The Will Sheff-led band Okkervil River released a new album, In the Rainbow Rain, in April but that’s not stopping Sheff from churning out new material. Today, the band has shared two new songs, “New Blood” and “Skiptracer.” The songs are outtakes from In the Rainbow Rain.
"I wrote a ton of songs for the album,” says Sheff. “Some of these songs that didn't end up on the record were very dear to me, and I was excited to get a chance to come back and put on the finishing touches."
In the Rainbow Rain follows 2016’s Away and was produced by Sheff with mixing by Shawn Everett (Perfume Genius, The War on Drugs). Below, listen to “New Blood” and “Skiptracer” and watch Okkervil River’s KEXP in-studio performance from June.
Okkervil River's 2005 masterpiece, Black Sheep Boy, is one of those records that grabs you wherever you're at. If you haven't gotten the divine pleasure of experiencing it yet, I promise you, it will grab you at some point soon. There's just something about the coming-of-age brilliance of its narra…
Throughout Okkervil River's in-studio session, frontman Will Sheff keeps breaking into giggles. And if you look closely around the room, you'll see plastic action figures perched on the keyboard or suspended from the mic stand. It's that sense of childlike wonder that Sheff taps into for the band's…
Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part of our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on the Midd…
