The Veldt Share "Morning, June and Yesterday" Single With Video Homage To Vaughan Olive

The trailblazers known as The Veldt are back with their new single ‘Morning, June and Yesterday’, offering a sneak peek of their ‘Spanikopita’ EP. Rooted in the traditions that shaped the genre yet looking beyond them, “Morning June and Yesterday” embodies the spirit of dream pop and shoegaze as both reflection and forward motion—a journey further into the noise, the beauty and the unknown. The accompanying video is an homage to Vaughan Oliver, the legendary graphic designer whose visual style defined the aesthetic of the 4AD record label.

Here, The Veldt’s guitars wander through a contextual vortex of sound, tracing invisible paths between morning light and fading memories. They ebb and flow like currents carrying pieces of yesterday into the present, surrounding the listener in a haze of longing and wonder. The song asks not where we have been, but whether we can travel further—beyond memory, beyond certainty, and into whatever waits on the horizon… “but the ebb and flow of life is not distant but right here deep down in your soul”.

One of the most notable first-wave shoegaze bands, formed in North Carolina in the 1980s by identical twins Daniel Chavis (vocals, guitar) and Danny Chavis (guitar), The Veldt have long occupied a distinctive space where shoegaze textures intersect with soul, gospel, and experimental rock. Drawing inspiration from artists as varied as Prince, Sun Ra and Pink Floyd, the band developed an approach that favors atmosphere, groove, and emotional nuance over rigid genre boundaries.

After relocating to New York City and expanding their lineup with bassist and programmer Hayato Nakao, the group deepened its sonic identity, incorporating layered production and electronic elements while maintaining a strong melodic core. Consistently prioritizing depth and mood, their recordings reward close listening and their live performances emphasize immersion.

Released as a tour-exclusive CD, ‘Spanakopita’ features new tracks and experimental demos that The Veldt curated especially for US and Canadian tour dates they just completed with post-punk legends The Chameleons, underscoring The Veldt’d enduring relevance, continued artistic momentum and expanding horizons.

The EP includes mixes by Carlos Bess, engineer for the Wu-Tang Clan production circle, along with Will Brooks (Dälek) and Jason Furlow (aka Nosaj) of New Kingdom, also known for his new project Wave Generators and his work with Morcheeba. Their involvement helped shape the project’s evolving fusion of post-punk atmosphere and DJ-culture experimentation—an approach developed through ongoing collaboration over the years working as a production team Illuminutty (a.k.a. VELDT).

“‘Morning, June and Yesterday’ stands as a powerful sonic mantra for the soul, effortlessly returning the listener to the core essence of a natural mystic; it is a truly hypnotic soundscape that resonates with depth, emotion, and intricate musical layers in every single way. feedback layered drone
in a beautiful way,” says Daniel Chavis.

Danny Chavis adds, “Morning, June and Yesterday’ dictates the art of Drone and it’s never ending quest for the artistic repetition of soundscapes in texture and visual sound patterns and form, cognitive dissonance of sound”.

The EP’s lead track ‘Black Girl’, released with a video by Rob Weiss and James Eakins, reinterprets themes from the 1972 film ‘Black Girl’, reflecting the determination of a young dancer striving toward excellence, despite the social limitations surrounding her. Inspired by that spirit of persistence and vision, the track channels a modern, dream-pop-inflected atmosphere reminiscent of A.R. Kane, while moving beyond strict genre labels like shoegaze to incorporate broader influences and sonic elements.

“Many of the recordings on ‘Spanakopita’ point toward the direction of our next body of work. Alongside newly created material, the release also draws from a deep archive of previously unreleased recordings from past years – part of a larger collection scheduled for release this September on Little Cloud Records and 5BC Records – as we continue expanding the sound shaped through these collaborations,” says Daniel Chavis.

The Veldt’s music career has been rich, gradually building a solid legacy. 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 recent ‘Illuminated 1989’ album, produced by Cocteau Twins’ Robin Guthrie, was also widely acclaimed with support on six continents.

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.

As of July 7, ‘Morning, June and Yesterday’ is available as a Bandcamp exclusive. The ‘Spanakopita’ CD itself can only be obtained at The Veldt live shows.

EP TRACK LIST
01 Forevergreen (The Ecology)
02 Black Girl
03 Morning June Yesterday
04 Dakini (Remix)
05 Dakini
06 Slow Dragg
07 I’ll Take You There

CREDITS
Written, Recorded & Mixed by Illuminutty (Doityodamnself Prod)
Performed by Nakao Hayato, Danny Chavis & Daniel Chavis
‘Evergreen’ mixed by Dälek (Will Brooks)
‘Dakini (Remix)’ by Carlos Bess & Jason Furlow
Produced by Illuminutty (Doityodamnself Prod) aka VELDT
Mastered by James Populos (Populis Recording)
Artwork & Layout by Danny Chavis, Joe Nesbitt & Butterfly Soup Ltd.
Copyright 5BC / Little Cloud 2026
‘Black Girl’ video by Rob Weiss & James Eakins
‘Morning June Yesterday’ video by Danny Chavis