decker.

Long Days Pt 2

As the album came to completion, the biggest question was: what was this project even called? At this point, I was a one-man project and I needed a name. I was, however, working on the album artwork deep into the night with my first buddy in Sedona, the legendary Nate Mullins. Many uninspiring ideas were tossed around. One night after work I came over to Nate’s. He was at the computer smoking a cigarette when he unveiled the decker. logo.

And that was it.

I fielded a band for a spirited Sedona release show, I astonishingly found myself on the cover of a newspaper, and began booking my first tour. I spent 4-5 hours a day for months hitting up every coffee shop, bar, and venue up the coast from San Diego to Bellingham, WA. There were BBQ joints, hostels - anywhere that would take us.

Somehow I booked 36 shows for a 6-week tour. Some were better than others. The first night, pictured in a slide here, was at a chiropractor’s office in San Diego. It was not well attended. 😅 Yet it was also during this time that we learned that if you sent a well-crafted press release to the local entertainment rag, there was a good chance they’d print it. So, we were getting press in a lot of the smaller cities up the coast. Also somehow found our way on a few radio stations which was really exciting.

I was joined on the tour by my friend Nanci McDonald, a then-Jerome local, on cello and vocals. Nanci proved a true road dog; bucking up and learning just how challenging life on the road was. The biggest lesson, out of true necessity, was how to roll into a new town, play our asses off and then blankly declare, “we need a place to stay tonight if anyone has a couch or some floor space.” For the last 2 weeks our friend Matt Howey joined and brought mandolin, a second harmony as well as his bright, fun-loving spirit and some levity to me and Nanci’s wavering energy.

So much was learned on this trip. It was draining and way harder physically and emotionally than I had ever imagined. Yet, with certainty the hunger had grown. I now had the feeling: I could do this.

As we approach this final decker. show, I’ve wanted to share where it started.

Long Days, circa 2009, pt 1/2.

There’s no way to discuss decker.’s beginning without mentioning where I came from. As a kid, I was lost. I moved a lot and had a rough time. I became an addict at age 16. Miraculously, I somehow did not die or go to prison. Around age 20, I taught myself some chords and to sing whilst playing stuff like Ben Harper, Jack Johnson and 90s grunge. I had a pledge to complete college but addiction still reared its head in some intense phases. In 2004, I ended up in Arizona to go to NAU after my 6th treatment center in Southern California in 2002.

I enjoyed playing covers, began writing some songs, navigating my experience of addiction and depression. I worked up the courage to play open mics. Cleared quite a few rooms. I was not good.

When I got done with college I moved to Phoenix and tried corporate jobs. I did not fit in this environment. I was working as a manager in training for Leslie’s Swimming Pool Supplies.

I still have a note I wrote where I listed some stratospheric goals. I wanted to form a band, make an album and do a tour up the West Coast. From where I was talent-wise, it was a particularly long shot.

I had moved to Sedona in 2008 and there was a bartender, Val, who told me to bring him some of my demos and he’d help me record at his home. I brought him some songs, and he matter of factly told me that they were boring. He was not wrong. Then, I brought him one called “Ladies and Gentlemen” and he said, “that’s a good one, Brands. We’ll work on that.” So I started going to his house a few mornings each week to work on that song, which would become the first song of the first album “Long Days.” We kept going. He gave me a computer with some monitors and taught me how to track. I would sit in my room obsessively writing and recording and then bring my progress over to rework. Val truly changed my trajectory.

Somehow, after about 6 months of work, we made the first record, “Long Days.”

Final show June 13 🎟️