On September 18,The Van Peltt will release its new album Remain Obscure (Ernest Jenning Record Co.) and can be pre-ordered here. Today the band is sharing the album’s lead single “Kris Is Riding Horses In Ojai” and its accompanying music video. 

On the song, the band says,“‘Kris is Riding Horses in Ojai’ is a call to arms for all the sleeper cells of dreamers who’ve been dispersed and compromised by life, but whose inner flames can’t be doused.”

After disbanding in 1997, the band’s reputation continued to grow. What began as a well-kept secret among underground music fans gradually became a touchstone for listeners searching beyond the obvious narratives of 1990s alternative rock. Reunions in 2009 and 2014, the release of the long-lost Imaginary Third, and a series of acclaimed live performances introduced their music to a new audience while reaffirming their enduring relevance.

In 2023, The Van Pelt returned with Artisans & Merchants, their first collection of new material in more than twenty-five years. Rather than revisiting old formulas, the album expanded the band’s sonic vocabulary while preserving the qualities that made them unique: curiosity, intelligence, vulnerability and an unwavering commitment to following their own instincts.

Now, more than three decades after their formation, The Van Pelt are set to return this fall with Remain Obscure, their fifth studio album. Continuing their tradition of defying expectations, the record pushes beyond the familiar boundaries of the band’s sound while embracing the same spirit that has defined them from the beginning. A band whose influence has consistently exceeded its visibility, The Van Pelt remain one of independent music’s most enduring and rewarding secrets.