The members of Bellingham-based five-piece Polecat arrived at their first rehearsal from very different musical backgrounds. a “Some of us shook hands for the first time that day,” says band leader and vocalist Aaron Guest of the initial meeting in early 2010. Incorporating genres including bluegrass, world, country, Celtic, reggae and rock into a cohesive sound might have been impossible if each member of Polecat hadn’t learned the rules before breaking them. The group is well-seasoned, having performed nearly 100 shows a year since its inception, but at that first meeting, Polecat didn’t even have a name.

The following five years saw Polecat release two full-length albums along with steady growth throughout the Northwest as each band member's musical diversity allowed them to chameleon through an incredible variety of gigs and audiences. Now Polecat will hit the road for two weeks in March as direct support with Yonder Mountain String Band to support the release of a new Polecat album "Into The Wind" on March 11th. Polecat will then embark on a headlining tour in April.

The band shows a Grateful Dead influence on the latest "Into The Wind" single “Christine,” which band member Jeremy Elliott says is about that elusive accomplishment where former romantic partners stay friends when the romance is over. Apparently, when the person is that special, it's worth it to "overcome heartbreak to preserve that unmatched connection, and continue the magic of the relationship outside of the label of a 'couple,'" he explains.

"Into The Wind" by Polecat is scheduled for release on March 11th, 2016.