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Mar 19, 2024 By Mark Redfern Photography by Holly Andres

The Decemberists have announced a new album, As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again, and shared a new song from it, the epic 19-minute closing track, “Joan in the Garden.” As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again is due out on June 14 via YABB Records and Thirty Tigers. Listen to “Joan in the Garden” below, followed by the album’s tracklist and cover artwork, as well as the band’s upcoming tour dates.

The Oregon-based band features frontman Colin Meloy, bassist Nate Query, keyboardist Jenny Conlee, guitarist Chris Funk, and drummer John Moen. As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again is the band’s first album in six years, the follow-up to 2018’s I’ll Be Your Girl. Meloy produced the album with Tucker Martine.

Last month the band shared the album’s opening track, “Burial Ground,” which features backing vocals from James Mercer of The Shins and was one of our Songs of the Week. They also announced some tour dates. The album also features R.E.M.’s Mike Mills.

As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again is the band’s longest album and is a double LP featuring four different thematic sides.

Meloy had this to say about “Joan in the Garden” in a press release: “‘Joan in the Garden’ has been kicking around as an idea since the I’ll Be Your Girl sessions. I got into a Joan of Arc kick after reading Lydia Yuknavitch’s beautifully batshit novel The Book of Joan. I wanted to make my own version of Joan—but the song that came was as much about the creative process as it was about the actual woman, about angelic visitation and creative visitation and the hallucinogenic quality of both.”

Read our interview with Meloy on I’ll Be Your Girl.

As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again Tracklist:

1. Burial Ground
2. Oh No!
3. The Reapers
4. Long White Veil
5. William Fitzwilliam
6. Don’t Go to the Woods
7. The Black Maria
8. All I Want Is You
9. Born to the Morning
10. America Made Me
11. Tell Me What’s on Your Mind
12. Never Satisfied
13. Joan in the Garden

The Decemberists Tour Dates:

April 30: Kingston, NY- Ulster Performing Arts Center - SOLD OUT
May 2: Boston, MA - Roadrunner
May 3: Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Paramount Theatre - SOLD OUT
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 - SOLD OUT
May 22: Detroit, MI - Royal Oak Music Theater
May 24: Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
July 12: Bend, OR - Hayden Homes Amphitheater^
July 13: Oakland, CA - Fox Theater
July 14: Los Angeles, CA - The Bellwether - SOLD OUT
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
July 31: Seattle, WA - Woodland Park Zoo Amphitheatre - SOLD OUT
July 31: Seattle, WA - Woodland Park Zoo Amphitheatre - SOLD OUT
August 3: Troutdale, OR - McMenamins Edgefield*
August 25: London, UK - All Points East

- co-bill w/ The Head And The Heart ^
-w/ Special Guest Ratboys unless noted with a “*”

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