During the same time he collaborated with friends Matt Guenette and Mike Ukstins on a synthpop project named Procession, gaining experience with live performance.

In 1992, Shear self-released a collection called "Wires", which generated some buzz among minor radio stations and underground magazines, but still little interest from record labels.

In the mid-1990s, he produced techno tracks for a side project called Nerve Filter which generated some interest at record label 21st Circuitry.

Shear kept writing Assemblage 23 songs and sending out demos despite his frustration over the lack of interest among record labels, later crediting the support and encouragement from his early fans for keeping him going.

That same year, Shear's father committed suicide, and the resulting pain and loss is evident in the second album, Failure, released in 2001.