Shearwater

Shearwater, an indie rock band from Austin, Texas, was formed in 1999 by Jonathan Meiburg and Will Sheff, members of Okkervil River, as an outlet for their quieter songs. The band, named after a seabird, released its debut album, "The Dissolving Room", introducing Kim Burke on bass and Thor Harris on drums. With subsequent albums like "Everybody Makes Mistakes" (2002) and "Winged Life" (2004), Shearwater gained attention, especially after tours with bands like The Mountain Goats.

In 2006, Shearwater released "Palo Santo", a turning point with Meiburg fully taking over songwriting. After the release, Sheff departed, and the band moved to Matador Records, reissuing "Palo Santo" in 2007. Their follow-up albums, "Rook" (2008) and "The Golden Archipelago" (2010), received critical acclaim and concluded their Island Arc trilogy.

In 2012, Shearwater released "Animal Joy" under Sub Pop, marking a shift to a rockier sound. They followed it with "Fellow Travelers" (2013), an album of covers. "Jet Plane and Oxbow" (2016) continued their evolution, leading to a Bowie tribute and a side project, Loma. After delays due to COVID-19, they released "The Great Awakening" in 2022.