Upon their departure from Swiz, guitarist/vocalist Jason Farrell and guitarist Dave Stern formed Bluetip with a rhythm section of bassist Jake Kump and drummer Dave Bryson. The group signed with Dischord in 1995 and issued its debut album, Dischord No. 101, the following year. Farrell and Stern formed a second band, this one called Sweetbelly Freakdown, with whom they released an album in 1997; back with Bluetip, they crafted the sophomore effort Join Us, which appeared in 1998; Polmer followed two years later.