The band self-released their first album, Stars Too Small to Use, which led them to the South by Southwest music festival. After recording their first album in a garage, they signed with Jagjaguwar. Okkervil River continued by releasing four more albums, including critically lauded concept album Black Sheep Boy.
After a period of touring for Black Sheep Boy, Okkervil River followed up with The Stage Names. The album sold 10,000 in its opening week in the United States. The group released a free covers album, Golden Opportunities Mixtape from their live performances.
The band has garnered positive critical reception. Especially noted are each song's lyrics, intricate instrumentation, and thematic albums. In addition, they were featured on the talk show Late Night with Conan O'Brien and have performed with high profile bands such as The Decemberists, The New Pornographers, The National, and Lou Reed.
Okkervil River released their most recent album The Silver Gymnasium on September 3, 2013.
Discography:
* 1998 Bedroom EP β Jound
* 1999 Stars Too Small to Use - Jound
* 2002 Don't Fall in Love with Everyone You See - Jagjaguwar
* 2003 Down the River of Golden Dreams - Jagjaguwar
* 2003 Julie Doiron/Okkervil River (A split CD with Julie Dorion) - Acuarela
* 2004 Sleep and Wake-Up Songs (EP) - Jagjaguwar
* 2004 Sham Wedding/Hoax Funeral (A split CD with Shearwater) - Jagjaguwar
* 2005 Black Sheep Boy - Jagjaguwar
* 2005 Black Sheep Boy Appendix (EP) - Jagjaguwar
* 2006 Overboard and Down (EP) β Inertia, Australia-only tour EP
* 2007 The Stage Names - Jagjaguwar
* 2008 The Stand-Ins - Jagjaguwar
* 2011 I Am Very Far - Jagjaguwar
* 2013 The Silver Gymnasium - ATO Records
* 2016 Away - ATO Records
* 2018 In The Rainbow Rain - ATO Records
Current band members:
* Will Sheff - acoustic guitar, vocals, harmonica (keyboard occasionally)
* Travis Nelsen - drums, misc. percussion
* Scott Brackett - trumpet, coronet, keyboards, organ, tape player, misc. percussion
* Patrick Pestorius - bass, piano, woodblocks
* Justin Sherburn - keys, guitar
* Lauren Gurgiolo - electric guitar, pedal steel, mandolin
Past band members:
* Seth Warren - guitar
* Zachary Thomas - vocals, bass
* Jonathan Meiburg - vocals, banjo, guitar, accordion, piano, organ
* Mark Pedini - drums
* Brian Cassidy - electric guitar, pedal steel, mandolin, melodica (keyboard and accordion when on tour without Jonathan)
Auntie Alice
Okkervil River Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We rung your number and they called it "disconnected."
In a dream you come sailing out
Of a pool of deep blue water.
Auntie Alice keeps spiders in her house,
Feeds them earwigs and mosquitoes.
Her pink tongue comes darting out
From where her front teeth are missing.
I went downstairs in the middle of the night
Cause I heard her scratching at the door.
She fed me chocolates and said she couldn't sleep,
Asked me what the bug light was for.
Auntie Alice wears the same dress every day.
Butter turns green on her counter.
She sings me songs she learned on Christmas eve,
Tells me stories about castles.
"The number you have dialed
Is not in service" it said,
"hang up or dial again."
Auntie Alice have you found your palace yet?
Auntie Alice, look out for us
Who think we know where we are going.
Your picture gathers dust on the fridge
And watches us keep our appointments.
Auntie Alice howling through the woods,
Auntie Alice in my dream,
Somehow gone from the phone book for good.
Life forms around you when you leave.
The song "Auntie Alice" by Okkervil River is a haunting tale that speaks about the memories of a person who is either dead or unreachable. As exemplified by the lyrics, "Auntie Alice, where are you now? We rung your number and they called it "disconnected," the singer is trying to reach out to someone they dearly loved, but all they get in return is silence. The singer then dreams of Auntie Alice emerging from a deep blue pool, evoking a certain surreal vibe giving a metaphorical sense of death. Through Auntie Alice's peculiarities in spider-keeping and not being able to sleep, the song sets a tone of melancholy by conjuring imagery of abandonment. Additionally, the lyrics, "Auntie Alice wears the same dress every day. Butter turns green on her counter" seem intentionally eerie, further emphasizing the lack of care and her bleak situation. The song finally hints towards life continuing with the line, "Life forms around you when you leave."
