Deco

London-based pop outfit Deco display their '80s synth pop leanings openly through precise vocals, ringing guitar lines, and buoyant saxophone parts. The group began in 2011 as a duo when Max Kendall on vocals and John Dell on guitar connected during their time at Nottingham University. For nearly ten years the pair composed songs and performed intimate gigs until they issued the 2020 EP Real Life. Just when interest was building, the COVID-19 pandemic halted progress, yet the members converted the setback by recording remote mash-ups that paired current hits with '80s tracks and posting the results online. Those versions, among them Oasis lines placed over Bronski Beat and Spice Girls’ “Wannabe” set to Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing,” quickly gained viral attention. As the productions grew more involved, the roster grew as well with the addition of Lucy Kendall on saxophone, John Steele on bass, and Thomas Reinholz on drums. Once restrictions lifted, the expanded band returned with the original-material EP Nice Car in 2023, which paved the way for the full-length debut Destination: I Don't Know in 2024.