De Novo Dahl began as the partnership of songwriting friends Mark Bond (aka Vovo Dahl) and Joel McAnulty (aka Joel J. Dahl or Jsperanza) at high school in Hendersonville, TN. Bond, a singer and keyboadist, and McAnulty, a singer and guitarist, initially formed a band called "Harmonium," which broke up on the verge of a recording deal. After pursuing solo efforts, they reunited in the summer of 2001 and resumed writing songs together. Adding singer and omnichord player Serai Zaffiro (daughter of guitarist David Zaffiro of the Christian metal band Bloodgood and, soon after joining the band, McAnulty's wife), bassist Jon Schneck (later replaced by David Carney), drummer Joey Andrews, and lead guitarist Sandy Sandidge, De Novo Dahl was officially formed in Murfreesboro, TN, in November 2001. ("De novo" is Latin for "anew"; Dahl is a reference to Roald Dahl, the children's author of James and the Giant Peach and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.)