Portland indie rock outfit The Decemberists have canceled their summer 2021 tour dates due to safety concerns about playing indoor venues during the COVID-19 pandemic. Refunds for their canceled tour are currently available at the point of purchase, and the band plans on hitting the road next summer.

“We were really hoping to be able to bring this 20th/21st anniversary show on the road this summer,” The Decemberists wrote in a press statement. “And while there’s every reason to be optimistic about the state of the pandemic and the possibility of live shows in the future, we don’t think it’s going to happen in July/August”

The Decemberists’ scrapped summer tour was originally supposed to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their formation. Spearheaded by Colin Meloy, the group are known for their unique instrumentation, which frequently utilizes accordion, keyboards and upright bass and eclectic lyrical themes that discuss historical events and folklore.

Despite The Decemberists’ high-profile in the indie world, the band’s most recent EP Travelling On and studio album, I’ll Be Your Girl, were both released in 2018. Unlike their previous material, the lyrical content on I’ll Be Your Girl is a lot more modern, taking influence from the 2016 presidential election and its aftermath.

Meloy has been keeping busy during the last year, releasing a new song called “Slint, Spiderland,” which is a reference to the iconic 1991 album Spiderland by Slint. The track was written in the pandemic and was inspired by a documentary Meloy saw regarding Spiderland‘s recording.

Photo Credit: Sharon Alagna