Colin Meloy
Encyclopedia
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, folk-rock band The Decemberists. In addition to vocals, he performs with an acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, 12-string acoustic guitar
Twelve string guitar
The twelve-string guitar is an acoustic or electric guitar with 12 strings in 6 courses, which produces a richer, more ringing tone than a standard six-string guitar...
, electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, bouzouki
Bouzouki
The bouzouki , is a musical instrument with Greek origin in the lute family. A mainstay of modern Greek music, the front of the body is flat and is usually heavily inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The instrument is played with a plectrum and has a sharp metallic sound, reminiscent of a mandolin but...
, harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
, percussion and interpretive hand gestures.
Early life and education
Meloy was born in Helena, MontanaHelena, Montana
Helena is the capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. The 2010 census put the population at 28,180. The local daily newspaper is the Independent Record. The Helena Brewers minor league baseball and Helena Bighorns minor league hockey team call the...
. His sister is Maile Meloy
Maile Meloy
Maile Meloy is an American author of fiction. She was born in Helena, Montana, where she was also raised.Meloy graduated from the University of California, Irvine with an M.F.A...
, an author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
often published in The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
reported in 2009 to be living in Los Angeles.
Meloy attended the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
in Eugene for two years, studying English, before returning to Montana and enrolling in the creative writing program at the University of Montana in Missoula
Missoula, Montana
Missoula is a city located in western Montana and is the county seat of Missoula County. The 2010 Census put the population of Missoula at 66,788 and the population of Missoula County at 109,299. Missoula is the principal city of the Missoula Metropolitan Area...
. He graduated in 1998.
Musical career
While in high school, Meloy was in Happy Cactus, and when in college, in Missoula, he was the lead singer and songwriter for TarkioTarkio (band)
Tarkio was an alternative country band from Missoula, Montana which included Colin Meloy prior to his forming The Decemberists. Tarkio broke up in 1999, but found new popularity in a retrospective released by Kill Rock Stars in 2006.-History:...
. Both were indie/folk
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
/alternative country
Alternative country
Alternative country is a loosely defined sub-genre of country music, which includes acts that differ significantly in style from mainstream or pop country music...
bands. Soon after graduation, Meloy left Tarkio and moved to Portland. There he found, to his disappointment, that he pretty much had to start again, "going to open mics, ... sometimes with no one else in the room save the bartender. [... However, w] When I was in that position, with nobody to appeal to or scare away, I thought, ‘I might as well do whatever I want to do,’ Meloy [said in 2009]. 'And that created a new thing.'"
In Portland, he met future bandmates Jenny Conlee
Jenny Conlee
Jenny Conlee is the accordionist, pianist, organist, keyboardist, melodica player, and occasional backup singer and harmonicist for the indie rock quintet The Decemberists, roles she has filled on each of the band's releases.-Portland music:...
and Nate Query
Nate Query
Nate Query plays electric bass, upright bass, and cello in the rock band The Decemberists. He is also credited on Michael Zapruder's record. Former bands include Calobo and Everyday Dirt. His most recent project is the acoustic band Black Prairie with a number of other Portland...
.
In 2005, he went on his first solo tour to support the self-released six-song EP, Colin Meloy Sings Morrissey
Colin Meloy Sings Morrissey
Colin Meloy Sings Morrissey was the first solo project released by Portland musician Colin Meloy of The Decemberists. The album was released in January, 2005 and was available exclusively on Meloy's first solo tour...
, consisting of six Morrissey
Morrissey
Steven Patrick Morrissey , known as Morrissey, is an English singer and lyricist. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. The band was highly successful in the United Kingdom but broke up in 1987, and Morrissey began a solo career,...
covers. Only 1000 copies of the album were made and they were sold only on this tour. Meloy did a second solo tour in January 2006, playing with Laura Veirs
Laura Veirs
Laura Pauline Veirs is an American singer-songwriter.Veirs was raised in Colorado, studied geology and Mandarin Chinese at Carleton College, worked as a translator for a geological expedition in China, and now lives in Portland, Oregon.While growing up, she heard folk-country, classical, and pop...
and Amy Annelle. On this tour, he sold an EP featuring covers of British folk artist Shirley Collins
Shirley Collins
Shirley Elizabeth Collins MBE is a British folksinger who was a significant contributor to the English Folk Revival of the 1960s and 1970s...
. 2006 tour performances were recorded for a live release.
Meloy contributed an online bonus track
Bonus track
In terms of recorded music, a bonus track is a piece of music which has been included on specific releases or reissues of an album. This is most often done as a promotional device, either as an incentive to customers to purchase albums they might otherwise not, or to repurchase albums they already...
for Lavender Diamond
Lavender Diamond
Lavender Diamond is a Los Angeles-based Folk/country-pop quartet known for its light-hearted, often winsome sound; its simple, romantic lyrics; and the charismatic, whimsical stage presence and ethereal vocals of frontwoman Becky Stark.-History:...
on their Imagine Our Love
Imagine Our Love
Imagine Our Love is a folk album by Los Angeles-based Lavender Diamond. It was released in May 2007 by Matador Records.-Track listing:#"Oh No" – 3:47#"Garden Rose" – 5:04#"Open Your Heart" – 3:11#"Side of the Lord" – 2:48...
album. He performed a solo version of "Oh No."
Meloy began another solo tour in April, 2008. This coincided with the release of his debut solo album, Colin Meloy Sings Live!
