Decoy formed in the summer of 2017 in Baton Rouge, Louisana. "We all grew up going to shows and playing music together," drummer Lucien Champton tells No Echo. "We tried forming bands with each other but none of them worked out and this is the one that actually stuck and felt right. Gotta crack a few eggs to make a good omelette, you know"
Once they got cooking, Decoy found their sound, a metallic hardcore rife with techy and moshy riffs. "Aggressive, fast paced, high energy," says Lucien of their playing style. "I've always loved bands that had honest, compelling lyrics like Foundation, Converge, Hatebreed, etc. So a lot of our lyrics are about society and the way we view the world. Sometimes it’s dim but more often than not it’s basically telling other people to fuck off and live for yourself."
For their latest release, a 3-track EP called re:selection, Decoy is rejoined by their OG vocalist, Jonah Smith, who came back into the fold last summer. "I met Jonah at a show the night before 10th grade started briefly but didn’t make friends with him until I saw him at school.
"Jonah was with us when we started for the first few years and he left for a minute to kinda focus on his personal life. We replaced him after that point and after COVID came and went we were having a lot of creative differences and took a small hiatus."
Lucien ellaborated on the lyrics found on re:selection: "We’ve always been really big on mental health and taking care of your mind.
"I feel like now more than ever people base their whole personality off of how they are seen through the lens of social media. It takes a huge toll on people especially the younger generation. It’s like a double-edged sword because you want to connect with people/push your content if you’re an artist but at the same time you are just a buyer in the game. It’s easy to fall into the trap."
Since we admittedly haven't covered many bands from the Louisana scene on the site in recent memory, Lucien gives us a lay of the musical landscape. "We have a lot of good stoner metal/D-beat/punk bands. The hardcore scene is small but growing. It’s weird it kind of comes in waves but it’s kind of like a plant.
"You have to pay attention and work to keep it alive, especially in a state like Louisiana where not everyone sees eye-to-eye with everything but as we’ve gotten older we decided to just say fuck all that bullshit we fuck with everyone that supports the scene.
"We wanna shoutout Christworm, Brat, Slab, Dracula504, Paprika, Golgothan, HourHouse, Swampgrave, 610split and CROWBAR!!!!!! Congealed Putrescence, WASTED, Doctors, Raise the Death Toll, and Torture Garden, just to name a few."
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re:selection is available now across all digital streaming outlets.
Decoy on social media: Facebook | Instagram
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