Following the vein of Wilco, Cracker, and other 'alt-country' groups, Seldomfence was a Portland-based, yet somewhat "Southern" project of Jim Maddox and Jason Mashak from 1999-2002. Maddox (drums & vocals) and Mashak (guitar & vocals) met in north Georgia in the early 1990s, and played together (along with Russell Cook, now of Little Country Giants fame, and Dax Rossetti) in several bands that included Deacon Jones and The Steppers, and occasionally as an acoustic duo known as Sunday Drivers.

The Steppers ended when Maddox moved to Seattle in 1997. Mashak followed a year later and, after they had both settled in Portland, Oregon, they began writing songs in Jim's living room -- resulting in the formation of Seldomfence. Soft Explosion, recorded on 8-track analog at Portland's legendary Type Foundry Studio, is their only officially-released recording.

In Seldomfence's early stages, fellow Georgians Kevin Rentz (bass) and Dax Rossetti (organ, vocals, & engineering help) rounded out the developing band. For later sessions and touring, however, Seldomfence boasted Chris Wheby of Chicago & Austin (bass) and Scott Simpson of Athens & Atlanta (guitar) as regular members.

Sound engineer Brian Jenkins, who had previously worked with both The Jayhawks and the Screaming Trees, mixed and mastered the tracks. Soft Explosion was dedicated to the memory of Rick Danko of The Band.

The album received great reviews, which can be read at:
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