Brandon Decker

{{Short description|American musician (born 1980)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}} thumb|Brandon Decker July 8, 2010 '''Brandon Cameron Parks-Decker<ref name="Parks-Decker" />''' aka '''"decker."''' (born May 11, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter based out of Sedona, AZ. He performs and releases albums under the moniker decker.<ref name="Dallas Morning News" /> Decker has released 7 albums while consistently touring substantially across the United States. While performing tour stops at traditional music venues, decker. gained notoriety for almost daily impromptu street performances he and his band gave during the course of a 99-show tour for his 2010 release, ''Long as the Night''.<ref name="Amarillo" /><ref name="Musical Odyssey" />

Decker is known for his desert-influenced stylings, semi-autobiographical and emotionally driven songwriting, as well as the use of Biblical themes, although he professes to be an agnostic.<ref name="Musical Odyssey" /><ref name="Yab Yum" /><ref name="Flagstaff" /> He is also known for his unique voice which has been compared to Jack White<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://blog.kexp.org/2016/10/11/song-of-the-day-decker-the-holy-ghost/|title=Song of the Day: decker. – The Holy Ghost|work=The KEXP Blog|access-date=1 May 2018}}</ref> and Shannon Hoon.<ref name="Soul-baring" /><ref name="Santa Maria2" /> Arizona music blog '''Yab Yum Music and Arts''' awarded him both 2011 Arizona Songwriter of the Year and 2012 Arizona Album of the Year (''Slider'')<ref>{{cite web|title=Album of the Year: 'Slider' by decker.|url=https://www.yabyumwest.com/tag/brandon-decker|website=Yab Yum Music and Arts}}</ref><ref name="Yab Yum Awards" /> decker. is signed to Brooklyn-based label '''Royal Potato Family'''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://royalpotatofamily.com/artists/decker/|title=decker. {{!}} The Royal Potato Family|website=royalpotatofamily.com|date=June 22, 2017|access-date=13 June 2018}}</ref>

Decker's music is often considered singer songwriter, alt-country and indie folk,<ref name="Amarillo" /> although his more recent material has been said to include elements of psychedelic rock.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Becker|first1=Richard|title=Decker Slides into Psychedelic Folk|url=http://www.liquidhip.com/2013/06/decker-slides-into-psychedelic-folk.html|website=Liquid [Hip]}}</ref>

==History== From his musical beginnings, "decker." has been the recording and performing name for the music of Brandon Decker. In 2009 Decker recorded, largely out of his home, his first album, ''Long Days,'' released on his own now defunct independent Arizona label '''Mescal Porch Records'''.<ref name="Santa Maria" /> He immediately followed the release with a 7-week tour of the west coast.<ref name="Santa Maria2" /><ref name="Santa Maria" /> Critics praised the album as a powerful tale of redemption rife with poignant lyrics while also retaining a simplistic, approachable catchiness.<ref name="Santa Maria" />

Upon returning from the tour Decker immediately began work on his second album, ''Long as the Night''. With the goal of a larger sound, Decker entered a Sedona studio and assembled 12 musicians<ref name="Soul-baring" /> to make the album. Upon releasing the 8-song album, decker. set out on a five-month, 99-show U.S. tour with the accompaniment of mandolin, trumpet, accordion, and psychedelic atmospheric guitars.<ref name="Dallas Morning News" /><ref name="Boulder" /> The album was praised for its dramatic and emotionally enveloping subject matter.<ref name="Dallas Morning News" /><ref name="Soul-baring" /> In addition to the scheduled performances, and in order to help offset some of the costs of touring, the band quite frequently took to the streets to perform and would amass large followings of onlookers.<ref name="Amarillo" /><ref name="Musical Odyssey" /><ref name="Taos" />

After the extensive tour for ''Long as the Night,'' Decker went in studio again to record an EP ''Broken Belts, Broken Bones''; an album he has said came directly from the experiences of the long tour and preparing for fatherhood.<ref name="Musical Odyssey" /> The album was released October 7, 2011.

In August 2012 the band suffered a near fatal roll-over accident with then-singer Kelly Cole ejecting from the vehicle and suffering severe injuries.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Caldwell|first1=Christina|title=Sedona-Based Band decker. Rolls With the Punches|url=http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2012-09-06/music/sedona-based-band-decker-rolls-with-the-punches/|publisher=Village Voice Media|date=June 12, 2012}}</ref> The band recovered and released the album ''Slider'' in March 2013. The album was well-received and supported by extensive US touring.

