many members of the band left and his grandfather died. In the Rainbow Rain In the Rainbow Rain was released on April 27, 2018, and marks the ninth album for the band. Will Sheff produced the album while Shawn Everett (Perfume Genius, Alabama Shakes, The War on Drugs) assumed mixing responsibilities. The writing process incorporated Sheff's songwriting craftsmanship with an interplay of his new bandmates, Benjamin Lazar Davis (bass), Will Graefe (guitar), Lip Talk (Sarah K. Pedinotti) (keys) and Cully Symington (percussion) – the same iteration of Okkervil River that joined Sheff on the Away tour. Sheff and the band started work on the new album shortly after the end of that tour – and the presidential election. "If December 2016 was good for anything, it was good for writing songs", he said. Sheff took a different approach to the album, sometimes co-writing with his new band, and occasionally attending local Quaker meetings. Other projects In 2001, Meiburg and Sheff founded a second band known as Shearwater. Originally an outlet for Meiburg songs and some Sheff songs that didn't fit the Okkervil mold, Shearwater has gradually evolved into a full-fledged band. The band's 2006 release, Palo Santo (sans Sheff's vocals, but including his musical input), has seen Meiburg receive great critical acclaim. The groups still share many fans, and, while on tour together in 2004, they released a limited edition split-CD entitled Sham Wedding/Hoax Funeral. In 2008, Meiburg left Okkervil River to focus exclusively on Shearwater. On April 20, 2010, former 13th Floor Elevators singer-guitarist Roky Erickson released the album True Love Cast Out All Evil, produced by Will Sheff and backed by Okkervil River. Okkervil River also performed "Candle on the Water" for the 2016 remake of "Pete's Dragon". Discography Albums Split albums 2003 Julie Doiron / Okkervil River – Acuarela, split with Julie Doiron 2004 Sham Wedding/Hoax Funeral – Jound, split with Shearwater EPs 1998 Bedroom EP – Jound 1999 Stars Too Small to Use – Jound 2004 Sleep and Wake-Up Songs – (Jagjaguwar) 2005 Black Sheep Boy Appendix – (Jagjaguwar) 2006 Overboard & Down – Inertia, Australia-only tour EP 2018 New Blood – (ATO Records) Other 2007 Black Sheep Boy (Definitive Edition) – Double album of Black Sheep Boy and Black Sheep Boy Appendix (Europe and US, Jagjaguwar) 2007 Golden Opportunities Mixtape – A collection of eight covers and one original song released on the band's website