Colin Meloy Sings Live!
Colin Meloy Sings Live! is the first live album released by Portland musician Colin Meloy, frontman for the Decemberists. The album was released in April 2008, and is a collection of live recordings from various nights on the artist's solo tour in early 2006...
, on the Kill Rock Stars
Kill Rock Stars
Kill Rock Stars is an independent record label founded in 1991 by Slim Moon and based in both Olympia, Washington and Portland, Oregon. The label has released a variety of work in different genres, making it difficult to pigeonhole as having any one artistic mission...
label. Singer-songwriter Laura Gibson
Laura Gibson
Laura Gibson is a Portland-area folk singer and songwriter. She was raised in Coquille, Oregon.She currently records for the independent U.S. label Hush Records. In 2008, she toured the United States as the opening act for Colin Meloy. She also added vocal harmonies to his Colin Meloy Sings Sam...
was the supporting act for the full tour. As with previous EPs, Meloy sold an EP only available on this run: Colin Meloy Sings Sam Cooke
Colin Meloy Sings Sam Cooke
Colin Meloy Sings Sam Cooke is a tour-only EP by Colin Meloy, lead singer of The Decemberists. It is the third in a series of EPs featuring covers of influential artists, which includes works of Morrissey and Shirley Collins...
, a collection of five Sam Cooke songs, arranged and performed by Meloy, with Laura Gibson singing harmonies.
Personal life
On February 24, 2006, Carson EllisCarson Ellis
Carson Friedman Ellis is an artist living in Portland, Oregon. She is best known for her children's book illustrations and her album art.- Career :...
, Meloy's wife, gave birth to a son, Henry "Hank" Meloy. Ellis shares the same birthday with Meloy, and is a graphic artist for the Decemberists. In about 2010, Meloy revealed that Hank has high functioning autism.
Solo discography
- Colin Meloy Sings MorrisseyColin Meloy Sings MorrisseyColin Meloy Sings Morrissey was the first solo project released by Portland musician Colin Meloy of The Decemberists. The album was released in January, 2005 and was available exclusively on Meloy's first solo tour...
(2005) - Colin Meloy Sings Shirley CollinsColin Meloy Sings Shirley CollinsColin Meloy Sings Shirley Collins is the tour-only EP by Colin Meloy, lead singer of The Decemberists. Similar to his EP from 2005, where he covered six songs by Morrissey of The Smiths, Meloy covers six traditional arrangements from folk singer Shirley Collins.-Track listing:#"Dance to Your...
(2006) - Colin Meloy Sings Live!Colin Meloy Sings Live!Colin Meloy Sings Live! is the first live album released by Portland musician Colin Meloy, frontman for the Decemberists. The album was released in April 2008, and is a collection of live recordings from various nights on the artist's solo tour in early 2006...
(2008) - Colin Meloy Sings Sam CookeColin Meloy Sings Sam CookeColin Meloy Sings Sam Cooke is a tour-only EP by Colin Meloy, lead singer of The Decemberists. It is the third in a series of EPs featuring covers of influential artists, which includes works of Morrissey and Shirley Collins...
(2008)
In 2003 Meloy contributed vocals to the track "The Lady From Reims" on Reclinerland's The Ideal Home Music Library. Meloy contributed vocals on the tracks "Cemetery Row" and "Twilight Distillery" on The Minus 5
The Minus 5
The Minus 5 is an American rock band, headed by musician Scott McCaughey and featuring R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck.-Band history:Formed in 1993, McCaughey designed the Minus 5 as a pop collective, with each record the group put out featuring a new lineup...
's 2006 Yep Roc release. Meloy also covered the Elliott Smith
Elliott Smith
Steven Paul "Elliott" Smith was an American singer-songwriter and musician. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and resided for a significant portion of his life in Portland, Oregon, where he first gained popularity...
song "Clementine" for a compilation of Portland, Oregon artists to support a children's charity. In mid-2006, he contributed the track, "Lazy Little Ada" on the Kill Rock Stars
Kill Rock Stars
Kill Rock Stars is an independent record label founded in 1991 by Slim Moon and based in both Olympia, Washington and Portland, Oregon. The label has released a variety of work in different genres, making it difficult to pigeonhole as having any one artistic mission...
compilation, The Sound the Hare Heard
The Sound the Hare Heard
The Sound the Hare Heard is a 2006 compilation of mostly acoustic arrangements by a number of singer-songwriters, both well-known and relatively obscure...
. In 2007, Meloy lent his voice to an episode of Lil' Bush
Lil' Bush
Lil' Bush is a satirical, politically-themed animated television series which premiered on June 13, 2007 on Comedy Central. The series features childlike, caricatures of members of the George W. Bush administration, and other American and international political leaders. Donick Cary created the...
. He has appeared with Charlie Salas-Humara in the music video for "A Pillar of Salt" by The Thermals
The Thermals
The Thermals are an American indie punk band based in Portland, Oregon. The group was formed in 2002. With influences heavily rooted in both lo-fi punk, as well as more standard rock, the band's songs are also known for their political and religious imagery.- History :The Thermals came together in...
(2:16).
Other work
In 2004, Meloy wrote a 100-page book on The Replacements' third album, Let It Be, released as part of the 33⅓ series.Meloy is making his debut as a children's writer with Wildwood illustrated by wife, Carson Ellis. He will be kicking off their book tour as the keynote of the AJC Decatur Book Festival on September 2, 2011.