Pavement formed in Stockton, California in 1989 as a studio project of guitarists and vocalists Stephen Malkmus & Scott Kannberg, known originally only as "S.M." and "Spiral Stairs". Their debut EPs were extremely lo-fi releases titled "", "Demolition Plot J-7", and "Perfect Sound Forever". They were recorded at Louder Than You Think, the home studio of Stockton local and former hippie Gary Young who also played drums on the recordings. Upon first hearing the duo's songs, Young was quoted as saying, "this Malkmus idiot is a complete songwriting genius."