Sharks Keep Moving were a short-lived Seattle rock band that formed in 1998. The band's original lineup consisted of Jake Snider (guitar/vocals), Nathan Turpen (guitar), Jeff DeGolier (bass), and Dan Dean (drums). Their music was a melodic, often soft, brand of rock with odd time signatures and an almost freeform jazz influence. History Snider, Turpen, and DeGolier had all previously played in the respected Seattle indie band State Route 522, and had released material with Seattle's Excursion Records under that name. State Route 522 broke up in 1997, following the release of their Samson Is Apollo EP for Excursion. Jay Clark was still playing with Kill Sadie but worked with the band as another guitarist. Within the next year, Snider, Turpen, and DeGolier found themselves playing together again, but this time leaving behind the post-hardcore sound of their previous band in favor of a much more melodic, but no less technical approach to their music. The band recruited Dan Dean (former drummer of nineironspitfire, another Seattle hardcore band) to round out the lineup. Snider has been quoted as saying that he chose the name Sharks Keep Moving after seeing the term used as a headline for a magazine article. Sharks Keep Moving picked up quickly in the independent rock scene, partially because State Route 522 had found more of fanbase after their demise then they had during their existence. The first recorded output for Sharks Keep Moving came in the form of a split 7-inch with fellow Seattle natives The Kentucky Pistol (which featured brothers Sonny and Rocky Votolato, later members of Bugs In Amber and Waxwing, respectively). The record was released by Snider on his own label, Henry's Finest Recordings, and caught the attention of independent music labels Status Recordings, and Second Nature Recordings, who both expressed interest in releasing material with the band. The band's next release was the Desert Strings and Drifters EP on Second Nature. Recorded by respected Seattle producer Matt Bayles, the four-song EP showed the band delve deeper into melody and odd time-signatures. Lengthy songs and sparse vocals set the tone for the group's later efforts, along with the incorporation of cello (played by Snider's future wife, Stephanie Goldade). Desert Strings and Drifters was fairly well received among independent rock critics, but the group remained largely unknown outside of their home area. They continued to play locally as well as up and down the