Grubbs ' hometown friend Clark Johnson , who 'd played bass in Squirrel Bait , joined Grubbs .
The duo recorded the six - song EP Rode Hard & Put Up Wet , backed by a drum machine and engineered by Steve Albini for Homestead Records in 1988 .
Grubbs ' hometown friend Clark Johnson , who 'd played bass in Squirrel Bait , joined Grubbs , and the duo recorded the six - song EP Rode Hard & Put Up Wet , backed by a drum machine and engineered by Steve Albini for Homestead Records in 1988 .