After pressing the "reset" button and reconfiguring his band with an entirely new cast of musicians, Jay Farrar is set to take Son Volt [ tickets ] on the road following the release of "Okemah and the Melody of Riot," Farrar's first album under the Son Volt moniker since 1998's "Wide Swing Tremelo."

"Okemah" is a comeback of sorts for a band that has officially been on hiatus for several years, and although fans will have a hard time recognizing the new lineup aside from Farrar, the old Son Volt sound comes through on much of the new material.

After the band's last album, Farrar embarked on a busy and diverse solo career, releasing two studio LPs, an EP and a live album. He began to reconsider the Son Volt option out of a desire to return to a more rock-oriented sound after the mostly acoustic tones of his solo work, according to a press release.

"I was ready to get back to playing electric. I wanted the solo records to be open-ended, open to trying out different sounds, different approaches. With this Son Volt record, I wanted to get back to the fundamentals," he said.

After assembling the new Son Volt--Brad Rice (guitar), Andrew Duplantis (bass) and Dave Bryson (drums)--the band quickly (and publicly--the recording sessions were webcast live on Farrar's website) rose to the challenge of carrying on where an almost completely different band had left off.

"They all brought a considerable amount of musical experience with them," Farrar said. "We did a lot of live tracking, which can be difficult, but their familiarity with the process and confidence in their abilities made it happen."

Son Volt's tour opens Sept. 3 at the Nightlight in Bellingham, WA.