Shearwater was formed by two bandmembers of Austin, TX's Okkervil River. Okkervil's singer and guitarist, Will Sheff, and back-up vocalist and accordion/keyboard player, Jonathan Meiburg formed Shearwater so they could write softer, more folk-influenced music. Band members today include Jonathan Meiburg, Thor Harris, Kim Burke, Jordan Geiger, and Kevin Schneider. To date, Shearwater has released seven full-length albums--'The Dissolving Room', 'Everybody Makes Mistakes', 'Winged Life'...
To date, Shearwater has released seven full-length albums--'The Dissolving Room', 'Everybody Makes Mistakes', 'Winged Life', 'Palo Santo', 'Rook,' 'The Golden Archipelago,' and 'Animal Joy,'--as well as EPs, 'Thieves' and 'The Snow Leopard,' and a split album with Okkervil River entitled 'Sham Wedding/Hoax Funeral.'
Beginning at some point in 2005, Will Sheff lessened his role in the band. Jonathan Meiburg wrote the entirety of Palo Santo. As a biologist, Jonathan has a particular perspective. The songs of Palo Santo were partly written at the Gal?pagos Islands in the footsteps of Charles Darwin.