Spinner

Roky Erickson and Okkervil River Unite for Prison-Inspired Record

Roky EricksonThere was a very good reason why Okkervil River's Will Sheff decided to collaborate with Texan psyche pioneer Roky Erickson: The songs that Erickson's manager sent over for him to check out were compelling, passionate and deserved to be heard.

"Sometimes comeback records don't have a reason to exist," Sheff tells Spinner. "It's just an excuse for a tour or an excuse to drum up some publicity for an artist. But these songs were some of the best he'd written ever. The reason they hadn't been released was way more to do with unfortunate personal events than the songs."

The result of this unique collaboration is 'True Love Cast Out All Evil,' which is due April 20 on Anti- Records. Austin/Brooklyn-based Okkervil River perform as Erickson's backing band, while Sheff produced the dusky folk-psyche record. Those unfortunate personal events Sheff refers to occurred when Erickson, the wild, handsome frontman for Austin 1960s experimentalists the 13th Floor Elevators, was persecuted by Texan law enforcement, prosecuted for marijuana possession and locked away in a hospital for the criminally insane. Among the 60 or so songs on the demos that Sheff originally heard, it was the songs that Erickson wrote while in prison in the early 1970s that really moved him and form the bulk of 'True Love.' "These songs had an incredible yearning quality and emotional resonance. They had a desperate quality and also a message of hope and faith that was incredible to me," he explains.

Erickson and Okkervil River will reunite for a handful of album release dates beginning in Austin on April 24, but Sheff isn't sure if more dates will be added. "I don't know if it will be possible to do too much more," he says. "It's to do with business logistics. It's a shame, because I really love playing with Roky and these shows will be so much fun."

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SydHendrix

I'm Greek and I live in tiny mediterranean island called Cyprus . 25 years , being a student in Athens-Greece and a devoted underground rock fan , I got a compilation of 60's obscure 45's I got , had "You're gonna miss me" by Roky's first band , the Spades . I was instantly blown away by the vocal dynamics of that song . That was the start of my personal bond with the 13th Floor Elevators and their wisdom . 45 years on , and their music is still as mesmerizing , hypnotic , poetic and apocalypticaly religious , as it was when I first listened to it . The personal life of not only Roky but also the spiritual head of the band Tommy Hall and the guitar player Stacy Sutherland who tragically lost his life in 1978 , could easily be the scenario of Hollywood film . Roky is a saint who paid heavy toll without deserving it .

April 28 2010 at 8:56 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Trik

Saw Roky couple years a go at his Birthday party in Austin with the premier of his movie, "You're Gonna Miss Me". If you have not seen it check it out. He is awesome man and took his time to meet every one!!Check out his lyrics and Guitar they rival anything modern!

April 22 2010 at 5:51 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
stupiddle

Ignorance does not merit meanness. Enlighten, don't continue the circle of confusion and hatred. There are souls out there hurting as Roky once did. They don't deserve your spite and you only feed theirs.

April 21 2010 at 12:50 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Antique Organ

Who is he, BFD

April 20 2010 at 12:55 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Antique Organ's comment
scotty

certainoly not the idiot and mean spirited jerk you are. Seems to me you should be assigned his spot in the bin. jack! off!

April 20 2010 at 3:24 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Nate

I agree, you really can't have a good conversation with the internet...too many people find it amusing to ruin that.

April 20 2010 at 12:18 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Debbie

Mean People Suck!

Maybe you have to live in Austin to understand. Maybe you have to know a little more about what happened to Roky to "get it". Maybe if you don't have a frickin clue what you are commenting on- you should shut the hell up!!

What Roky was put through... What happened to him because of it... How he was the true pioneer of a type of music that most of you probably know but have no idea where it orginated....How he is fighting his way back from ALL that has been his reality for SO MANY years... How he is the sweetest man...EVER!

If you don't know what you're talking about/commenting on- If you have nothing but mean & negative things to say- just keep it all to your own miserable, hateful self! There is enough of that in this world right now. No one wants or needs to hear it from YOU!

God bless you Rok! I, for one, am SO pleased and happy for how things are going for you now. We've missed you! XOXOXOX

April 20 2010 at 12:14 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
john foote

A lot of real mean people out there that love to spit venom at any thing or any body.

April 20 2010 at 10:42 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Marcus

What's the big deal. Isn't all Rap and Hip Hop written in prison? Last I heard, it was.

April 20 2010 at 9:54 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
yaz

I don't exactly know why or how this made it to the news BUT this isn't the first time an musician/artist has written his lyrics or was even inspired to write music while incarcerated. People have been doing this for quite some time now. And they haven't made the news. Should it really be called news if writers and editors are pulling nonsense out of the air just to make a story......????

April 20 2010 at 8:25 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
lawrence fishberg

gee....maybe the next gimmick will be to write an album while relieving oneself.

April 20 2010 at 8:01 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply