What it is:
The Poles formed in the fall of 2004 in Asheville, NC. They quickly jumped into the ring and gathered a steady local following in a matter of months. Blending influences from their checkered past they emerged with an innovative and defined sound. The best elements of multiple genres merge and detach; a sonic crock-pot of fury, invention, and restraint. They stick to a pure rock ethic, one that stays true to the fundamentals and does not fall victim to pop clichés. They are simultaneously complex and minimalist, intricate and straightforward. Arty…visceral…cerebral…slow-burning.

Where it at:
The Poles have worked the regional circuit hard and have gained a reputation for intense and dynamic live shows. Summer 2005 ushered in the self-released “Arrive” EP and a tour through the Midwest. While in Minneapolis they were approached by doubleplusgood records and asked to join an already diverse and established roster including Happy, The Means, The Willis, and Self-Evident. The Poles will release their doubleplusgood records debut EP “As Above, So Below” in March 2006. The album will be serviced to 400 college radio and press outlets. Southern, Carrot Top, and Choke will be distributing it nationwide. They kick off a regional tour in mid February to coincide with the release of the EP. They were featured on the Radio Free Brooklyn podcast and interviewed by the Asheville Citizen Times for a new podacst series featuring up and coming local bands. They will record their first full length this summer and plan to tour up the East Coast and through the Midwest in the fall.

Where it from:
Todd Lemiesz (guitarist/lead vox/songwriter) is the former drummer/bass player of H. Chinaski, a Wisconsin based art/math rock outfit. Once in Asheville Lemiesz spent the next four years writing and recording for local films (Ether, The Nudger) and performing with local heavyweights Lube Royale and Sex Patriates. Bruce Rogers (guitar/synth/vocals), a self-taught freak from Massachusetts supplies the texture and tension. He yells at people when they try to fuck with The Poles. He also builds guitars. Bruce and Todd collaborated on the baritone/guitar/drums trio Sidewalk Astronomer prior to The Pole’s conception. Eli Wengerd (bass/synth), a young lad from Philadelphia, is a recovering mid-eighties goth child which led to his unhealthy obsession with synthesizers and tendency to hide in the corner. Drummer Jon McDuffie cut his teeth with the Athens, GA experimental/post-hardcore trio SciFu. He enjoys breaking sticks and inducing tectonic shifts. Dig it.

Dig it.