decker.
Sedona, AZ
deckermusic.org
Twitter: @deckermusic
Facebook: @deckermusic
How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place?
I suppose I’ve been a musician for roughly 16 years. At first I just wanted to play songs and sing songs. Singing for girls was a factor if I’m honest. Then I came out of a decade long tumult and I wanted to kinda process that and I started making records eventually.
Who have been some of your major musical influences, past or present?
Like anyone I’ve got so many. Too many to tell. Here’s a random list: Chuck Berry, Portishead, PJ Harvey, Modest Mouse, The White Stripes, Sam Cooke, Cotton Jones, Runonsentence, Nick Cave, Adam Faucett, Rolling Stones.
What drew you to using pedals initially? Have you been using them throughout your playing career? How have pedals helped to shape your sound, or influence the style that you’ve created?
I was an acoustic guy forever. I was intimidated by electric guitars, amps, pedals – all of it. But I play so many shows, especially at wonky bar venues then and I got tired of soundguys dictating how good or bad my guitar sounded. So I started plugging my acoustic in an amp, which doesn’t always sound so great. I still do it, but then I got a hollowbody and wrote a song that needed distortion. So that was my first pedal. It just has grown from there. I’m not a super gear buff really, more of functionality. Definitely pedals seem, to me at least, to be integral to the sound now. Tremolo, reverb, delay.
What’s your current setup look like? Take us through your pedal rig (feel free to include amps and instruments as well if you’d like):
So, I do a bunch with my feet. I have the guitar pedals – tuner, compression, distortion, tremolo, delay and reverb that all go into a loop station. I also have a TC Helicon harmonizer/reverb pedal for vocals. That I play this homemade thing I call “the thumper.” It’s a piece of wood with a hole where I attached a stereo speaker soldered on to a 1/4″. It functions as a bass drum, much like the stomp boxes many folkies use. Then with my right foot I play a gajate attached to a tambourine. Often times I have to keep the left going while hitting a few of the gitar pedals and I’m truly surprised I’ve never fallen on my ass.
Favorite type of pedal (drive, delay, fuzz, etc. – more than one answer is always acceptable!):
I mean, I don’t feel as though I could play a great show without my thumper, so I’m kind of partial to that. Effects wise I’m pretty well a reverb plus tremolo guy.
You’re stranded on a desert island – which three (3) of the following do you want to have?
So the desert island has electricity…there’s so many questions I have to be able to answer this. Are there other people with me or just me by myself. Assuming there is electricity and I am by myself.
Instruments: I’d like an acoustic, an electric, and a bass. I’m not too partial to any brands. But they’d have to be able to withstand the elements.
Amps: Might as well have a big solid amp cuz I wont be moving it around. I’d like a Fender Bassman.
Pedals: Well I’ll need a loop station to get the band going. Then the usual culprits.
What’s up next for you/your band(s)?
We released our 6th album Snake River Blues on September 23rd, and did a Wednesday night residency all month in New York. Then we’ll take to some select dates out west before catching a well-needed break.
The Klon hype: Love it or Hate it?
I have never heard of The Klon until this moment. I’m interested to check it out.
Any last comments, promos or anything you’d like to talk about?
Please give the new album a listen! You won’t be disappointed. Available at iTunes, Spotify, and all that good stuff…
Thanks so much to decker. for taking the time to answer some questions! Make sure to go check out deckermusic.org, cheers!
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