Okkervil River's Music: Spookiness and Bloodshed
Correction Oct. 30, 2007
The report misstates the degrees earned by Okkervil River band member Jonathan Meiburg. He is working on his master's degree in geography.
Okkervil River, from left: Will Sheff, Jonathan Meiburg, Zachary Thomas, Travis Nelson
Okkervil River, from left: Will Sheff, Jonathan Meiburg, Zachary Thomas, Travis Nelson
Mary SleddHear Songs
Singer and songwriter Will Sheff found his band's name in a story by Russian writer Tatanya Tolstaya. But Okkervil River's most recent influence comes from the 1960s American folk scene.
Black Sheep Boy is a dark, loosely knit song cycle spanning two albums. Sheff's inspiration for the albums was a 1967 Tim Hardin song of the same title. In an essay about Hardin, Sheff praises the song's "mysterious lyrics and darkly confident theme."
The music of Okkervil River offers similar attractions. "It's like deciphering a puzzle when you listen to their lyrics," says music critic Alison Stewart. Those lyrics are filled with macabre imagery and menacing violence, but Sheff maintains a sense of humor about it.
"The funniest is when people call us Overkill River," he says. "We were thinking we should just change the name of this band to Dirge Overkill."
Related NPR Stories
Featured Artist
Purchase Featured Music
Black Sheep Boy
Black Sheep Boy Appendix
More From Music Interviews
Comments
You must be signed in to leave a comment. Sign In / Register
Please keep your community civil. All comments must follow the NPR.org Community rules and Terms of Use. NPR reserves the right to use the comments we receive, in whole or in part, and to use the commenter's name and location, in any medium. See also the Terms of Use, Privacy Policy and Community FAQ.
