The first band in which he played was called Obscene Routine, after which he performed as guitarist in Maurice, but it was with Solution Unknown that he made his first recording.

In February and March 2005, he joined his old bandmates from Slint, Britt Walford, Brian McMahan and Todd Brashear for a reunion tour, and in April released his first solo album not bearing a pseudonym, simply entitled Pajo.

In mid-2005, he helped to form the band Dead Child, with Todd Cook (from Shipping News, Retsin, The For Carnation, and Aerial M—and who also played guitar on the 2005 Slint reunion tour), Michael McMahan (from The For Carnation, Starkiller, and Phantom Family Halo—and who also joined Slint on the reunion tour), and Tony Bailey (from Anomoanon, The Party Girls, Verktum, Lords, and Aerial M).

[7][8] On May 1, 2020, it was revealed that David Pajo was a member of a recording project/band called Household Gods that also consisted of Vern Rumsey of Unwound, Conan Neutron of Conan Neutron & the Secret Friends and Replicator and Lauren K. Newman (LKN) of Palo Verde and LKN Band.

On March 25, 2021, Pajo participated in a group article for the 30th anniversary of Spiderland for Rolling Stone.