Okkervil River - Buy Them a Pabst If you See Them

Former Austin music writer and Okkervil River vox/lyricist Will Scheff on his crappy life over the past three years:

“You make about one-tenth what the headliner makes. You load in and see that the headliner has smoked salmon with capers and a sushi spread and a bottle of sake in their dressing room, and the promoter forgot your 24 cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon,” he jokes. “You get no soundcheck. You’re not allowed to play at the same volume as the headlining band. The audience is made up almost entirely of kids who just want you to get the hell off stage. But it’s helped us a lot.”

With Black Sheep Boy, however, the word-of-mouth is getting louder. It’s Scheff’s favorite Okkervil album, but he suggests their emergence is a product of spending three years on the road. Last year, he didn’t even bother paying for an apartment.