While perusing a band’s biography on its Web site, the
last thing one would expect to find is a proclamation by the lead
singer and guitarist that he has made a conscious choice to be a
“total failure.” In the world of Okkervil River singer
and guitarist Will Sheff, though, this is all part of the ride.
“When you set out to make music, the chances are that
you’re going to fail,” Sheff said of the seemingly
negative statement. “But because of those odds, you now have
the bravery to follow what excites you as opposed to always trying
to be a total success.”
Okkervil River will bring its music, along with its unique
philosophy, to the Cooperage on March 14 through Campus Events as
part of its tour to support its new album “Black Sheep
Boy,” which is due to hit stores in April.
While the Cooperage may seem small, it’s a bigger step
than one would guess for the band.
“For a long time, we were the local band that
couldn’t book any shows. There were a lot of early tours
where we lost money, but all things told, I’d rather have
things build up slowly over time like that. It’s better to
steadily develop some loyal fans than to just blow up overnight and
watch people desert you once you’re no longer cool
anymore,” Sheff said.
Initially formed as a project between Sheff and friend Seth
Warren when the two went to high school together in New Hampshire,
Okkervil River has existed in some form since the mid-1990s.
After a hiatus while the band members went to college, Sheff
decided to officially form Okkervil River. The band relocated to
Austin, Texas and added Zachary Thomas on bass and Travis Nelsen on
drums to form its current lineup. Soon after, Warren took leave and
moved to Berkeley, where he still collaborates with the band
frequently from a technical standpoint. From here, Sheff says,
endless touring began.
“The first big show we played was the South by Southwest
Festival in 2000,” Sheff said. “We were completely
obscure at that point, so we decided to make a big impression by
playing our songs twice as fast. We ended up playing so fast that I
broke a guitar string and actually ripped my index fingernail off.
There was blood all over the place, but I just kept playing.
“In spite of that, that show was probably the first good
thing to happen to us.”
The gig did get the band noticed, as press related to the show
resulted in the recording of a new album and started the band on a
track it continues to follow today.
With “Black Sheep Boy,” Sheff says the band went for
a rougher and more organic style of recording, with nearly all of
the songs home-recorded. Much of the record was produced with all
of the band members playing together, and they shied away from
heavy overdubbing in the hopes of creating an album that
authentically captured their sound.
As Okkervil River embarks on its biggest tour to date, Sheff
hopes that his decision to be a “total failure” is not
completely left in the dust of the band’s success.
“We wouldn’t like to play the best show of our lives
at the first stop of a tour,” Sheff said. “If that
happens, you become complacent with that success and everything
else pales in comparison. We’d rather work the entire tour to
achieve that. Having a spectacular finish would become that much
more satisfying.”