In the summer of 2014 decker. assembled a large cast of musicians in Tucson, AZ to record the album ''Patsy''. The album was recorded at WaveLab Recording Studios, known for recording artists Calexico, Neko Case, Iron & Wine, Amos Lee and more.<ref>{{cite web|title=Craig Schumacher|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/craig-schumacher-mn0000781610/credits|publisher=AllMusic}}</ref> Released in February 2016,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.relix.com/blogs/detail/decker|title=Album Premiere: decker. _Patsy_|newspaper=Relix|access-date=24 October 2016}}</ref> the album received positive national reviews<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/music/brandon-decker-had-a-musical-epiphany-when-he-simplified-his-approach-8580584|title=Brandon Decker Had A Musical Epiphany When He Simplified His Approach|last=Hillman|first=Mitchell|date=August 24, 2016|newspaper=Phoenix New Times|access-date=24 October 2016}}</ref> and radio airplay.

Patsy was followed up in September 2016 with the psychedelic blues rock album ''Snake River Blues'', the band's 6th studio recording.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.goldminemag.com/blogs/snake-river-blues-decker|title=The Snake River Blues of Decker – Goldmine Magazine|date=July 28, 2016|newspaper=Goldmine Magazine|access-date=24 October 2016}}</ref> The album was released with a month-long residency at New York City's '''Rockwood Music Hall'''<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.imposemagazine.com/bytes/new-music/decker-the-phantom|title=decker., "The Phantom" {{!}} New Music {{!}} Impose Magazine|website=www.imposemagazine.com|date=September 6, 2016|access-date=24 October 2016}}</ref> and was accompanied by a documentary of same name.<ref>{{Citation|last=Steinkamp|first=Matty|title=Snake River Blues|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6262112/|accessdate=1 May 2018}}</ref> The film was made by documentary filmmaker Matty Steinkamp.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/music/matty-steinkamp-snake-river-blues-filmbar-may-18-decker-music-documentary-9324969|title=Matty Steinkamp's decker. Documentary Debuts in Downtown Phoenix This Week|last=Keil|first=Jason|date=May 17, 2017|work=Phoenix New Times|access-date=1 May 2018}}</ref> Decker subsequently signed with Brooklyn-based indie label '''Royal Potato Family'''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://royalpotatofamily.com/artists/decker/|title=decker. {{!}} The Royal Potato Family|website=royalpotatofamily.com|date=June 22, 2017|access-date=1 May 2018}}</ref> and released a 7th album, ''Born to Wake Up'' in September 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2018/06/exclusive-arizona-pysch-folk-singer-songwriter-dec.html|title=Exclusive: decker. Pays Tribute to Tom Petty on New Track, "Burnin' Grass"|last=Griffin|first=Noemi|website=pastemagazine.com|date=June 25, 2018|language=en|access-date=2019-01-21}}</ref>

Decker presently resides in Sonoma, CA.

== Discography == Long Days (2009),<ref name="Long Days" /> CA.

Long as the Night (2010)<ref name="Long as the Night" />

Broken Belts Broken Bones EP (2011)<ref name="Broken Belts" />

Slider (2013)<ref>{{cite web|title=Slider; self released|url=https://deckermusic.bandcamp.com/album/slider|website=Bandcamp}}</ref>

Patsy (2015)<ref>{{cite web|title=Patsy; self released|url=https://deckermusic.bandcamp.com/album/patsy|website=Bandcamp}}</ref>

Snake River Blues (2016)<ref>{{cite web|title=Snake River Blues; self released|url=https://deckermusic.bandcamp.com/album/snake-river-blues|website=Bandcamp}}</ref>

Into the Red (2017)<ref>{{cite web|title=Into the Red|url=https://deckermusic.bandcamp.com/album/into-the-red|website=Bandcamp}}</ref> - Retrospective, plus two new tracks

Born to Wake Up (2018)<ref>{{Cite web|title=Born to Wake Up|url=https://deckermusic.bandcamp.com/album/born-to-wake-up-3|website=Bandcamp.|access-date=2019-01-21}}</ref>

