The hardy Meloy will play nine cities on the trek, starting January 18 with a West Coast run that includes the Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

He’ll skip over to Chicago, then hit Boston, New York and Philadelphia before wrapping the outing January 28 at The Birchmere in Alexandria, Va.

Last year, Meloy recorded a tour-only EP of Morrissey covers. A recent post on The Decemberists’ official Web site hinted that a similar disc is likely for the upcoming dates, with the “coveree” to be announced.

The Decemberists are currently touring Europe, with dates in the U.K., Germany, Spain, France and Belgium scheduled through the end of November.