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 – 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) – 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)
Westfall
Okkervil River Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The lyrics of Okkervil River's song "Westfall" tell a story of a man who is being apprehended by the police and surrounded by a group of men as he reminisces about his past. He is being taken to prison, and he knows he will not return. He reflects on his youth, when he was handsome and strong and felt like he could accomplish anything. However, he is now surrounded by people he does not know, who do not appear to be his friends or family. He then remembers his friend Colin Kincaid, whom he describes as his best friend from the twelfth grade, who lived in a tall house on Westfall where he and the singer used to hide from the rain. One night, they went out with two girls from Kenwood Christian, one of which was named Laurie. The singer reveals that he killed Laurie and wanted to do it again.
Throughout the song, it becomes clear that the singer is disturbed and possibly insane. He claims that evil does not have a look, and it cannot be traced, despite the cameras focused on his face. The song is a haunting exploration of the mind of a killer, whose past catches up with him in the end. The lyrics are dark and unsettling, leaving the listener with a sense of unease.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm surrounded, each doorway covered by at least twenty men.
The singer is trapped with no means of escape and is being held captive by a group of men.
And they're going to take me and throw me in prison. I ain't coming back again.
The singer is certain that they'll be sent to prison and has resigned themselves to their fate.
When I was younger, handsomer and stronger, I felt like I could do anything.
The singer reminisces about a time when they were confident and full of potential.
But all of these people making all these faces didn't seem like my kith and kin.
The crowd surrounding the artist doesn't feel familiar or friendly.
Colin Kincaid from the twelfth grade, I guess you could say he was my best friend.
The artist mentions Colin as someone important to them and paints a picture of their past.
He lived in a big tall house out on Westfall where we would hide when the rain rolled in.
The singer and Colin had a place to seek refuge during bad weather on Westfall street.
We went out one night and took a flashlight, out with these two girls Colin knew from Kenwood Christian.
The singer and Colin went out at night with two girls from a nearby church called Kenwood Christian.
One was named Laurie, that's what the story said next week in the Guardian.
The artist remembers the name of one of the girls and alludes to a news story that followed.
And when I killed her it was so easy that I wanted to kill her again. I got down on both of my knees and….she ain't coming back again.
The artist reveals that they've committed murder and felt a sense of satisfaction from it, but now feels remorseful as there's no way to undo the harm.
Now, with all these cameras focused on my face, you'd think they could see it through my skin.
The artist is being watched by the media and law enforcement, but they feel like they aren't being understood.
They're looking for evil, thinking they can trace it, but evil don't look like anything.
The singer reflects on how people try to identify evil by its appearance, but it's not something that can be easily pinpointed or predicted.
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind