The band members constructed a studio at the Lytle family home, and their first release, also in 1992, was the self-produced cassette "Prepare to Bawl". This was followed in April 1994 by a second cassette titled "Complex Party Come Along Theories". The singles "Could This Be Love" and "Taster" were released later that year. The guitarist Jim Fairchild and the keyboardist Tim Dryden joined the band in 1995. Fairchild, who left another band to join Grandaddy, was another former professional skateboarder and had already guested with them; Dryden had been Fairchild's "jam-buddy". A third cassette, "Don't Sock the Tryer", was withdrawn, and the band instead released their debut mini-album "A Pretty Mess by This One Band" in April 1996 on the Seattle-based Will label.