Before I began the interview with the Decemberists’ frontman, songwriter and guitarist Colin Meloy, I was thrilled.
I already knew how the interview would go: of course, he would respond with witty, weird and verbose answers to my well-planned and eccentric questions. Of course he would be as lively and entertaining as on stage the many times I attended The Decemberists’ shows, front and center. I was wrong.
The Decemberists are a fantastic group of five musicians that create epic songs full of folkloric majesty. They utilize a range of instruments from guitar to hurdy gurdy to embellish the tales of adventure so poetically portrayed by Meloy. Unfortunately, they are playing a tune of folklore themselves.
“Well, there’s always a sort of learning curve, but you know you can do a lot with rock and roll music with very little experience on an instrument,” Meloy said. “So a lot of it is just elaborately faking the ability to play these weird instruments.”
No strangers to ACL, Meloy said the only reason they keep returning is “the inevitable wheel of time carrying us ever forward into the future.” In the nine years since their creation, The Decemberists have released five full-length albums and 12 singles and EPs while engaging in countless other side projects.
The band made it big when they switched labels from the lesser-known Kill Rock Stars to the big-time Capitol, which produces rock stars (The Beatles, Katy Perry, Tina Turner), to make their fourth studio album The Crane Wife in 2006.
Consequently, this has been their most critically acclaimed record, climbing the Billboard Top 200 chart to No. 14 and claiming the No. 5 spot on their Rock Albums list.
Luckily so, because, apparently, Meloy’s only motivation is monetary gain.
“What do you expect? I mean, why do you do what you do? “ Meloy said. “It’s a living, I make a living off of it, I pay my bills. But beyond that, I really don’t have an explanation. I’m sorry.”
By the end of the interview, Meloy’s apathy was difficult to handle. How can a musician with exceptional talent and a genius’ knack for storytelling not give a damn? When I questioned the passion behind the music, Meloy said there is plenty of it, but provided no explanation and declined to continue the interview.
“[Expand] on the heart and soul of music? Of playing music?” Meloy said. “Um, no I wouldn’t like to. There’s no point in explaining it. I have no explanation. Um, listen I’m really sorry, I’ve got to go.”
WHAT: The Decemberists
WHEN: Saturday, 7 p.m.
WHERE: Dell Stage
Faking it with The Decemberists
Apathetic frontman Colin Meloy needs to ‘pay the bills’ somehow
Published: Thursday, October 1, 2009
Updated: Thursday, October 1, 2009
 "Photo: THE DECEMBERISTS photographed by CALLIE RICHMOND")
THE DECEMBERISTS photographed by CALLIE RICHMOND
10 comments
The Bagman
I think that asking just about any musician to "expand on the heart and soul of music," which is almost certainly what preceded that quote at the end, would get a similarly brusque response. To be charitable to all involved, I envision something like this: Meloy started off less than excited to do the interview, and then the questions were either highly generic, stuff asked in every interview he's ever had, or both. As a result, he responded with some annoyance, which in turn made the interviewer nervous, which led to worse questions, which repeated until he hung up. (This was a phone interview, right?) It probably wasn't anyone's finest hour.
Your name
you are an idiot amber, you asked questions that are so open-ended and so f'ing boring, he hung up on you. go back and take some journalism classes and stop torturing people more talented than you.
Sue
Albert: It's hard to take seriously your comments such as "should OF" or "Your the one". You can't spell or use correct grammar but you can criticize such a talented musician & lyricist? Amazing.
Albert
This was not only a great insight into how Colin Meloy really is but it was also a very well written article. Even if Colin Meloy has "things to do" or "he gets tired," getting interviewed is part of a musicians job. He should of sucked it up and realized that this newspaper reaches thousands of people. Instead, he sounded like another musician who thinks that he is just too cool for everyone else. In my opinion, your interpretations were not "poor at best," they were actually really fair. Your the one that interviewed him, no one else, so I think you have every right to interpret them however you please.
Christopher
I must concur, this is a terribly written article. Sounds more like you botched a chance at a good interview than anything else. Your interpretation of the quotes seems poor at best. Example:"“What do you expect? I mean, why do you do what you do? “ Meloy said. “It’s a living, I make a living off of it, I pay my bills. But beyond that, I really don’t have an explanation. I’m sorry.”"I can fathom more than a few interpretations of this quote, none of which really add up to the categorical statement that he apathetically makes music to get rich. Is it so difficult to understand that a person might not understand their own talent or that someone can do something as a result of an inexplicable passion? Dismal. Totally dismal.
jamie
colin meloy sounds like a total d-bag... amber don't listen to the haters.
hal
Hahaha, what a terrible article! As a reporter, you need to make use of what you get, not whine about what you didn't. This reads like a bitchy gossip report.
Moll
Perhaps the reporter's "well-planned and eccentric questions" were a bit too much. He gets tired, just like the rest of us. Let's chalk it up to definitely not Meloy's best day, but the guy is still an amazing and talented musician.
Sierra
I will never believe that Colin Meloy is a jerk. The two times I have met him he has been nothing short of nice. Just like every person, he probably has bad days. Was your interview a planned appointment or a rushed meeting? I'm sure the man's got things to do!
ash
oh my god, he sounds like such a jerk!!!!!
