Horse The Band has parted ways with Koch Records following a slightly tumultuous three-year relationship.

In 2005, Horse The Band signed a deal with Koch imprint Combat Records. However, when the person running Combat became ill shortly thereafter, the imprint was shelved, and its artists were dropped. Since Horse The Band had been somewhat profitable though, the group was moved over to the Koch Records roster. Since then, Koch's support for the band has reportedly been inconsistent and at times, problematic.

For the past year, Koch has been pursuing the sale of the remaining options on Horse The Band's contract. However, following renewed pressure from the band in recent months, Koch has finally released the group from its contractual obligations. We spoke with keyboardist Erik Engstrom earlier today, and he likened the development to "putting a whale back into the sea."