In their earliest phases, the Van Pelt existed on the periphery of the 1990s emo scene, sharing similarities with some bands of the time in their airy, chiming guitar lines and moody dynamics, but set very much apart by vocalist/guitarist Chris Leo's abstract lyrical perspectives and distinctive half-sung/half-spoken vocal delivery. They were first active between 1993 and 1997, producing two albums in that time and breaking up shortly after the release of their later-revered sophomore album, The Sultans of Sentiment. The bandmembers immediately went on to other projects, but the Van Pelt sporadically reunited from there. Over the years, the group played several reunion shows before returning solidly to form in 2017 and working toward the 2023 album Artisans & Merchants, their first full-length collection of new material since the '90s.