Stream The Decemberists’ 19-Minute Opus ‘Joan In The Garden’ From 1st New Album In 6 Years

The Decemberists will release As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again, their first new album since 2018, on June 14 via YABB Records (Thirty Tigers). The band previewed the forthcoming double album by sharing the new song “Joan In The Garden,” a 19-minute aptly described as a “prog-rock epic.”

As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again marks The Decemberists’ ninth studio album and longest yet. Produced by lead singer Colin Meloy and Tucker Martine, the 13-track follow-up to 2018’s I’ll Be Your Girl features guest appearances by James Mercer of The Shins and R.E.M.‘s Mike Mills.

The Decemberists previously released the single “Burial Ground” to tease the new album. The band will support the LP with an extensive North American tour.

Colin Meloy shared the following in regards to new single “Joan In The Garden”:

“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.

“Joan In The Garden” goes through many tempo changes before reaching a potent guitar-driven peak. The lengthy cut does indeed feature many proggy elements including wild synth work straight out of ELP’s heyday.

Listen to The Decemberists’ “Joan In The Garden” single below:

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