THE DECEMBERISTS Share 'The Better Part of Bravery' From LAIKA's WILDWOOD

The Decemberists have shared 'The Better Part of Bravery,' an original song written for the new animated film Wildwood, marking the band's first new music in over two years. The release follows the band's acclaimed 2024 album As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again and represents a full-circle moment for frontman Colin Meloy, whose acclaimed debut novel Wildwood serves as the inspiration for the film. Directed by Travis Knight (Kubo and the Two Strings), the stop-motion adventure from LAIKA arrives in theaters October 23, with its original motion picture soundtrack released via Decca Records.

'The Better Part of Bravery' serves as the film's closing song, accompanying audiences as they depart the fantastical world that Meloy first imagined more than 15 years ago. ''Wildwood' has been part of my life for many years, and seeing the story transformed like this has been an extraordinary experience,' says Colin Meloy. 'Writing the song for the end credits gave me a chance to return to the world of 'Wildwood' in a different way. There's something particularly meaningful about having music accompany the audience as they leave the forest and the story comes to a close.'

First published in 2011 and illustrated by acclaimed artist Carson Ellis, Wildwood marked Meloy's debut as a novelist and the beginning of the beloved Wildwood Chronicles. Rooted in the same fascination with folklore, mythology, the natural world, and richly imagined characters that has long defined The Decemberists' music, the book introduced readers to an extraordinary world hidden within the wilderness of Portland, Oregon. Now, 15 years later, that world comes to life on the big screen, with Meloy and his bandmates helping to shape its musical identity. The project represents a remarkable intersection of Meloy's two creative worlds, bringing the imaginative storytelling that has always been central to The Decemberists full circle.

Wildwood features an all-star voice cast led by Peyton Elizabeth Lee and Jacob Tremblay, alongside Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Angela Bassett, Awkwafina, Jake Johnson, Charlie Day, Amandla Stenberg, Jemaine Clement, Maya Erskine, Tantoo Cardinal, Tom Waits and Richard E. Grant. The film makes its world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival on October 11 before opening in theaters across the U.S., Canada, UK and Ireland on October 23.

The new music is the first to follow The Decemberists' celebrated 2024 album As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again. Across more than two decades, the band has carved out an entirely singular place in American indie rock, building a devoted following through their richly layered arrangements, literary imagination, and ambitious musical explorations. With Wildwood, the band returns to those storytelling roots in an entirely New Medium, further blurring the lines between music, literature, and film.

About The Decemberists

For over 20 years, The Decemberists have been one of the most original, daring, and thrilling American rock bands. Founded in the year 2000 when singer, songwriter, and guitarist Colin Meloy moved from Montana to Portland, OR, and met bassist Nate Query, keyboardist Jenny Conlee, guitarist Chris Funk, and drummer John Moen.

From their early albums on Kill Rock Stars, including Castaways and Cutouts (2002) and Her Majesty (2003), to the breakthrough Picaresque (2005), The Decemberists built a reputation for lush arrangements and narratives that drew from folk traditions, myth, and history. Their ambition grew with The Crane Wife (2006) and the chart-topping The Hazards of Love (2009), works that blended progressive rock scope with folk sensibility. In 2011, they reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with The King Is Dead, an album that channeled pastoral Americana while remaining unmistakably their own.

The enduring indie band returned in 2024 with their first new music in six years, As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again. In many ways, this album felt like an aptly titled renewal for The Decemberists, realized by returning to familiar routes of creation with the ever-updating perspective of now.

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