Company of Wolves began in 1987, when NYC singer/songwriter/producer Jeff Kent was writing and recording with Kyf, and brought in Steve Conte to play some guitar. Kyf & Steve immediately hit it off and began writing for Kyf’s solo project, until the idea of creating a group came about wherein they decided on the band name. Steve’s brother John was brought in on bass, and Frankie LaRocka, who had been envisioning a power trio to back Kyf, was asked to complete the vision. 

Frankie’s industry connections helped the Wolves secure a few much-needed things: free recording time at Atlantic Studios to produce their demos, a prominent manager, and subsequently a flurry of major label interest. The Wolves scheduled a showcase of their material, invited all interested labels and chose Mercury/Polygram as the best option. The eponymous debut was recorded between Austin and LA in the spring of 1989, and released in January 1990.

Though Frankie succumbed to a corporate job soon after the release, the band toured relentlessly with several drummers for the next few years, gathering fans across the country, but the emergence of grunge became their biggest challenge in charting, and they were subsequently dropped from their label after the recording of their second album, Rhythm & Booze in 1992. That album was eventually released by the group as Steryl Spycase. Another album of demos that didn’t make the original debut, Shakers & Tamborines, was also released in the following years.