The Decemberists release first new song in five years

Tuesday, February 6, 2024 – The Decemberists are out with a single, "Burial Ground," marking their first new music in more than five years.

The band also will head out on tour starting April 30th in Kingston, N.Y. and wrapping up Aug. 3 in Troutdale, Ore. The Ratboys will open all of the shows except the final concert.

"'Burial Ground' is in that time-honored pop song tradition, a paean to hanging out in graveyards," said lead singer Colin Meloy. "The melody hook came to me in a dream, and I hummed it into my phone on waking. Most dream-songs are bad; this was the exception."

The Shins' James Mercer helps out on backing vocals.

The group's last release was the EP "Travelin' On" in 2018.

Tour dates are:
April 30: Kingston, NY- Ulster Performing Arts Center
May 2: Boston, MA - Roadrunner
May 3: Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Paramount Theatre
May 6: Toronto, ON - Exhibition Place - Queen Elizabeth Theatre
May 7: Pittsburgh, PA - Stage AE
May 8: Philadelphia, PA - The Fillmore Philadelphia
May 10: Washington DC - The Anthem
May 11: Durham, NC - Durham Performing Arts Center
May 12: Atlanta, GA - The Eastern
May 14: Dallas, TX - Majestic Theater
May 15: Austin, TX - Bass Concert Hall
May 17: St Louis, MO - The Pageant
May 18: Milwaukee, WI - Riverside Theater
May 19: St Paul, MN - Palace Theatre
May 21: Chicago, IL - Salt Shed
May 22: Detroit, MI - Royal Oak Music Theater
May 24: Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
July 12: Bend, OR - Hayden Homes Amphitheater (co-bill with The Head & The Heart)
July 13: Oakland, CA - Fox Theater
July 15: Los Angeles, CA - The Bellwether
July 18: San Diego, CA - Humphreys
July 19: Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theater
July 20: Phoenix, AZ - The Van Buren
July 22: Santa Fe, NM - The Bridge at Santa Fe Brewing
July 23: Denver, CO - The Mission Ballroom
July 24: Sandy, UT - Sandy Amphitheater
July 26: Missoula, MT - Kettlehouse Amphitheater
July 27: Spokane, WA - Spokane Pavilion
July 29: Vancouver, BC - Queen Elizabeth Theatre
Aug. 3: Troutdale, OR - McMenamins Edgefield (The Ratboys will not appear)

VIP pre-sale begins tomorrow at 1 a.m. eastern time. The tour will go on-sale to the public this Friday at 10 a.m. local time.