by Mike DaRoncoAfter having several stints as a backup player for such bands as Mannequin Beach, Whiskey Sour Notes, and Compost, singer/guitarist Heath Cole moved on to front his own band in 1994. Simply calling themselves Wide, the lineup was officially complete with the recruitment of bassist Jimmy Webb and drummer Smokey Anderson. Soon, the Lincoln, NE, three-piece brought on a fast-pace punk-funk hybrid before Ismist Records released their first EP in 1997 as a split album with fellow Nebraskans Stew. The following year, Ismist Record continued to work with Wide as they followed with the band's first full-length, entitled Hidden Agenda.