Dave came out west from the small village of Wooler, in south-eastern Ontario, with at the time - fellow Overmen band-mate Travis Taylor. The idea to come out west to push the band, as opposed to maybe staying in Ontario, was made kind of spontaneously. It ended just as abruptly about 3 years later, though Dave confesses, "The band falling apart was a steady downhill slope, really. I think we could see it coming, but part of me was hesitant to leave the band. The Overmen was such a great band to be in for me, and coming out west was still the best idea. When the project ended, it was so chaotic. There was a lot going on in my mind at the time, and I really snapped under it all."
After dealing with some personal demons, Dave quit the band, and went back to his home province, unsure if it was a permanent move or not. The return to the quiet solitude of the countryside allowed Dave to come back to Vancouver with even more focus, drive, and conviction. "It was during these six months or so that the first concept of A.P.B. came to surface. At that time, it wasn't more than some letters, an alternate name for my music. I had a couple of ideas what the acronym would mean, but nothing concrete. Then I went to a party one night in Trenton, and was telling some folks about my idea for a band, and this one guy was like, 'Dave, you idiot! A.P.B. stands for ALL POINTS BULLETIN. That would be way heavier.' I thought he was right, on all 3 accounts."
Upon returning to the rainy city, Dave was quickly grabbed to be the sole guitarist for Rod Black, and his project at the time, called "Burn". "Getting on board with Rod was sort of funny, because Travis was in Burn after The Overmen had dissipated, and now I was taking his place like 3-6 months after he'd left Burn." It was a firestorm of 6-8 months with Burn, but despite some troubles that went along with the break of the band, Dave says, " It was an awesome trip w/ Burn! I had so many fuckin' wicked experiences in that time, and there was a lot of fantastic individuals, shows, parties..... I didn't see Burn ending as it did, though that band was so volatile at the time. It was a bit of a shock, but there was tensions all the fuckin' time within the four of us. I loved that part too, though. For me, at that point in my life, the experience, whether you saw it as good or bad, was the part I loved. I still like that, the experience, the ride - except that I do prefer to dwell in the light."
It was literally a crawl out of the gutter for Dave in the next following 3 years. Survival was more important than having a band, but by 2004 Dave could see APB having a real future. "By that time, I just needed others - dedicated musicians who could step up, and not just people interested in a 'hobby'. A.P.B. had material, and even a small group of loyal friends by then, so it was totally about finding people to play with."
"It often seems like it's the old one-step foward, two-steps back thing. Progress is always made, but sometimes what you wanna get done takes longer than desired. Patieince is needed, but be too patient, and you get walked on. Nothing gets done without some sparks and shit. Everything created creates its own fire and excrement."