Q&A WITH JONATHAN MEIBURG

So I got the privilege of speaking with Jonathan Meiburg of Shearwater and Okkervil River today via telephone. Shearwater plays the Iron Horse Music Hall on May 7th in support of their new album "Rook" due out June 3rd on Matador Records. It's a gorgeous album, so get excited.

Brian Wood: I've always been fascinated by musicians who have the energy and drive to perform in multiple bands, especially when they offer such different sounds, such as the case with Shearwater and Okkervil River. What does playing and writing music in each band really offer you from a creative standpoint and how do they differ?

Jonathan Meiburg: I think it’s a great exercise for your brain. There is a great pleasure in being in a side band and reinforcing someone else’s songs and trying to figure out what you can do to make the song better, there is a lot of freedom in it. Whereas when you are writing your own songs there is a very different sort of energy or power to it that is also really exciting, but to me it really feels less free once you’ve written the song. You’re path is really laid out for you as to what you are supposed to do. And there is also a great difference between being the person who is standing up front and is sort of being the focus of the show versus being on the side and not necessarily being that person. Both are fun in completely different ways.

BW: Since you have experienced both, do you prefer being the focal point of a performance or being off to the side supplementing it?

JM: Like I said, they are different. I just did a tour with Bill Callahan where I was just playing electric guitar for him. I hadn’t played electric guitar in someone’s band since I was like 16 years old, which was just a blast getting to do that again. With that being said, I feel like Shearwater has been getting better and better and I’m really enjoying the way the band is playing now and I’m really excited about this new record and the shows that go along with it.

BW: I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy of your latest album and personally, I believe it’s your strongest effort to date. In your own words how does "Rook" differ from some of your previous albums in your mind?

JM: Well thank you very much. It’s more focused and strangely more human to me in some ways. It’s a little bit more restrained than the last record in some ways but I also felt like it was pure and deeper and has a wholeness and the sort of consistency and purpose to it that I’m really proud of.

BW: I know only the one single from the album has really been released so far, but what kind of response have you gotten so far from fans and music critics alike?

JM: We’re in that nervous period right now where we’re waiting to hear what people think, ya know? It seems to be really positive so far, a lot of people have told me they really like the record. A violinist who played on the record, I had finally gotten a copy to her the other day, she had just came in and played when we were in the middle of making it, didn’t really have a sense of what it would be like when it was finished, and she was really really happy with how it turned out. And that meant as much as anything to me ya know, someone who was in there while we were making saying it turned out a way that is satisfying

BW: The first thing that really jumped out at me about your newest album is the artwork. Could you talk about what the significance of the image is and maybe how it was taken? It is really a remarkable visual.

JM: The image was created by these artists named Kahn & Selesnick. I saw a piece of their art in a magazine and I was just fascinated by it and got in touch with them and was astonished and delighted that they were interested in working with us. So I sent them the demos from the record and talked about some of the themes from it and pretty much left them on their own to come up with an image they felt reflected it. I was really happy with that one when I saw it, because it’s so striking and beautiful but also kind of menacing and strange too.

BW: Matador Records seems to have a knack for putting out some wonderful releases, how's the partnership with them been so far since signing on?

JM: So far it’s been wonderful, I have no complaints. This album is really the test to see how things go, but they are super intelligent and dynamic and interesting group of people, and I feel honored to be working with them. I feel like they really understand what we are going for with this record. They are almost pathological in not telling their artists what to do, so I didn’t even play them anything from the record until it was finished, they had no idea. I was happy they liked it and they are really supportive.

BW: The Iron Horse is a rather intimate setting for live music. Do you feel this atmosphere lends itself to your music more than say playing a larger venue out here, like Pearl Street or the Calvin, ever would?

JM: Well we’ve never played in Northampton before so I’m happy to play the Iron Horse. I’d say we go over fine in a small room or a big one. I feel like we have kind of a big sound but we’re not tremendously loud or anything. We practice in quite a small room and we sound great in there (laughs). The most important thing at a show is if you really feel a connection with the audience and you can hear yourself well enough that you can hear the sound of your own voice and your instruments. If you got that you’re pretty much off to the races, big or small.

BW: Well I’m sure the Iron Horse will prove to be a positive atmosphere.

JM: We’ll make some noise in there; it’ll be a good time.

BW: I read that you are premiering the album in its entirety at your May 5th show in NYC, and once again in Austin on the 29th. How excited are you for those shows?

JM: It’s the most elaborate thing I’ve ever been part of, I’m really excited about it. We’re going to have a string quartet and the woodwinds and the harpist who played on the record so we’ll really be able to play it as it is on the record, so I’m excited for that. It’s almost more like putting on a play or a musical or something. I’m just thrilled that we get to play the record that way

BW: What kind of performance should people expect in Northampton?

JM: We’re going to play a lot of stuff from the new record I think but also a lot from “Palo Santo” and “Winged Life.”

BW: So a mixture of everything?

JM: Yeah. The New York show, I am trying to get ready for and I’m sort of nervous about it and I just want it to be right. It’s like planning your wedding or something. We can let our hair down after that’s over so you’ll see a pretty happy group of people on stage.

BW: That about wraps up my questions, was there anything you’d care to add?

JM: Nothing really other than we look forward to playing Northampton for the first time and hope to see you at the show.

* Download the first single: "Rooks"
* Shearwater's Official Site
* Pre-Order "Rook" from Matador Records