Possibly the least appreciated of Seattle's early grunge pioneers, Skin Yard never broke out of the deeper levels of the underground. Unlike most of their peers, they never made it onto the Sub Pop roster, nor did their key personnel go on to breakout stardom with other bands. They did, however, contribute drummers to acts like Soundgarden and the Presidents of the United States of America, and guitarist Jack Endino became the local scene's pre-eminent producer and engineer, helming records for nearly every Sub Pop luminary. Endino and bassist Daniel House formed Skin Yard in 1985, at the dawn of the grunge era. They were joined by vocalist Ben McMillan and drummer Matt Cameron, the latter of whom had played with House in a group called Feedback. Skin Yard made their live debut in June 1985, and first appeared on record later that year with their contribution to Deep Six, a C/Z Records compilation that marked the vinyl debut of other important early grunge artists, including Green River, the Melvins, Malfunkshun, and Soundgarden.