The story: Okkervil River frontman Will Sheff and keyboardist Jonathan Meiburg start a side project for their more mellow stuff called Shearwater. Over time Will’s roll diminishes, Shearwater becomes a full fledged band, critics love them, Jon leaves Okkervil to focus on Shearwater full time. Their latest album Rook continues the trend of awesomeness and they’ll be playing at the Black Cat backstage this Sunday @ 9pm with Cryptacize for $12. Oh, and Jon is also an ornithologist. That means he studies birds and stuff.
BYT: Can you tell us a little about the scary/cool cover of the new album?
Jonathan Meiburg: It’s a photograph. It really happened. Check out www.kahnselesnick.com.
BYT: Are you like The Fonz of the ornithologists? Do you get all of the ornithologist babes?
JM: Actually, there are many very, very cool birders and ornithologists…and foxes abound (male and female); you’d be spoiled for choice, really, at an AOU meeting…
BYT: Are we finally at the point where you’re no longer being referred to as the Okkervil River side project?
JM: No comment.
BYT: Did you have to buy the medium sized jacuzzi now that those huge Okkervil paychecks aren’t flowing in?
JM: No comment.
BYT: Ok, let’s talk more about birds. Have you seen that movie Winged Migration? It was pretty rad.
JM: I thought it was OK. Preferred the filmmakers’ previous ‘Microcosmos’ to WM, but I also find geese kind of boring.
BYT: Oh, no contest with Microscosmos, for sure, but I still liked it.
JM: As far as bird films go, I recommend the BBC ‘Life of Birds’ series, which is extraordinary. There’s also a nice little Scandinavian film called ‘The Kestrel’s Eye’ that views the world from the POV of a pair of little falcons nesting in a church. And I just saw a very beautiful and eerie film called “Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left For the East?” in which a pair of jays play crucial roles.
BYT: I read an old interview where you said touring with Xiu Xiu would influence the next record. Do you still feel that is the case?
JM: Mmm, yes. They are an inspiring bunch of total ninjas and no mistake. Their drummer, Ches Smith? MY GOD!
BYT: Out of control. Is Jamie Stewart a total awesome/weirdo in real life?
JM: No comment.
BYT: Can you pick out three tracks and give us a short little commentary on each one – like you’re writing the liner notes from the Shearwater box set 20 years from now. What the song is about, something interesting that happened during the recording, what you were eating when you wrote it, etc.
On the Death of the Waters - I stole a little riff from Nina Simone for the closer of this one (though I am pretty sure she stole it from Schumann first).
Home Life - This song resisted all our attempts to make it behave until we pressed ‘record’, when the rhythm track suddenly came together on the first take. From then on it was all window-dressing and hopes that the strings and horns would work the way I hoped they would (they did). There are shout-outs to two dear friends on this song but I hid them carefully.
Lost Boys - recorded an electric version first - awful! Scrapped it.
BYT: I saw you guys a while back and while I enjoyed the show, I felt like you belonged in a theater instead of an indie rock club. Howabout the intimate seated theater tour for 2009?
JM: Depends on the audience. Playing to seated folks can be kind of stifling (for you and for them). That said, if they’ll come, I’d give it a go.
BYT: Yeah, on second thought, it might get a little sleepy. Maybe you could lull everyone to sleep, then sneak off stage, switch outfits, come back and bang a gong and see if anyone notices.
JM: No comment.
BYT: Or not. Ok, can you take your ipod or itunes or zune or whatever, and shuffle all the songs and tell us the first 5 that come up. No cheating even if it’s embarrassing.
JM: Alas, I own none of these devices. What is a ‘zune’?
BYT: I’m not really sure either.
JM: I did just make a mix for someone else, so I guess I’ll grab some tracks from it:
Little Girl Blue - Nina Simone
New Grass - Talk Talk
Long Ago - Bosavi Rain Forest Singers
No One Is There - Nico
Black River Song - Angels of Light
Dambala - Nina Simone
BYT: Indie Rock Story of the Year: Jonathan Meiburg puts Talk Talk on a mix CD. Just kidding. Ok, I want to play too. Sorry, I just can’t help myself:
Act of War – Arab Strap
Strange Loop – Liz Phair
Open Up Your Door – Richard & The Young Lions
In My Own Dream – Karen Dalton
To Reiko – Brush
Damn, I think I passed hipster cred check with flying colors on that one. Ok, speaking of my mom (?), we do this thing where I have interviewees pick one song for my mom to review. She’s old and goes to church a lot and doesn’t like movies with too many bad words and listens to top 40 country music and has knee problems, so choose a track that you think she’ll like.
JM: Try “The Hunter’s Star” on her. Or, if you’re feeling a little more lively, “Leviathan, Bound”.
BYT: I’m always feeling lively. Nice talking to you, see you Sunday.
JM: Thank you!
————————————————————
OK….here goes…..I really liked the melody, and the harmony in the voices….know it was probably all generated electronically, but I loved the “tinkling” background of what sounded like the high notes of a xylophone….also, liked the flowing sound of what sounded like violins to me, and the beat throughout reminded me of a harpsichord. I am always frustrated by lyrics that I can’t understand, or make any sense of, but I did really like the song….thought it had a lot of beautiful vocals and instrumentation. I had to close my eyes to not see the colors and lines on the computer, as they are always distracting to me when I’m trying to listen. Sorry, but Hallie went to bed before I remembered to get her to listen to it. Love, Your mama
————————————————————
Shearwater
Cryptacize
Black Cat Backstage
6/15 9:00pm, $12
I think the “colors and lines” she is referring to are the visualizations in media player.
June 13, 2008 at 12:49 pmThanks, John, for the “Your mom rules of course” comment! Most of my sweet son Cale’s description of me was not too far off….and, I did just have knee surgery, possibly from “over-biking”…..but, the “old” comment….that will defnitely “cost him”! :-)
June 15, 2008 at 12:38 amJust don’t penalize Cale by taking food off his plate - he needs every last crumb (where does he put it all!)
Hey Cale - is it just me or does that cover look like it should be for a Rush album? Weird.
June 15, 2008 at 1:12 pm
Interview made great by sheer Cale-ness battling through the “no comments.” Your mom rules of course.
June 13, 2008 at 12:45 pm