Jason Stollsteimer has been there and back with the Von Bondies. Now he’s returning to the road with a new pack.

Jason Stollsteimer is in a good mood. “Great, actually!” His excitement comes through over the phone the way an old friend’s does when you call them out of the blue. Today, he finished the artwork for his band’s debut album and sealed the envelope, sent it to the people who put all that album stuff together and felt release from a process that has really been years in the making. And, just after that, he received word that his band has been confirmed by a booking agency, which could mean a European tour in the near future.

Yeah, things are starting to come together for the Hounds Below. The Detroit-based four-piece has been taking things slowly and carefully, which is evidenced in the group’s formation: the band – or really, the idea of the band – dates back to 2008, started by Stollsteimer as a side project while he was heading the Von Bondies. Initially, it was a more melodic and lyrically-driven alternative to the loud, punk-ish Von Bondies, who by that time had been established for eight years and heard worldwide (you’ll recognize the song “C’mon C’mon” if you kept up with the alternative scene mid-00’s or if you’re a fan of “Rescue Me”).

Finally, he had a medium through which he could try new things, musically. But new creative possibilities have a strong pull on creative people, and the Hounds Below started to become a more exciting venture than the Von Bondies. While they were certainly experiencing success – with an album breaking the U.S. Billboard 200, a single reaching No. 25 on the Billboard Top 100 and an appearance on the Late Show – the Von Bondies were wearing thin.

“I think we just got burned out,” says Stollsteimer. “We toured for ten years.” But, to be clear, the Hounds Below aren’t here to completely bury the Von Bondies. “The Von Bondies didn’t break up – they’re still a band,” clarifies Stollsteimer, whose excitement about the new band only allows for a “what happens, happens” attitude towards the old one. But back to that formation process: it took a while to round up the right hounds.

Stollsteimer played with about ten other musicians as a part of the Hounds Below before achieving harmony with the current lineup. Some entered into the project as potential full-time members, others just to fill in during shows. It turned out to be pretty tough starting something totally new while past success was lingering so closely behind. “Half the people that were in the band, they just expected that we were gonna get signed for a million dollars the day they joined,” laughs Stollsteimer. “The other half, they just didn’t know how to tour.”

“They were all great musicians and great people, but it’s like trying to force a family to happen,” he explains. Whereas the Von Bondies were a group of inexperienced high school friends swept into success and basically forced to hone their skills on-the-go, the Hounds Below has been more strategically assembled. And now, as confirmed through a year writing an album, touring with acts such as The Cribs and embracing a sort of relaxed chemistry, the process is complete. The Hounds Below are: drummer Griffin Bastian, bassist Mathew Hofman, guitarist Skye Thrasher and Stollsteimer, who sings and plays guitar.

“These people I’ve played with for the past year in the Hounds Below, I met them because they wanted to join the band,” says Stollsteimer. “They joined because they liked the music.” He pauses, then adds: “They’re all unique characters. We have a good time.”

Their debut album, entitled “You Light Me Up in the Dark,” is set for a September release, during which time the band will likely be in the midst of a national tour. It’s been a slightly unorthodox approach for a rock band, touring off and on for years before releasing an actual album, but it doesn’t seem to have put any brakes on the band’s momentum. “I just love touring,” says Stollsteimer. “I’m totally addicted to touring and playing music. It’s a good addiction.”

You’ll recognize them by their sound: more progressive and certainly less loud than the Von Bondies, with a slowly-accumulating energy released in emotional spurts rather than spread across high-adrenaline two-minute tracks. These songs are more methodically crafted and deceivingly minimal, providing a perfect platform for Stollsteimer’s voice. He sings with depth and gravitas, often recalling Arcade Fire’s Win Butler or, at his peak, The Cure’s Robert Smith. The material on the new album is somewhat of a mystery, so I’m citing singles such as “All These Things” and “Cumberland’s Crumblin” (which is coupled with a delightfully disturbing video involving a man in a bear costume).

The first time Stollsteimer introduced a new band to the world, he played in front of a handful of friends and family members and found himself touring the world six months later. Twelve years have passed, and he’s a got a new beginning with the whole world again before him. “All new stories are being written… it’ll be a different outcome,” he ponders. “It’s terrifying, and, even more so, exciting.”

The Hounds Below will be performing at Woodruff’s in Ypsilanti on August 3 with Secret Twins, FAWN and Team Ethic. Cover is $5, and doors open at 9 p.m. You can keep up with their journey on thehoundsbelow.com.