[5] They began as a street busking collective,[2] sometimes with Graeme Kirkland contributing on drums, and won a role in Bruce McDonald's 1989 film Roadkill, playing buskers in a field performing their song "The Sound".
[2] They signed to Capitol Records and released their debut album Don't Cry Too Hard in 1990,[6] garnering airplay on rock radio stations with a cover of John Prine's "Angel from Montgomery" and with their own original song "UFO/Catch the Highway".
For their follow-up album, 1992's Book of Rejection, the band brought in guests Jason Sniderman on keyboards, Frank Randazzo on bass and Joel Anderson on drums.
[10] Nicholsen left the band in 1993 to focus on his acting career,[10] notably appearing as Val in the 1994 film The Last Supper and as Mike Lout in Jasper, Texas.
[14] For that album's supporting tour, Langner and Hubert were joined by guitarist Jason Reed, bassist Shaun Noronha and drummer Vince Montagano.