Episode 725: Jonathan Meiburg of Shearwater

On today's episode, I talk to musician and writer Jonathan Meiburg. Born in Baltimore, MD, Jonathan started playing music in the early 1990s in Austin and towards the end of the decade began playing keyboards in Okkervil River. A year later, he formed the band Shearwater with Okkervil's Will Sheff as an outlet for their quieter songs, though by their fourth album Palo Santo, it became primarily Jonathan's group. Since 1999, Shearwater has released almost two dozen albums and EPs on labels like Misra, Matador and Sub Pop. In addition to his musical pursuits, Jonathan has also had an impressive writing career, contributing to publications like The Believer and Talkhouse, and his book A Most Remarkable Creature: The Hidden Life and Epic Journey of the World's Smartest Birds of Prey was published in 2021 by Knopf. Shearwater's latest album The New World will be released by Polyborus Records at the end of July, and it is wonderful! This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here! Theme song by the fantastic Savoir Adore! Second theme by the brilliant Mike Pace! Closing theme by the delightful Gregory Brothers! Podcast art by the inimitable Beano Gee!