Fans of the legendary musician Roger Kynard "Roky" Erickson can expect new material from the psychedelic-blues guitarist April 20th. Recording his first album of new material in over 14 years, the former 13th Floor Elevators and Blieb Alien frontman was joined in the studio by Austin-band, Okkervil River for the album, True Love Cast Out All Evil. Erickson had previously performed with Okkervil River in 2008 at the Austin Music Awards and the following year at South by Southwest festival.
The ambitious True Love album, cites “found sounds” from the Rusk State Hospital for the Criminally Insane where Erickson was committed to residency for three years in the early 70s following his arrest for possession of a single marijuana cigarette. While in their care, Roky was subjected to Thorazine, electroshock therapy, and other “experimental treatments.” The effects of his stay would alter his life.
Okkervil River's Will Sheff, who produced the album, said in a released statement, "This is not a cynical comeback record, a lukewarm update on an established legacy – these are the best songs Roky has ever written. This record has been the most challenging and rewarding thing I've ever worked on, and we in Okkervil River were deeply honoured to show up decades later and help Roky carry these wonderful songs over the finish line."
In 1966, The Elevators charted with a then 19 year old, Roky-penned hit, “You're Gonna Miss Me,” and their influence was far reaching. Erickson’s marriage of space psychedelia and hard-rocking electric blues made fans out of Patti Smith, Henry Rollins, Mike Watt, The Cramps, Television, The Butthole Surfers, The Damned and The White Stripes.
After his final public performance in 1987, Roky slowly began to disappear from public view. Songs continued to appear in successful film soundtracks including High Fidelity, Drugstore Cowboy, and Boys Don't Cry, but original work would cease after the recording of 1995’s All That May Do My Rhyme, an album half recorded a decade earlier. Openers II, his book of lyrics, was published on the 2.13.61 vanity press.
Roky’s untreated paranoid schizophrenia caused erratic behavior in the Texan and minor brushes with the law compounded his need for serious intervention. In 1998 Roky’s fixation with mail led to his collection of neighbor’s mail while they were away. When they moved the collection continued until police arrived at Erickson’s house and found the letters taped to his wall, unopened.
In 2005, director Keven McAlester released, You’re Gonna Miss Me documenting the life of Roky and his brother Sumner the previous five years. Sumner fought to receive guardianship over Roky’s estate and found medication that would benefit his brother’s well being.
To date, Erickson has weaned himself off medication and plays several gigs including the Coachella Festival and London’s Royal Festival Hall.
True Love Cast Out All Evil culled tracks from 60 unreleased Erickson songs which Sheff remarks are, “unreleased due to decades plagued by the kind of personal tragedies that would destroy someone less resilient.”
“There were songs written during business setbacks including the Elevators' painful break-up, songs written by Roky while he was incarcerated at Rusk, and a great deal of songs that reminded me of the sense of optimism and romanticism that I think sustained Roky through his worst years and ultimately reunited him, a few years ago, with his son Jegar and his first wife Dana. The quality of the material we ended up with was exhilarating."
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