The Bridgewater, NJ-based hardcore band Shades Apart formed in 1988, comprising singer/guitarist Mark V., bassist Kevin Lynch and drummer Ed Brown. After releasing their self-titled debut later that year on the Wishingwell label, the trio fell silent before resurfacing in 1992 with the Sunspot EP Dude Danger; another label change, this time to Skene, followed for the 1993 EP Neon. All members Bill Stevenson and Stephen Egerton produced Shades Apart's next LP, 1995's Save It, which scored a minor hit with its punked-up cover of Soft Cell's "Tainted Love." Following 1997's Seeing Things, the group signed to major label Universal to issue Eyewitness two years later. In addition to positive reviews, "Stranger by the Day" was featured on the American Pie soundtrack. Sonic Boom was released in spring 2001 to mediocre reviews. It featured "Got Shot Down," which received a considerable amount of radio play, and a re-recording of "Behind the Wheel."