Jagjaguwar::JAG280

Okkervil River

Black Sheep Boy (10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)

JAG280
Released: December 4, 2015

FORMATS:
3xCD
3xLP

Okkervil River formed in 1998, a band made up of singer and songwriter Will Sheff, drummer Seth Warren, and bassist Zachary Thomas. They gigged around Austin, TX for awhile and self-released a debut EP before finally attracting the attention of a small Indiana label called Jagjaguwar, who released their debut LP Don’t Fall in Love with Everyone You See and its follow up Down the River of Golden Dreams. Critics took note of Sheff’s creative drive and his dense, novelistic lyrics; Kelefa Sanneh wrote in the New York Times that “Mr. Sheff uses a rickety voice to disguise wild ambition,” and Rolling Stone’s David Fricke added that “Singer-songwriter Will Sheff of the haunted-country quartet Okkervil River is ready for worldwide renown.” But worldwide renown eluded Okkervil River, and by 2004 they were running out of money and worn out by a relentless touring schedule. Drummer Seth Warren had moved to California, and bassist Thomas was transitioning out of the band to spend more time with his family. Sheff decided that if the next Okkervil River record didn’t find an audience he’d quit playing music. He returned from the road and rented a shack out by the Austin Airport, and the new lineup of Okkervil River.