The Veldt “Joi”

U.S. shoegaze legends The Veldt announce their East Coast tour with Ringo Deathstarr in support of their ‘Illuminated 1989’ album, released via Portland’s Little Cloud Records and North Carolina’s 5BC Records. They also share a live video for the yet-unreleased song ‘Joi’ and the album focus track ‘Willow Tree’ after recently sharing their full live session at Seattle’s KEXP.

Formed in North Carolina in the 1980s, The Veldt’s heady and sensual blend of shoegaze and progressive soul, dreamy soundscapes and infectious grooves makes them stand out among the world’s most notable first-wave shoegaze bands. The band’s core is Daniel Chavis (vocals, guitar), Danny Chavis (guitar) and Hayato Nakao (bass, programming).

‘Illuminated 1989’ album is the original full-length record produced by Cocteau Twins’ Robin Guthrie, who also remastered this album for vinyl. Originally intended as the band’s first album, their label Capitol Records shelved the recording and sent them back into the studio with producer Lincoln Fong (Moose, Piroshka), resulting in their first album released with the title ‘Marigolds’.

The Veldt also released their seductive ‘Aurora Borealis’ 7″ single, featuring Elizabeth Fraser cameo on backing vocals and ‘Aurora Borealis Remix’, as well as videos for ‘Angel Heart’, ‘The Everlasting Gobstopper’ and ‘Shallow by Shallow’, the latter of which features footage from the Ritz NYC by Simon Raymonde of Cocteau Twins.

Pitchfork included The Veldt’s album ‘Afrodisiac’, produced by the legendary Ray Shulman (The Sundays, Bjork, The Sugarcubes) in the top 50 shoegaze albums ever released, while Stereogum included ‘Until You’re Forever’ in the top 31 shoegaze tracks. Their sound also inspired future generations of alternative artists, including TV On the Radio.

The Veldt’s journey is fascinating. Performing since they were children, the Chavis brothers’ musical roots lead back to the church and southern juke-joints, and listening to music that included gospel, Motown and Pink Floyd. The Veldt formed in the late 80’s in Raleigh amongst the legendary North Carolina music scene of the time, initially signing with Mammoth Records – leading to a chain of major-label relationships that took the group across Europe and the U.S. playing shows with the likes of Throwing Muses, Pixies, Cocteau Twins and Jesus & Mary Chain.

After moving from Raleigh to New York, they briefly performed as Apollo Heights before returning to their original name The Veldt.  Other notable releases include ‘The Shocking Fuzz Of Your Electric Fur’ EP (2017) and the album ‘Entropy is the Mainline to God’ (2022).
 
Over the years, The Veldt has collaborated with TV On The Radio, Mos Def, Lady Miss Kier (Deee-Lite), A.R.Kane and toured or played with Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Pixies, Throwing Muses, Echo & The Bunnymen, Cocteau Twins, Manic Street Preachers, Phantogram, Modern English, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Oasis, Chuck D, Living Colour and Schooly D.

The ‘Illuminated 1989’ album is out now on limited edition translucent pink or clear vinyl with a gatefold sleeve. It is also available from fine digital platforms, including Apple Music, Spotify and Bandcamp.  Tickets for this tour are now available online.

-Official bio