New writing on the ARK blog:
Richard Rees-Jones writes about Rook by Shearwater
and
Simon Tyler writes about Tabula Rasa by Arvo Pärt
www.falsewalls.co.uk/ark
@jonathanmeiburg.bsky.social
@matadorrecords.bsky.social
@viennesewaltz.bsky.social
@shearwaterband.bsky.social
On the ARK blog, musicians, writers and others choose an album to write about.
New post:
Richard Rees-Jones writes about Rook by Shearwater (2008)
www.falsewalls.co.uk/ark/
@jonathanmeiburg.bsky.social
@matadorrecords.bsky.social
@viennesewaltz.bsky.social
@shearwaterband.bsky.social
A little look at some of the work I’m assisting with as research for my next book.
We spy a familiar face (head?) On the Antarctic 2025/2026 AWI Polarstern Expedition blog. Look at JM in full science-mode. (EL)
follow-polarstern.awi.de/blog/25-01-2...
Hello to everyone from Antarctica! It means so much to me to know that JPOB found a place in your lives…this is really all I hope for from music, the feeling that in making it we might reach other people who feel the same (in the broadest sense). Thank you for keeping this music alive and well. JM
Happy new year to all of you from Antarctica, where I’m deep in book research & tagging along with a crew of mad scientists. But looking forward to returning later this year, carrying stories and songs to share with you.
Friends- We hope these dark days are nevertheless treating you well, and that you have at least a bit of rest in store before the joys and horrors of 2026 lurch into gear. (As for us, we're about to master a new album, and hope/expect that later next year we'll finally return to live performing).
We're depending on some things working out that are not entirely up to us...but, we're doing the best we can to make this happen in the next year.
I’ve just learned that a scam has been reaching out to indiegogo users, claiming to be me, offering to ‘help’ with their campaign—& using this phony email:
contact.jonathanmeiburg@gmail.com.
No matter what email they use, if you receive a message like this, please know this is not real. (JM)
I can only describe myself as *gob-smacked* to see AMRC among the top 10 best sellers at Third Place Books Ravenna in Seattle this week. Yowza! See the evidence herewith.
Many thanks to Rafe Posey for being such a tireless champion of the book. (JM)
So awesome to see the intersection of @mariapopova.bsky.social and @jonathanmeiburg.bsky.social 's minds!
I’m honored that AMRC found @mariapopova.bsky.social’s curious eyes. And I agree with her.
Please consider us gob-smacked, and deeply grateful.
Thanks for more-than-exceeding our first day expectations for our new album’s crowdfunding campaign! There are still many days to go and great perks, but we wanted to express our gratitude after a banner day.
www.indiegogo.com/projects/a-n...
Friends,
Four years ago, we launched a crowdfunding campaign for a new Shearwater album—and you helped us create, promote & distribute an LP we loved, without the support of a label.
We’re doing that again now, for our nearly-complete new album The New World.
www.indiegogo.com/projects/a-n...
How is everyone? We’ve got some news to share (soon).
I can't wait to talk about caracaras, the universe, and everything with David Lindo (The Urban Birder) tomorrow (the 19th) at 7PM UK time. You can sign up to join the call below...or watch it later on his YT channel.
www.theurbanbirderworld.com/live-webinars/
Wish I could have seen it! Here's hoping this marks the opening of a second front in the great caracara invasion of the lower 48.
I've heard from several of you about the yellow-headed caracara that turned up this month in Galveston, Texas—a juvenile, like the one inspecting a snoozing tapir for yummy ectoparasites in one of my favorite pictures from AMRC.
Does anyone remember #askshearwater? Before 2020, we used to make YouTube videos in which I (EL) would ask JM your questions. I’d like to resurrect this… If you have any questions for us, please reply with them!
And many thanks to Rafe at Third Place for such a kind review.
JM
I’m always happy about a wild sighting of AMRC…and with the holiday coming up, I hope it’s not out of line to give you guys a gentle reminder that it makes a wonderful gift for anyone who needs some caracaras in their life, but doesn’t know it yet.
A friend spotted this on the shelves at the excellent @thirdplacebooks in Seattle, and it warmed my heart to know it’s still alive in the world.
Great holiday read of you are interested in history, conservation and/or birds.
It's about the legendary bird of prey, the caracaras. Great research and quality storytelling by Jonathan Meiburg, of the highly underappreciated indie band Shearwater
www.amazon.com/Most-Remarka...
About those new songs - we’ll be back in the studio in December with them. It’ll feel good(?) to try to make sense of this moment at that time.
We’ll still be posting news (only) over there out of necessity, but this will be the new home for this kind of thing. Hello, all. (EL)
Hello, all!
So Twitter now asks "what is happening?!" with an interrobang. I couldn't agree more. Below is a screen shot of my news feed:
