Poles Apart started as a fun project in 2000, The name of the band was then ”Feedback”. Espen (vocals, guitar and songwriter) and some friends kept the band going for about one year. In 2001, Espen wanted to take the band to another level, and contacted an old friend from school, Per (drums), who was willing to join. Per and Espen got the old guitarist from Feedback and a new guy on bass, and formed the band ”ShenanDoah”. For about 2 years they played the local scenes and sent demos around to Norwegian labels, without any response. The band fell apart as the bassist and guitarist dropped out. Per then knew a guy who played bass (Ivar) and asked him if he wanted to try it out. He answered yes. At the same time, Espens younger sister had a boyfriend (Bjørn) who played guitar, and he also accepted a place in the band. The four of them started playing some serious music together and attended a bigger local festival (Kloppstock Festival), which gave them an entrance into the local music community as well as very good reviews in local newspapers. While they were doing well, they went on to record a demo at a well known Norwegian studio, Teigen Studios. The four happy guys kept playing the local scenes. In the fall of 2005, they won a music contest (Landsbylarm) together with a couple of other bands – and a prize to play a mini concert in Stockholm, Sweden, where professional music people were part of the audience. This was a great experience and a huge learning process for the band – and they enjoyed their first gig abroad. Soon after, the guitarist left the band to pursue his own musical goals. In the middle of all this advancement in the business, the band changed their name from ShenanDoah to ”Poles Apart”. Mainly to express the big ”differences” within the band, regarding personalities and their taste of music. It took awhile to find a replacement for the guitarist, and the band took a little break. Then, in the beginning of 2006, they found an experienced guitarist (Torkel) just down the street from where the band rehearse (in the barn of Espen’s parents). Torkel has years of band experience back to the late 80’s/early 90’s. He has kept some of these guitar sounds and has added a new sound to the band.