The Decemberists

The Decemberists are a folk-influenced rock band known for elaborate stage designs and poetic lyrics inspired by real-life historical events. ∙ Founded in 2000, the group flourished in Portland, Oregon’s indie music scene, continuing the legacy of such ’90s stars as lo-fi folkie Elliott Smith and riot grrrl band Sleater-Kinney. ∙ NPR listeners voted the band’s major-label debut, The Crane Wife—which took inspiration from Shakespeare’s The Tempest and a Japanese folk tale—their favorite album of 2006. ∙ “Down By the Water,” a 2011 song featuring R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck and Americana star Gillian Welch, was nominated for a Best Rock Performance Grammy Award. ∙ Their 2011 album, The King Is Dead, which was recorded in a barn on an 80-acre farm, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. ∙ In 2017, the band collaborated with Lin-Manuel Miranda on “Ben Franklin’s Song,” the first track released in the Hamilton composer’s Hamildrops series. ∙ Frontman and lyricist Colin Meloy is also the author of a best-selling children’s fantasy series, The Wildwood Chronicles, and a book on The Replacements’ Let It Be.