That's where the intimacy really shines."

As per usual, the band will be touring heavily leading up to and in support of "Before The Amplifiers," with a number of summer festivals already on the itinerary. As a group that values fan input and feedback a great deal, the band will be holding their annual Hazelnut Hang again, scheduled for May 30th � June 1st in Isle of Palms, South Carolina. This weekend of performances, interaction and conversation allows fans an opportunity to connect with the band members on a personal level.