Decyfer Down

Decyfer Down was originally formed in 1999 as Allysonhymn by guitarist Brandon Mills and drummer Josh Oliver. Formerly an acoustic outfit, the group eventually switched to a more rock-oriented sound. Josh Oliver's brother Caleb Oliver joined the band later that year as a bass player and vocalist. In 2002 guitarist Christopher Clonts joined cementing their sound. The band changed their name to Decyfer, then began writing and touring heavily.
Take Grammy and Dove Award nominations, a trio of best-selling major label albums, seven chart-topping singles, plus songs in major sporting events (UFC, WWE) alongside countless viral videos, and it's certainly been a productive decade for Decyfer Down. Add in countless headlining tours, a double bill with KoЯn's Brian "Head" Welch, plus support for Breaking Benjamin, Theory Of A Dead Man, Skillet, Thousand Foot Krutch, Puddle Of Mudd and Red (amongst many others).
Sure the guys from a small North Carolina town were overwhelmingly appreciative for those opportunities, humbled at the worldwide response and thankful for at least three lifetime's worth of experiences. However, with growing families, the constant riggers of traveling (mainly the logistics, never the people or places), coupled with mounting pressure to maintain the merry-go-round, the tension proved so tangible that at the peak of what appeared to be the perfect musical dream come true, Decyfer Down quietly unloaded the tour bus for what felt like the last time and simply retreated from public view.
"When a band first comes together in their garage, there's something magical about being with friends and playing what's cool to you," observes Chris of the band's initial beginnings more than a decade ago. "But along the way if you have any kind of success, there's a bar that's put into place and then there's a reset bar. You have to go higher and higher each time, so it becomes more of a business and therefore becomes more stressful. It's so easy to fall into a 'well, if we had one song work, we have to stay with that sound and write a hundred of those.'"
Adds Brandon: "During the last couple years before we took a break, we were burned out from trying to write hit songs, touring and being away from our families all the time. I think we could all agree we thought it was over at that point and we weren't really enjoying it anymore, which is really a shame because it's such a privilege to play music, to have a platform and for people to even like our music."
For two years, the group practically stayed out of sight, parting ways with their label, plugging back into home and seeming perfectly content to live outside of the musical spotlight. "It's nothing that we really talked about, but we started spending more time with family and getting locked into a somewhat normal life," shares TJ. "It wasn't like we made a decision to not go out, but it just kind of happened and evolved into what it was."
But then completely out of the blue, Decyfer Down got a call to join the CityRockfest Tour with Disciple, Nine Lashes and Seventh Day Slumber, a truly unexpected development considering the band was without management or any official infrastructure whatsoever. "It was kind of cool and scary at the same time, but we decided, man, we can just go out and play some shows," recalls Brandon. "We definitely had some stuff to overcome, like doubting our abilities to bring it all back, but once we got out there, we saw that people actually missed Decyfer Down. Being able to go back out and reconnect with people was super inspiring and made us feel like our story wasn't over yet. It's really cool the Lord tapped into our hearts that there's still a song to be sung and something to be said. The more we got together, the more we started writing and everything felt really exciting and just a whole lot of fun."
Even with the overt commitment to their core beliefs, Decyfer Down's reach has stretched well beyond simply spiritual circles. In fact, the group is just as accustomed to playing in clubs, theatres and arenas as it is faith-based events and churches, which accounts for an incredibly diverse fan base.
"People are people no matter what four walls surround them," suggests Chris before Brandon expands. "That's always been the heart of our band. We want to sing about the struggles we go through as Christians, but chances are there are those who are going through the exact same struggles and trials. We've never set out to be a mainstream band or a Christian band. Whatever doors open, we just walk through them. We love playing everywhere and we love meeting people."
"Ten years plus of doing this has been a crazy trip but it's been awesome," admits TJ. "After taking time off and going back out, it's been great to see some familiar faces and hearing how they've grown as people and in their relationship with Christ, plus we still hear from people who heard us on mainstream radio and how a song changed their life. Everyone's from all different backgrounds and situations, but hopefully we're all growing."