Decorations
Walking in LA with Decorations’ own lead, Devon Geyer; press photo courtesy of the artist.
Decorations, the outfit helmed by Devon Geyer have been generating a buzz of affectionate infatuation ever since the debut of the Girls EP, with buzz and hype building via all applicable pop culture outlets. With anticipation further rising with word of the first full-length album Have Fun available now from Frenchkiss Records, we are proud to present the premiere listen to the debut Decorations album first streaming in full. Devon has been spreading the adornment obsessed gospel of their self-described sound as being “nu-wave without all the sadness”, where new-new romantic impulses and urgency are entertained like joyous games of sport and a whimsical joviality.
The exhilaration of Decorations Have Fun begins with the single “Girls”, that kicks with the feeling of infatuation the singes with the sound & styles of carefree summer festivals & never-ending vacations. A full on hit parade takes off like the pomp & circumstance of a main street sort of processional as “Promise” which deals in sentiments of the live for today type of variety with that overexcited anticipation over the promise of a potentially beautiful & enlightened tomorrow. Refusing to take it fast while respecting the process involved in taking things slow, “At Your Leisure” provides a moment of reflective pause, allowing all to catch their breath while indulging in decorative displays of chords. The art of apprehension & hesitation also plays a significant role on track “I Can’t Even” that allows for a moment to sort through the good, the bad, the great, and the sordid.
On the track “Believer”, Geyer provides something of a dream pop guitar-glazed sequel to John Maus’s song of the same name, while taking inventory of allies & adversaries in the neon lit setup & scene of “Enemy” that seeks a greater bond based on something other than conflict while utilizing every 80s/90s radio pop trope available in the Decorations audio arsenal. Expressions & displays of affection are encouraged & exhibited anywhere and everywhere Devon has a chance. “Care For You” illustrates degrees of care in that perfect blend where the keys and chords blend into a mix of perfect melodic harmony. Homages are everywhere on Have Fun, where toasts to complicated relationships and femme fatales are presented in emotional & honest ways as heeard on “Marcy”, right before investigating the magnetic fields & laws of attraction on the rollicking & rip-rolling “Opposites”. “Right Here” is a testament to living in the here-and-now of the moment an ear work guitar progression deeply embeds itself into your heart & consciousness, further moving past the superficial toward something of possibly greater substance on “Lip Service”, right before leaving you with the heartache wound healer “Scar of Love” that tackles the casualties & collateral involved when taking a chance on the heart (and the hearts of others). Join us now for an insightful interview session with Decorations’ Devon Geyer.
Describe the making of your new album Have Fun, and tell us about the process of writing/performing & producing everything yourself. How have you noticed a shift in your own approaches and processes from the debut of your Girls EP to now?
First off, thanks for asking! The writing process took about five years, mostly because for the first three I didn’t know I was making Have Fun. I was just writing songs, most of the time I had no idea where they were coming from until months or years later. The Girls EP was recorded at the same time as half of songs on the album, so for me they go together; it wasn’t so much a shift as a continuation.
“Promise” is such an affectionate and righteous single. Can you share what sorts of promises lead inspiration for this number?
Well now we’re getting personal—I like it! The line that the title comes from is “tonight we sleep -tomorrow there’s a promise to keep” and that’s all about a promise I made to a girl I was seeing at the time to work things out in the morning, that we just can’t have this fight right now, at 2am, drunk and tired. Needless to say, working it out the next day didn’t solve anything. But immediately after that happened I was reading My Struggle by Karl Ove Knausgaard, and the line came to me, I didn’t know what the rest of the song was going to be, but I knew I liked that one line.
After we broke up I stayed inside for three days writing and singing whatever came to mind and one afternoon the rest of that song just appeared. It felt really cool to turn inward and find myself there.
What’s good in LA right now?
Apparently that train to the beach is awesome, I’ve still yet to take it, but really, it’s all good. Historically, LA gets a bad rap, but I grew up here and if you live here long enough this city just opens up to you. I see extraordinary kindness and love in and around my life in this city so I’m just gonna say it’s all good. Oh and all the Japanese food!
What else are you and your friends super excited for right now?
Burritos, Bernie Sanders, and barbecues.
Summer plans?
I think I’m attending about two thousand weddings this year. I should probably think about getting a suit.
Parting reflection, thoughts, wisdom, etc?
I don’t have much wisdom to offer, but always make an appointment at the DMV, go see lots of live music especially jazz, love yourself and you should be all good.
Also, donate to The Smell—it’s one of the longest running all ages venues in LA and they just got served a demolition notice. To me, this place is more important than most arts programs in schools (which are also totally important!), but they need all the help they can get right now.
And I really want to know what you think of the album! Hit me up on twitter [@decorationsla] because I love meeting people and talking about music, so if I don’t run into you at the coffee shop then just reach out, ya goob!
Decorations’ debut album Have Fun is available now from Frenchkiss Records.
