Before joining Modest Mouse, Peloso was a founding member of the Charlottesville based bluegrass group The Hackensaw Boys, playing upright bass and fiddle.[2] Two of his songs, "Hobo" and "Sweet Petunia", appear on their album Look Out! On March 1, 2009 Tom Peloso released a digital EP, The Last Saturday of the Year, containing four new tracks recorded in fall 2008 at Monkeyclaus studio.