Jim Protector, a Norwegian alternative rock group formed in 2001 in Horten, Norway, was founded by primary songwriters Alexander Svanberg and Jarle Nordaas. The band's initial release was the 7-inch EP Half Finished / Half Begun in 2002. In 2004, they released their second EP, "Jim Protector's Guide to Self-Pity", which included the radio hit of the same name and was engineered by Thomas Ruud from the Norwegian rock-act Mohammed. The band's lineup evolved over time, with Stein Ove Eriksen joining as a guitarist in 2004 and Andreas Solem Kjær becoming the drummer around the same year. Jim Protector released their debut album Shields Down in 2007, featuring collaborations with lo-fi legend Jad Fair and Ken Stringfellow from The Posies.