Chris Heidman, Steve Cruze, and Steve Hermann formed Sukpatch in 1991. Inspired by the indie rock scene emerging from the Pacific Northwest and early ’90s hip-hop, the band set out to fuse the two genres. In doing so, they cemented their status as lo-fi pioneers, ultimately helping to define what would later be recognized as hip-hop-infused bedroom pop.

Their early cassette-only releases leaned toward more traditional indie rock, but by 1993 their sound fully came together on the cult classic Lite Hits, featuring Tara Heilman on vocals. Unable to afford a sampler, the band taught themselves to create tape loops using a reel-to-reel machine bought from a thrift store. The process was makeshift and labor-intensive, layering breakbeat loops with audio snippets recorded directly from public-access television, all tracked and mixed on a Tascam Porta 2 four-track cassette recorder.

Following Lite Hits, Sukpatch released a series of 7" singles on Slabco, Motorway, Moshi Moshi, and Sub Pop. They began upgrading their equipment with phrase samplers, synthesizers such as the Roland Juno-106, and an eight-track reel-to-reel tape machine. This momentum led to their debut full-length LP, Haulin’ Grass and Smokin’ Ass, which received widespread critical acclaim.

The band later signed with the Beastie Boys’ Grand Royal label, releasing the Tie Down That Shiny Wave EP, followed by the LP Naturalizms.