Dryvetyme Onlyne

Decyfer Down
Standing Up Strong

[UPDATE: This interview can also be found here!]

Young bands have to take a great deal in stride as they hone their craft and follow their dreams. There are pressures they face in the studio, on the road, on the stage, and in their personal time that can easily make or break a group. And no, I’m talking about the noxious carnal pleasures that have become all too cliché over the span of music history. I’m referring to conflicts regarding a band’s artistic style and substance as well as situations that might call for a band to compromise their beliefs, convictions, and faith. So, when I learned that the Christian rock band Decyfer Down would have their song “Fight Like This” be part of the key promotional material on YouTube and the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s (UFC) website for the fight on September 8th, 2007, I was more than curious how this might have come about. Was the band behind the decision to have their song endorsing a product that some observers might consider bloodsport? Or was the decision out of their hands and they had no way to counter the use of the song? Filled with such questions, I decided to seek out the band (via their PR people) and ask them myself, which then led to me having this engaging conversation with Josh Oliver, the band’s drummer.

APN: Hey there.

Josh Oliver (JO): How’s it going man? This is Josh from Decyfer Down. Thanks for rearranging the time for the interview. I had some stuff come up earlier.

APN: No worries man. I just appreciate the opportunity to talk with you today.

JO: You’re welcome. Thanks for wanting to talk.

APN: So, you’re the drummer, right?

JO: Yup.

APN: And your brother is the lead singer?

JO: Yeah. His name is Caleb.

APN: Very cool. So how was the summer for you guys? Do much touring?

JO: It was great. We played every possible festival and had a great time doing so. We also started work on our new album, the follow-up to End Of Grey, which came out last year.

APN: When might fans be able to expect this new record?

JO: We’ve been writing songs over the past 6 or 7 months as we’ve been touring, so we’re hoping to start recording in the beginning of next year and release the record in late Spring or early Summer.

APN: Excellent. So what all do you guys look to for inspiration? Are there any records you’ve been listening to, books you’ve been reading, or movies you’ve been watching that really inspire you?

JO: We’ve been really blessed to have a great crowd of people around us keeping us focused and on track as a band. Many of the bands we’ve played and toured with have given us great advice and help keep us accountable. The guys in Skillet have really taken us under their wing as well as the guys in TFK [Thousand Foot Krutch]. Casting Crowns [on the same record label with Decyfer Down] has been great as well, just in terms of support and advice. As a band, we just want to set the bar high for how we communicate God’s message and we’ve been surrounded by people who want to hold us accountable to that. There’s a group of pastors and business people from around the country who serve as our accountability team and they’ve been great for us. This has all been a maturing process as we learn to walk in our faith as a band and as individuals.

APN: That sounds amazing. You must feel really blessed.

JO: Yeah. It’s been great because we hear so many stories from people we meet on the road, stories about topics we’ve all dealt with, that hit on so many levels. Those are many of the things we sing about in our songs.

APN: That’s kind of where I want to go with this interview: your songs and how people hear them. You guys recently had your song “Fight Like This” featured on YouTube and the UFC’s website for a fight they had back on September 8th. What was behind that decision?

JO: It’s a cool thing that our label does for many of the songs recorded by their bands. There’s a division within the label that seeks to market certain songs to different sporting events for increased exposure.

APN: What label are you guys on?

JO: INO. They pushed our first single “Break Free” to be played at some NBA and MLB games and they thought that “Fight Like This” would fit with the UFC. We didn’t make the call ourselves; we just wrote the song. We did see the promo before the official release and we thought it was cool.

APN: But does the fact that the UFC is about fighting, often bloody fighting, seen as a kind of bloodsport by some, conflict with your faith at all?

JO: We see it this way – anytime you have the opportunity for the mainstream to hear Christian bands, it’s a good thing. It’s a sign of the times in the music world that Christian rock is seen as being of the same quality as secular rock. The Decyfer Down website got over 1 million hits because of our song being on YouTube and the UFC website, and if people look through the site and see what we’re about and hear the message of the Gospel, then that’s a good thing. We feel it’s an opportunity to plant seeds. We play about half our shows in bars and at secular events and we’ve seen many doors open in order to connect with people, plant seeds, and share our faith. I think it’s been a great opportunity for us.

APN: So what does the Fall look like for you guys?

JO: Our primary plan is to get the record done. We’ll probably do some touring, but we want to work on the record.

APN: What might this new record sound like?

JO: The first record was a very personal album, dealing with subjects and topics that were very close to the issues we were dealing with as a band and as we each were growing in Christ. We want this new record to grow from that to encompass the stories we’ve heard from people on the road and how we’ve grown in Christ in order to further connect with our fans and with new people. People just seem to connect with our songs. We’ve had people in churches and bars come up to us and tell us how our songs have impacted and changed their lives. We’re honored to hear that, so we’re taking our time with the new record so that we can keep connecting with people. At the same time, we’re keeping our sound: the heavy guitars and the vocal-driven, melodic message of faith from the first album. So yeah, the record is certainly taking center stage this Fall. We’ll play some shows, but we’re not touring full time. The record is the focus.

APN: Well Josh, I want to thank you for talking to me today. I’ve really appreciated this chance.

JO: You’re welcome man. I’ve enjoyed talking to you as well.

APN: Have a great day.

JO: You too. Bye!

APN: Peace.