In den 1990ern spielte Reto Wilk, alias Ray Wilko mit seiner Indie-Rock-Band Harry immer mal wieder an den gleichen Orten wie eine von Sams Bands. Als Ray 1996 sein famoses erstes Solo-Album «Subzero» veröffentlichte, kamen Sam und Ray ins Gespräch. Auf der Platte hatte Ray alle Instrumente souverän selber eingespielt. Doch falls er seinen CD-Wurf auf die Bühne bringen wollte, brauchte er eine Band. So entstanden The Subzeroes. Von den eben aufgelösten Phon Roll kamen Stuwi Aebersold und Sam, von Harry die Bassistin Reg Fry.
Es war nicht einfach, den alternativen Indie-Charme und die ungeschliffene, augenzwinkernde Selfmade-Power von Ray’s Songs in eine Bandform zu bringen. Doch bald enterten Ray und seine Subzeroes die ersten Club-Bühnen und erhielten positive Kritiken – meist allerdings ausserhalb von Bern, wo man dem unbernisch aufspielenden Americana-Alternativrocker viel Sympathien entgegenbrachte. Zwar erschien das breite Publikum nicht zu Hunderten an Wilko-Gigs, aber bei angefressenen Music Lovers genoss Ray Wilko Kultstatus. Im Liverepertoire befanden sich neben Wilko-Ohrwürmern wie «What’s the deal, Kim?» und «Wally Wall» auch einige Covers von Bands wie Magnapop («Slowly Slowly), Weezer («Buddy Holly») oder Frank Black («Handyman» von Otis Blackwell).
1997/98 waren Ray und die Subzeroes mit neuen Songs im Studio – im Schaffhauser Star Track Studio, um genauer zu sein, zusammen mit dem Engineer und Produzenten Tom Etter. Dies war Ray’s erstes Solo-Album mit Band und entsprechend heterogen tönte es: Neben krachend-poppigem Gitarrenrock gab es auch exotische Instrumentals, angeheiterte Bargesänge und folkige Balladen. Im Radio mauserte sich das leicht beatleske «Wherever I Go» zum Airplay-Favoriten.
Nach den Sessions stiess Cab Strangler von Harry als weiterer Drummer zur Band. Sam spielte noch einige Gigs als Perkussionist und Chorsänger, dann ging er mit Toni Vescoli auf Tournee und verliess die Band. Ray Wilko blieb weiterhin aktiv und veröffentlichte bis 2008 drei weitere Alben. Bei den (leider kurzlebigen) Cayman Islands spielten Ray und Sam nochmals zusammen.
In the 1990s, guitarist/singer/songwriter Reto Wilk and his indie rock band Harry sometimes played at the same venues as Sam's bands. When Ray released his fantastic first solo album "Subzero" in 1996, Sam and Ray started talking. On record, Ray had played all the instruments himself. But if he wanted to bring his CD to the stage, he needed a band. And so The Subzeroes were formed. Stuwi Aebersold and Sam came from the recently disbanded Phon Roll , and bassist Reg Fry had already played with Ray in Harry.
It wasn't that easy to “translate” the alternative indie charm and the unpolished, tongue-in-cheek self-made power of Ray's songs into a band form. But Ray and his Subzeroes soon entered the club stages and received positive reviews - mostly outside of their hometown, where the Americana alternative rockers, who played in rather non-Bernese style, were well received. Although the general public did not turn up in their hundreds at Wilko gigs, Bern’s Elvis Costello meets Frank Black enjoyed cult status among music lovers. In addition to Wilko’s catchy tunes such as "What's the deal, Kim?" and "Wally Wall", the live repertoire also included covers of bands such as Magnapop ("Slowly Slowly”), Weezer ("Buddy Holly") and Frank Black ("Handyman" by Otis Blackwell).
In 1997/98, Ray and the Subzeroes were in the studio with new songs - in Schaffhausen’s Star Track Studio, to be more precise, together with engineer and producer Tom Etter. This was Ray's first solo album with a band and it had many facets: In addition to noisy but still pop-orientated guitar rock, there were also exotic instrumentals, drunken bar singing and folky ballads. On the radio, the slightly fabs-inspired "Wherever I Go" became an airplay favorite.
After the sessions, Harry's Cab Strangler joined the band as yet another drummer. Sam played a few more gigs as a percussionist and harmony singer, then he went on tour with Toni Vescoli and left the band. Ray Wilko remained active and released three more albums by 2008. Sam and Ray would play together again in the – sadly shortlived – Cayman Islands.