The Decemberists is a band known for a lot of things, and diverse instrumentation is definitely one of them.

After switching from Kill Rock Stars to Capitol Records, some were worried about the affect if would have on the band's style, but fans seem to be happy with the band's latest release.

Fans have responded well to the band's new sound, and The Decemberists' members feel as though their music from the new album is some of their most progressive to date.

The group prominently features accordion, Rhodes piano and once a shofar in its music. It's one reason guitarist Chris Funk fits in so well with the band.

Funk is all over The Crane Wife, the band's new album. In addition to guitar, Funk can be heard playing dulcimer, banjo, bouzouki, pedal steel and hurdy-gurdy on the album.

Q: What have you been listening to lately?

A: I'm into this band from Portland, Psuedosix. And the album from Sufjan Stevens's guitarist, My Brightest Diamond.

Really, though, I don't listen to a lot of new music. I'm mostly into collecting old vinyl and discovering old bands I had never heard of.

Q: How about books? Read anything good lately?

A: I'm reading Littlest Hitler. It's a collection of short stories by this guy Ryan Boudinot. The title story is about this little kid who dresses up like Hitler for Halloween. Very good.

Q: What's this I hear about you starting some kind of a side project?

A: It's me and DJ Rev Shines [from Lifesavas]. It's definitely a side project. It should be out 2008, maybe. Maybe 2007. It'll be on Barsuk Records. It sounds a little like Massive Attack.

It's like trip hop, but it's not really electronic; it's very organic instrumentation.

Q: How did you get into playing so many different instruments?

A: Well, I'm self-taught on most of them. None of it is really serious -- I'm not really that great on any of them.

I used to just go to a folk music store and just start playing around, and when I finally had some cash to spend, it all sort of came together.

Q: What is your favorite instrument to play?

A: I just started violin lessons, so right now, that. It's a new challenge.

Q: Due to the lush arrangements on past albums, many tracks had to be played differently live compared to how they sound recorded.
How does this album compare to how it will be played on tour?

A: It's almost exactly the same.

We'll be bringing in another musician as we have in the past to help us play it all live, but when we were rehearsing the other day, I kept saying to myself that it was almost note for note with the recorded version.

It was just like listening to the album.

Q: What is the major difference between The Crane Wife and the earlier Decemberists' albums?

A: The band feels kind of actualized. When we started, we were really just playing [lead singer Colin Meloy's] songs. Now, four records and two EP's later, we take it a lot more seriously.

Every album is just who we were at the time, and that's how this one is. It's better stated, with less instrumentation. It's not as grandiose as Picaresque.

Q: How has the move from Kill Rock Stars to Capitol Records changed the Decemberists?

A: It really hasn't at all. We just made the record the way we would have anyway. It would have sounded the same on Kill Rock Stars.

Q: So then why change labels in the first place?

A: Capitol has more funding and more marketing power, so it gives us a greater ability to reach out to a broader audience. No disrespect to Kill Rock Stars, but we sort of maxed out the potential there.

And we didn't just switch to a major label -- we switched to Capitol specifically, because we like the way they do things, and because we like the people there. People are lying if they say they don't want to sell records. I'm not embarrassed to say that; we're realistic about who we are.

It's not like our main goal is just to make money, but it really doesn't hurt.