The Decemberists
With the ability to create a sound that blends British folk and American rock with a hint of southern gothic inspiration, the Decemberists have over the years garnered a fan base loyal to their eclectic style. The band’s songs always involve a range of instruments, from bouzouki and accordion to drums and electric guitar, and have the power to enchant audiences with catchy, widescreen melodies and imaginative, literary lyrics.
The band formed in 2000 when lead singer Colin Meloy moved to Portland, Oregon. After joining forces with friends Nate Query and Jenny Conlee, the three began the Decemberists, and after adding a couple other members, started to record music together. Their first EP’s (5 Songs and The Tain) were released through indie labels, and it was not until 2005 that they were finally picked up by Capitol Records.
Their debut with Capitol was the acclaimed album The Crane Wife (2006). Critics who had heard the band’s previous recordings celebrated this release as “The band's most ambitious, mind-blowing, and best record yet.” (Tiny Mix Tapes) The band continued to tour and record, music releasing the rock opera The Hazards of Love in 2008. Critics praised lead singer Meloy for his incredible songwriting abilities. “Meloy's touchstones form one of the Decemberists' best, precise diction; moody, compelling melodies in glorious arrangements; and elegant phrasing dripping like honey off the tongue.” (Austin Chronicle) With the recent release of their third album The King Is Dead, featuring guests Gillian Welch and R.E.M.’s Peter Buck, the band continues to impress both fans and music lovers with their unique sound. The album is hailed as “…a 40-minute set that's more succinctly rewarding than anything they've done in years.” (Entertainment Weekly)
The recent success of the The King is Dead, which hit #1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, speaks to the group’s creative genius as, “Meloy and company demonstrate such a deep entrenchment in the nexus of folk that the five-piece can now tackle any of its subgenres' hybrids with confidence.” (Austin Chronicle)
