Colin Meloy

All Music Guide:

Born in Helena, MT, Colin Meloy has fronted three bands, Happy Cactus, Tarkio, and the Decemberists. His first foray into solo work came in 2005 when he hit the road in support of the six-song EP Colin Meloy Sings Morrissey. He toured again the following year with fellow singer/songwriters Laura Veirs and Amy Annelle, where he hawked another self-released limited-edition EP of covers, this time from the canon of lauded British folk legend Shirley Collins. In 2008 Meloy released his first "official" solo album, Colin Meloy Sings Live! on the Kill Rock Stars label, followed by a tour (where he sold his third installment of self-made tribute albums, this time of soul legend Sam Cooke) with fellow Portland, OR, singer Laura Gibson.

Wikipedia:

Colin Patrick Henry Meloy (born October 5, 1974) is the lead singer and songwriter for the Portland, Oregon, folk-rock band The Decemberists. In addition to vocals, he performs with an acoustic guitar, 12-string acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bouzouki, harmonica and percussion.

Early life and education

Meloy was born in Helena, Montana. His sister is Maile Meloy, an author often published in The New Yorker.

Meloy attended the University of Oregon 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. 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 Tarkio. Both were indie/folk/alternative country 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 and Nate Query.

In 2005, he went on his first solo tour to support the self-released six-song EP, Colin Meloy Sings Morrissey, consisting of six Morrissey 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 and Amy Annelle. On this tour, he sold an EP featuring covers of British folk artist Shirley Collins. 2006 tour performances were recorded for a live release.

Meloy contributed an online bonus track for Lavender Diamond on their Imagine Our Love 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!, on the Kill Rock Stars label. Singer-songwriter Laura Gibson 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, a collection of five Sam Cooke songs, arranged and performed by Meloy, with Laura Gibson singing harmonies.

Personal life

On February 24, 2006, Carson Ellis, Meloy's wife, gave birth to a son, Henry "Hank" Meloy. Ellis shares her birthday with Meloy, and is a graphic artist for the Decemberists. In about 2010, Meloy revealed that Hank has high functioning autism.

Solo discography

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's 2006 Yep Roc release. Meloy also covered the Elliott Smith 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 compilation, The Sound the Hare Heard. In 2007, Meloy lent his voice to an episode of Lil' Bush. He has appeared with Charlie Salas-Humara in the music video for "A Pillar of Salt" by The Thermals (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 made his debut as a children's writer with Wildwood illustrated by wife, Carson Ellis. He kicked off the book tour as the keynote of the AJC Decatur Book Festival on September 2, 2011.