© 2024 Milwaukee Public Media is a service of UW-Milwaukee's College of Letters & Science
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Maps And Music: Explore Okkervil River's New Album

Click to see an interactive map of Meriden, N.H., with stories from Okkervil River's Will Sheff about his childhood there.
William Schaff
Click to see an interactive map of Meriden, N.H., with stories from Okkervil River's Will Sheff about his childhood there.

The next album from the Austin, Texas, band Okkervil River will tell the childhood tale of its lead singer and songwriter Will Sheff, a self-described awkward, nearsighted, asthmatic kid growing up the small town of Meriden, N.H. The music on The Silver Gymnasium, out on Sept. 3, is some of Okkervil River's best, and you can hear it all beginning Aug. 26 as part of our First Listen program. For now, here's a first taste: the premiere of the song "Down Down the Deep River."

Another beautiful treasure this album has to offer is its artwork: Will Sheff collaborated with his dear friend William Schaff (yes, those names are a little confusing, but pretty funny, too) on a giant map of this tiny New Hampshire town. William Schaff has done most of Okkervil River's cover art; for The Silver Gymnasium, he hung around while the band was rehearsing. About 10 days later, he sent Will Sheff a beautiful fold-out map of Meriden. Will Sheff sent us the map of his hometown along with photos from his childhood and a recording of his memories. Now you can explore Meriden and hear Sheff tell stories from his childhood that inspired the album.

See the map here >>

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

In 1988, a determined Bob Boilen started showing up on NPR's doorstep every day, looking for a way to contribute his skills in music and broadcasting to the network. His persistence paid off, and within a few weeks he was hired, on a temporary basis, to work for All Things Considered. Less than a year later, Boilen was directing the show and continued to do so for the next 18 years.