Colin Meloy

The driving force behind Portland collective The Decemberists, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Colin Meloy achieved Grammy-winning chart-topping success with a highly literate style which drew upon both the British folk of the 60s and the US college rock of the 80s. Meloy began his musical career at high school with the alt-country outfit Happy Cactus, and formed his second band, Tarkio, while studying Creative Writing at the University of Montana. Meloy combined his two major passions when he teamed up with Nate Query and Jenny Conlee in 2000 to found The Decemberists, an ever-changing indie-folk group who became renowned for their theatrical live performances and lavish dramatic sound. Meloy gradually helped guide the cult favorites into the mainstream, culminating in a US number one peak for 2011's The King Is Dead, while also carving out a typically intriguing solo career with a number of covers EPs and children's books.