Formed in Richmond, Virginia in 1985, the Alter Natives blended punk, jazz, funk, and experimental rock into a bold, genre-defying sound. After self-releasing Friends of the Farm, the band signed to SST Records, releasing Hold Your Tongue, Group Therapy, and Buzz, and touring the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Known for their groove-driven evolution and fearless musicianship, the Alter-Natives remain one of SST?s most adventurous instrumental acts.

We are pleased to announce that the band?s first demo tape and all full-length albums have been newly remastered and will be released in February 2026 on Electric Cowbell?s new imprint, Richmond Relics, via Bandcamp and streaming services. The reissues also include trio versions of the recordings, highlighting the bass, drum, and guitar core of the instrumental compositions created by Chris, Jim, and Greg between 1985 and 1988. We?re thrilled to bring these recordings back into circulation after decades of physical and virtual nonexistence. In addition, our long-sought first T-shirt will be reissued, with remastered live recordings and videos planned for release over the next year. While there are no plans for reunion concerts due to logistical constraints, these releases stand as historical documents of a time and era we remain eternally proud to have been part of. We hope you enjoy these artifacts as much as we did creating them.

Any profits we make from selling these t-shirts will go towards recouping costs involved in remastering and reissuing the Alter Natives catalog and towards maintaining a website for archival purposes.