INTERVIEW: Dekleyn Are Taking A Huge ‘Bite’ Out Of 2021
Sydney electronic duo Dekleyn are making the most of 2021 already. They’ve just released a deluxe version of their self-titled debut album, and they’re set to head on their first mini-Australian tour in March.
I spoke to the band about the decision to release a deluxe version of their album, as well as their excitement for the upcoming tour. We also chatted about their love of sport, and their plans to go full-time in music in the near future.
Ben Madden: Firstly, can you introduce yourselves and your music?
Dekleyn: Hi! We’re Dekleyn, pronounced ‘Decline’. We are Justin (lead singer) and Matt (guitarist). We’ve been a band since 2017 and make mostly electronic/pop kinda music but are always trying to broaden our horizons!
How has your start to 2021 been?
2021 has gotten off to a great start so far. We’ve just released our extended self-titled album and we’ve just announced a tour for March this year!
You’ve just dropped your deluxe album – what led you to want to expand on the album, and what do you think fans will enjoy most about this album release?
We were mucking around with some acoustic version of songs for a live stream and really liked the way some of them sounded. We thought it would be a great idea to record them to give the album a new perspective and shine a new light on some of the songwriting in some of the songs. The remake of ‘Bite’ was originally penciled in for the actual album but we then decided to put it in as a bonus track on the extended album.
How do you think these new/re-imagined versions of some of the bigger tracks off the album change the narrative around the songs?
They definitely shine a new light on the songwriting itself and give a more mellow tone to some of the more upbeat songs such as Modern Age. This was the main idea of the acoustic version, to provide a new perspective to the songs.
You’re also heading out on tour soon – how are you preparing for the tour, and have you had to ‘re-learn’ how to play live after a little while away from it?
We’ve only just been able to start back rehearsing after a big break between shows. Fortunately, it’s all come back fairly natural to us after having done a heap of shows together the last couple of years alongside our drummer Joel. Rehearsals are ramping up to a couple of times a week and we’re super excited for the upcoming shows!
I know you’re both big sports fans – if you could invite any sportsperson in the world to a Dekleyn show, who would it be and why?
This is a tough one. Probably just the entire Australian cricket team and hope one of them turns up!
Similarly, which sports team would you most like to write a team song for?
Definitely our mighty Penrith Panthers!
Finally – what are the next few steps for you both, both personally and music-wise?
We’re looking to start work on another album soon and also broaden our horizons to collaborating with other artists. Becoming more involved with our music is something we both want to achieve personally and hopefully one day have the opportunity to pursue it full time.
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