Southern California punks Face to Face formed in 1991, originally comprising singer/guitarist Trever Keith, drummer Rob Kurth and bassist Matt Riddle. Debuting early the following year on the Dr. Strange label with Don't Turn Away, the trio was quickly snapped up by Fat Wreck Chords, which reissued the LP soon after; adding second guitarist Chad Yaro, Face to Face toured relentlessly in the months to follow, recording a series of singles and compilation tracks collected in 1994 as Over It. When the song "Disconnected" became a local hit thanks to steady airplay on Los Angeles station KROQ, the group's profile grew considerably, and 1995's Big Choice sold in excess of 100,000 copies. In the wake of Riddle's exit, bassist Scott Shiflett signed on for Face to Face's major-label debut, a self-titled release issued on A&M in 1996. The adventurous Ignorance Is Bliss followed in mid-1999 on the Beyond label, featuring new drummer Pete Parada; the following year saw Face to Face returning to their core sound with Reactionary.