Line by Line Meaning
Auntie Alice, where are you now?
Asking about the current whereabouts and status of Auntie Alice.
We rung your number and they called it "disconnected."
Reporting the fact that Auntie Alice's phone number is now disconnected.
In a dream you come sailing out
Of a pool of deep blue water.
Recalling a dream where Auntie Alice appears, emerging from a pool of deep blue water.
Auntie Alice keeps spiders in her house,
Feeds them earwigs and mosquitoes.
Describing the strange and creepy hobby of Auntie Alice as keeping spiders in her house and feeding them other insects.
Her pink tongue comes darting out
From where her front teeth are missing.
Portraying the physical appearance of Auntie Alice's mouth, where her pink tongue can be seen darting out from where her front teeth are missing.
I went downstairs in the middle of the night
Cause I heard her scratching at the door.
She fed me chocolates and said she couldn't sleep,
Asked me what the bug light was for.
Sharing an incident where the singer went downstairs in the middle of the night due to Auntie Alice scratching at the door. Auntie Alice gives the singer chocolates and inquires about the bug light, possibly indicating that she has insect-related issues.
Auntie Alice wears the same dress every day.
Butter turns green on her counter.
Observing that Auntie Alice wears the same dress every day and keeping butter on her counter until it turns green, possibly pointing towards her quirky or eccentric personality.
She sings me songs she learned on Christmas eve,
Tells me stories about castles.
Recounting how Auntie Alice shares music and stories with the artist, possibly indicating a close relationship.
"The number you have dialed
Is not in service" it said,
"hang up or dial again."
Auntie Alice have you found your palace yet?
Sharing the message that is received when trying to call Auntie Alice's disconnected number and expressing a wish for her to have found her palace by now, possibly hoping for a better life for her.
Auntie Alice, look out for us
Who think we know where we are going.
Your picture gathers dust on the fridge
And watches us keep our appointments.
Asking Auntie Alice to look out for those who think they know where they are going, while mentioning a picture of her that gathers dust on the fridge, possibly indicating that she has been gone for a long time.
Auntie Alice howling through the woods,
Auntie Alice in my dream,
Somehow gone from the phone book for good.
Life forms around you when you leave.
Recalling Auntie Alice's howling through the woods and her appearance in a dream, as well as acknowledging her permanent disappearance from the phone book. Life seems to form or change around Auntie Alice when she is no longer present, possibly pointing to her influence on others.
Lyrics Β© O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Down Above
this is too good, the fact that this band is so little known is absurd
M Huberty
I'm sure Will would agree.
maid lys
!
Crystal M
@Ken Clarke it seems weird to me that anybody would just be coming to Okkervil for the first time at a tiny desk concert.
Having seen them live several times, and watched a ton of them online, This only seemed awkward when you mentioned it.
And yes, I know this was a year ago, but it's definitely not the first observation I would have made about this little show
SixSixSix
Really ? I'm sure it has it's merits, but I can't get with it. Maybe I'll try them again later.
(I know nothing about this band).
dOntEAtpOOp
'bean huge' is actually pretty small.
PAUL SANDOR
Criminally underrated band. This is a great snapshot of The Silver Gymnasium period. Will Sheff's songwriting as always is stellar.
How We Decorate Time
Since I couldn't find em anywhere else, here are the names of the performers:
Will Sheff - Guitar/Vocals
Lauren Gurgiolo - Electric Guitar
Aaron Johnson - Acoustic Guitar
Justin Sherburn - Keys
Michael St. Clair - Trumpet
Patrick Pestorius - Percussion
Heather Barrett
I've been in love with Okkervil River for 10 years and these guys just keep getting better.
Jan Z
00:13 On A Balcony
5:50 Pink Slips
10:55 Down Down The Deep River