Beans & Fatback

Beans & Fatback are set to release their new album ‘Hold Fast’. Known for their energetic and soulful brand of garage rock & soul), the band have crafted a sound reminiscent of bands like Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, New York Dolls, Eagles of Death Metal, and Lou Reed. Their fourth record – out on January 10, 2025 via AT EASE – is the first full length album of the Amsterdam outfit in ten years. 

‘Hold Fast’ is a raw homage to the late 1970s unbridled New York post-punk scene. The band, spearheaded by Onno Smit and Paul Willemsen, find inspiration in the photographs of Joseph Rodriguez's book "Taxi - Journey Through My Windows," which paint a grim portrait of a city on the brink. Brooklyn-born taxi driver Joseph Rodriguez captured life in New York City from his cab between 1977 and 1987. His work has been widely acclaimed and published in leading publications such as National Geographic, Newsweek, New York Times Magazine, Der Spiegel, Stern, and TIME. One of these photographs now graces the cover of the new Beans & Fatback album.

The album's title ‘Hold Fast’ is a nautical term meaning ‘hold tight’ or ‘cling fast’, which is derived from the Dutch expression ‘Houd vast’. As frontman Onno Smit explains, "It's a mantra for when everything seems to be falling apart. When the world around you starts to spin like a whirlwind, you have to cling to your principles and dreams, to everything that still makes you human."