Acceptance

Acceptance, a pop-punk band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1998. They released their first EP, ‘Lost for Words’, in 2000, followed by ‘Black Lines to Battlefields’ in 2003. Their debut album, ‘Phantoms’, was released in 2005. The band extensively toured nationally, sharing stages with acts such as The Juliana Theory, Anberlin, Finch, Further Seems Forever, and Seether. They also performed on the Warped Tour and Cornerstone Festival. ‘Lost for Words’ garnered significant industry attention, leading to a professional management team and a contract with Sony-owned Columbia Records. Columbia Records then released the ‘Black Lines To Battlefields’ EP through The Militia Group. ‘Phantoms’ was also released on Columbia Records in 2005.

In 2006, the band announced a hiatus. Lead singer Jason Vena pursued a different path, while other members continued in various musical projects. Jason Vena later appeared on Ivoryline’s 2010 album ‘Vessels’ and All Time Low’s 2012 album ‘Don’t Panic’. Guitarist Christian McAlhaney joined Anberlin, and other members formed new bands like Search/Rescue and Thunder Thunder. On January 26, 2015, Acceptance announced their reunion.

Following their reunion, Acceptance released new music, including ‘Take You Away’ in 2015. They embarked on various performances, including the Skate & Surf 2015 festival. In 2017, they released their second studio album, ‘Colliding by Design’. This was followed by the ‘Wild’ EP in 2020, and later the full album ‘Wild, Free’ in 2020. In the summer of 2025, Acceptance signed with Equal Vision Records and released a 20-year anniversary re-recording of ‘Phantoms’ titled ‘Phantoms/Twenty’. This re-recording featured collaborations with artists such as Alex Gaskarth, Cassadee Pope, John O’Callaghan, Martin Johnson, Teddy Swims, Jenna McDougall, Stephen Christian, Derek DiScanio, Charlotte Sands, Mitch Grassi, and Matty Mullins. The band continues to tour and release new material.