Ep 674 King Coffey on them preparing to release their long-lost album After the Astronaut.
Laughing Monkey with Shawn RatchesShow Notes
Legendary psychedelic punk innovators Butthole Surfers are finally preparing to release their long-lost album After the Astronaut, a record originally shelved in 1998 following the commercial success of Electriclarryland. In a recent conversation with drummer King Coffey, he described the album as a return to the band’s experimental roots, driven by electronic textures, industrial rhythms, and the bizarre sonic chaos that made the group underground icons. Coffey explained that the band intentionally moved away from the alternative rock trends dominating radio at the time, instead diving deeper into psychedelic sound manipulation and digital experimentation. Nearly three decades later, the album is finally being released exactly as the band originally intended. Set for release on June 26, 2026 through Sunset Blvd. Records, After the Astronaut represents the first official studio release of new archival material from the band in over twenty years. Early singles including “Jet Fighter” and “Imbuya” capture the surreal, unhinged atmosphere that has always defined the Butthole Surfers’ sound. Coffey noted that making the record felt similar to the creative insanity surrounding their landmark 1987 album Locust Abortion Technician, with the band embracing every strange idea possible in the studio. The album’s release also follows renewed interest in the band after reunion performances and the documentary The Hole Truth and Nothing Butt, reintroducing a new generation to one of alternative rock’s most unpredictable and influential acts.
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