Greetings, All Ye Playful Prisoners of Spacetime (2019)<ref>{{cite web|title=Live at Last Exit Live in Phoenix, AZ on Friday, May 10 2019|url=https://deckermusic.bandcamp.com/album/greetings-all-ye-playful-prisoners-of-spacetime-2|website=Bandcamp}}</ref> - Live

Ouroboros (2023)<ref>{{Cite web|title= Ouroboros|url=https://deckermusic.bandcamp.com/album/ouroboros|website= Bandcamp |access-date=2023-06-23}}</ref>

== References ==  {{Reflist| refs= <ref name="Parks-Decker">"Brandon Decker CD release party at Ken's" Verde Independent September 28, 2009 https://www.verdenews.com/news/2009/sep/28/brandon-decker-cd-release-party-at-kens/</ref> <ref name="Dallas Morning News">Mario Tarradell "Brandon Decker at the Prophet Bar" Dallas Morning News January 21, 2011</ref> <ref name="Amarillo">"Decker Plans to entertain with Indie Folk" http://amarillo.com/entertainment/get-out-music/2011-01-20/decker-plans-entertain-indie-folk#.To1br3Li6So</ref> <ref name="Musical Odyssey">“Decker continues musical odyssey with 'Broken Belt, Broken Bones'” http://kudosaz.com/print.asp?ArticleID=35139&SectionID=14&SubSectionID=13</ref> <ref name="Yab Yum">''Long as the Night'' Album Review {{cite web |url=http://www.yabyummusic.com/2011/bands/decker-longasthenight.html |title=Decker. - long as the night |accessdate=12 October 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110914045526/http://www.yabyummusic.com/2011/bands/decker-longasthenight.html |archivedate=September 14, 2011 }}</ref> <ref name="Flagstaff">''Flagstaff Live'' "Hot Picks" {{cite web|url=http://www.flaglive.com/flagstafflive_story.cfm?storyID%3D226022 |title=Flagstaff Live |accessdate=12 October 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008050603/http://www.flaglive.com/flagstafflive_story.cfm?storyID=226022 |archivedate=October 8, 2011 }}</ref> <ref name="Soul-baring">"Soul-baring songwriting punctuates new Decker CD 'Long as the Night'" http://kudosaz.com/print.asp?ArticleID=33624&SectionID=14&SubSectionID=13</ref> <ref name="Santa Maria2">“Decker will bring acoustic soul to local pub” http://santamariatimes.com/entertainment/arts-and-theatre/article_2aa2fb72-f823-11de-9c90-001cc4c03286.html</ref> <ref name="Santa Maria">Shelly Cone “Long Days” http://www.santamariasun.com/art/3698/long-days/</ref> <ref name="Boulder">{{Cite web|url=http://www.boulderdowntown.com/do/sedona-az-songwriter-decker-comes-through-boulder-with-gr|title = Events Calendar | Downtown Boulder, CO}}</ref> <ref name="Taos">http://taos-news.vlex.com/vid/psychedelic-pirate-folk-decker-and-adobe-244344402 {{Dead link|date=February 2022}}</ref> <ref name="Long Days">{{cite web|title=Long Days {{!}} decker|url=http://deckermusic.bandcamp.com/album/long-days|publisher=Mescal Porch Records|accessdate=March 31, 2012}}</ref> <ref name="Long as the Night">{{cite web|title=Long as the Night {{!}} decker|url=http://deckermusic.bandcamp.com/album/long-as-the-night|publisher=Mescal Porch Records|accessdate=March 31, 2012}}</ref> <ref name="Broken Belts">{{cite web|title=Broken Belts, Broken Bones {{!}} decker|url=http://deckermusic.bandcamp.com/album/broken-belts-broken-bones|publisher=Mescal Porch Records|accessdate=March 31, 2012}}</ref> <ref name="Yab Yum Awards">{{cite web |url=http://www.yabyummusic.com/ |title=Home |website=yabyummusic.com}}</ref>

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== External links == * [http://www.deckermusic.org Official Website]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Decker, Brandon}}  Category:1980 births Category:Living people Category:People from Sedona, Arizona Category:American male singer-songwriters Category:21st-century American singer-songwriters Category:21st-century American male singers Category:Singer-songwriters from Arizona

Brandon Decker

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