Pavement Cover Jim Pepper’s “Wichitai-To,” First New Recording in 26 Years

Earlier this month, Alex Ross Perry’s bizarre, confounding and glorious meta-docu-biopic Pavements began its limited release after three years of anticipation. Today, one week out from its full-scale theatrical run, the film’s soundtrack has arrived, complete with a characteristically unpredictable mix of clips from the movie-in-movie Range Life: A Pavement Story, Perry’s 2022’s jukebox musical Slanted! Enchanted!, live versions and rehearsal tapes. One highlight in the sprawl is a cover of Jim Pepper’s “Wichitai-To,” which comes as Pavement’s first new recording in 26 years.

Pavement’s dreamy take on Pepper’s 1961 peyote song was cut during a tour rehearsal session in Los Angeles, and it became a setlist staple on their 2022 reunion tour. Though they’ve dosed out a few archival cuts in the last few years, including 2024’s Cautionary Tales: Jukebox Classiques, the cover is their first new song since the Major Leagues EP in 1999. Other rehearsal takes featured on the soundtrack include “Our Singer,” “Spizzle Trunk,” “Fame Throwa,” “Serpentine Pad,” “Fillmore Jive” and “Grave Architecture,” plus eight live versions and Snail Mail’s cover of “Shoot the Singer.”

Pavements is screening in select markets now and will open to theaters nationwide on June 6. Find tickets and more information at pavements.official.film. Yesterday, Pavement were announced as a headliner for Levitation 2025; check out the full lineup here.