Page 35 - September 2017

Decker – Sedona Blues Rock Straight from the Heart
BY BEVERLEY NAPALM
Sedona based musician Brandon Decker, who performs under the moniker of simply his surname, recently released his convenient and career spanning retrospective Into The Red. The collection is comprised of tracks from the six studio releases since his 2009 debut Long Days. His acclaimed musical offerings have been variously praised for their fiery vision, off-kilter attitude, taut musicianship and psychedelic romanticism.
Decker’s unique music bristles with a kaleidoscope of original ideas with personal and passionate nods to the past though his stylistic smatterings of blues, gospel and Americana, whilst unafraid to delve headstrong into the future with his own distinct identity. It’s a heady and convincingmix,brilliantlyexecuted. TheauthorcaughtupwithDeckeramidstthepreparations for his album launch September 2 in Sedona.
Have you always performed solo, under the moniker of Decker? Or did you cut your teeth in other bands in the midwest? What were the initial seeds that inspired you to create?
There was another, first, band in Phoenix. It was a pretty standard first band type thing. Decker was a name my good friend and graphic designer and photographer at the time gave me as I was about to release our first record and making its album art. I was stumped on coming up with a name which I liked and it just kind of happened and I’m happy it did. I painted and drew at a young age and was writing poetry and prose before my teens. Music and songwriting happened late for me — in my mid-twenties — when I escaped about a decade of substance abuse. I started writing songs as a way to work through the wreckage. Still is in many ways, just less acute and self-centric.
How did the move to Sedona happen? I also moved to the Southwest, (from the UK), so com- pletely understand the beauty and draw of Northern Arizona. Do you think the Southwest has changed and shaped your musical output?
After finishing college in Flagstaff I moved down to Phoenix to get a real job. I bounced around on this and that a few years — substitute teaching, cleaning pools, waiting tables, some other corporate disasters. One summer the subbing ran out, the same time as my lease ran out in the 120 degrees Phoenix summer and I bolted back up north. Sedona has shaped me in many ways. Mostly all positive as far as I can tell. Not a week goes by that I don’t count living here among my things to be grateful for. Certainly, it impacts my music as well. I’m a desert mountain man and it can’t help but come out. It’s part of my makeup at this point. But I enjoy the accessibility to being away from the noise of city life — being on the land.
How easy is it to keep a band together in Sedona? It seems quite a transitional place, and not necessarily known for its local rock and roll output. I wonder how easy it has been finding like- minded musicians that share your vision.
Brandon Decker | PHOTO BY JAK MEDIA
It was not easy to keep a band in Sedona together as it turns out. I am the only member who lives in Sedona actually. Everyone else resides in Phoenix, which is really our geograph- ic musical home base for our outfit. I can say it took fully staffing the band from Phoenix to find this group of people I play with now and cherish so much. Just never could put all the pieces together here. Sedona is where I spend time with my son, rest, create and get out into nature. I play a bit here but more in the way of working-type gigs.
There are many styles going down in your songs. It’s very raw and emotive and I feel there is an urge to connect with your music. How do you prepare for writing and recording?
I write when I get rested after touring. I wrote and recorded the first record Long Days in 2009 and have basically been recording or touring and promoting an album since then non-stop. I can’t really write, unfortunately, in the tour/promote frame of mind. It just re- quires too much of my energy along with simple survival and fatherhood. I’m looking for- ward to the next writing phase this fall and winter. Nuts and bolts of writing for me are simply having the time, focus and presence. And also rest.
Your vocal style is at times arching and aching, and clearly central to your compositions. One of my favorites is “Patsy.” Your vocals mix so well with the string accompaniment. Do you have particular vocalists that have guided you over the years? I can’t pick out obvious vocal influ- ences, which of course is a testament to your approach!
Many women have impacted my vocal stylings I reckon — probably just because where my main timbre lies. PJ Harvey, Cat Power, Dusty Springfield, Beth from Portishead. A bunch more I can’t think of right now. I’m sure Jack White and Shannon Hoon as well. But that said, I kind of just do what I can do and the main guide for the development of my voice has just been the effort to write more compelling songs and finding out where that magic spot of strength and authenticity is.
| Decker plays live on Saturday, September 2 at Barbara’s Park at Posse Grounds, Sedona. Be sure to catch his incendiary live performance if you are in the area! The performance celebrates the album launch for his career spanning collection Into the Red album. Doors are at 3pm, show 4pm. Tickets are $8 advance or $10 on the door. Performing in support of Decker are three additional local Arizona acts, The Naughty Bits, The Invincible Grins, Jake Payne and Jay Fout.There will be an after party at Paleo Brio 9pm until 12am featuring DJ Lounge Lizard D For more information visit deckermusic.org
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