Okkervil River
Okkerut River. Occerville River. Venues seemed to have issues getting the bands name right, and vocalist Will Sheff was predicting utter failure due to this. This wouldn’t have been a surprise considering the Austin, Texas based indie rock/folk band itself was the result of Sheff’s clear decision to become a total failure. With previous band projects such The False Dmitri, which never had a single gig, expectations weren’t the highest for this oddly named attempt either.
After close to a decade later though, the band has endless gigs under their belt along with a handful of records. They’ve played alongside Lou Reed, The Decemberists and The New Pornographers, something which Sheff certainly didn’t expect in his high-school days filled with nervous breakdowns and his friends laughing at him for writing songs.
Regardless of some setbacks, the band managed to round up enough cash to be able to work in a studio and finish a record, which they called Stars Too Small To Use. Jonathan Meiburg, who later joined the band, once told Sheff about his first memory of the band. Seeing them live was the worst thing he had ever heard, but he could tell they were doing it on purpose. Perhaps that determination is what has taken Okkervil river such a long way. It might also translate into the certain passion
which can be heard in their music and the emotion in
Will Sheff’s gratifyingly tremulous voice.
Seeing them live was the worst thing he had ever heard, but he could tell they were doing it on purpose.
After getting small attention in the Austin Chronicle, the band got the attention of Brian Beattie, a local producer and an idol of Sheff. They soon found themselves in band member Brian Cassidy’s garage recording an album titled Don’t Fall In Love With Everyone You See. It took a year and a half and countless attempts at contacting labels before the record was released. The band ended up with JagJaguwar, a small Bloomington, Indiana based indie label. Their touring had taken a big step and the band found themselves constantly on the road. The next album, Down The River Of Golden Dreams, was recorded in San Francisco.
Through some connections, tours both in the US and Europe kept increasing. Within the past few years the band has recorded two albums, Black Sheep Boy and The Stage Names. They are currently recording The Stand Ins, which will be released on Jagjaguwar this fall. With little time spent in their hometown, the bands lineup has also seen constant changes. While others have come and gone, Sheff himself has remained as the only original band member. The band is, after all, a result of his failure.
listen to Okkervil River at http://www.okkervilriver.com