Butthole Surfers to officially release their shelved 'After the Astronaut' album

The original version of the long-lost Butthole Surfers album After the Astronaut will finally see the light of day.

As the story goes, the Surfers recorded After the Astronaut as a follow-up to their 1996 album Electric Larryland -- featuring the hit "Pepper" -- but the record was rejected by their label for not being "commercial" enough. After signing with a new label, the band rerecorded much of the After the Astronaut sessions for their 2001 album, Weird Revolution, which marked their final studio record.

"We were pretty stoked to make another album after the success of our previous album and its single 'Pepper,'" says guitarist Paul Leary in a statement. "Capitol Records was stoked to get that next record until our relationship soured."

Leary continues, "Hollywood Records bought the album but wanted to make changes to it which was an uncomfortable experience for us. Now we have the right to release the original recording the way we intended it to be with its original title, After the Astronaut."

The original After the Astronaut is due out June 26. You can listen to the song "Jet Fighter" now.

You can also hear Butthole Surfers on the soundtrack of the final season of Stranger Things. The band's name even comes up during a Stranger Things scene.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.