Failure of the Decade - DNP

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Directory
About the Band
• Basics
• History
Neo Hart
• Basics
• In-Depth
• Other
Tripp Evans
• Basics
• In-Depth
• Other
Sunny Locke
• Basics
• In-Depth
• Other
Miscellaneous
• Song Recs
• Other

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BASICS
Failure of the Decade is an Indie/Alternative Rock band from Los Angeles, California, founded in 2014 by childhood friends Neo Hart, Tripp Evans, and Sunny Locke. Their popularity skyrocketed shortly after their first official concert, when world-famous singer/songwriter Sugapest requested to do a collab tour with them.

HISTORY
The band was founded in July of 2014, in the heart of Los Angeles, California, by childhood friends Neo Hart (who played drums), Tripp Evans (who sang and played bass), and Sunny Locke (who played piano). The band formed while Locke was still in high school, and was initially a cover band. Right before Locke's graduation, the band scored a record deal with Vai-High Records, and before long Failure of the Decade was performing in Las Vegas, Nevada, for their first official concert.

Shortly after the end of their debuting concert, Failure of the Decade was called by Vai-High Records to tell them that one of their other artists, Sugapest, had taken interest in the band and wanted to negotiate a collab tour with them. Since then, Sugapest and Failure of the Decade have performed together many times. Critics call their collaborations "a match made in heaven," and their fans certainly agree.

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BASICS
Neo Hart (born April 5th, 1995) is an American musician, best known for his drumming role in the band Failure of the Decade. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to George and Alicia Hart, where he spent the first six years of his life in the quiet suburbs. Hart is the youngest child of the Hart family, with two older sisters.
In 2001, Hart and his family relocated to Los Angeles, California. Unused to the bustling city life, Hart was more or less considered an introvert until he started school that year, where he met Tripp Evans. The two became fast friends, each sharing the other's interest in music. During his early friendship with Evans, Hart became comfortable in his new life, oftentimes initiating meet ups with Evans and friends at an old abandoned roller rink not too far from their school.

During middle school in 2007, when Hart and Evans were twelve years old, they'd encountered Sunny Locke - the near star student who'd recently begun attending their school. After a rather bumpy start to their relationship, the three became acquainted during band class - which they all had together. The three became known for their jokester personalities during class, oftentimes leading the pack in random outbursts of "Hey There Delilah" solely because they knew that, since the song's release earlier that year, it'd been stuck in their teacher's head.

In 2009, when he was fourteen years old, Hart started high school with Evans. The two had remained good friends throughout the years, and continued taking music classes together. Hart had taken up a very particular interest in percussion, and for his fifteenth birthday, received a drum set from his mother. Locke began attending school with them that year, and the trio stuck close. Shortly after their graduation in 2014, Evans first pitched the idea of starting a band to his two friends during an outing to the old roller rink they'd taken up as their hangout spot. Hart and Locke agreed quickly, and from that moment forth, Failure of the Decade had been born.

IN-DEPTH
Hart is described by both fans and interviewers as an easygoing Vaiki, usually very lax and laid-back in meetings. He's very open about his life, and will oftentimes let fans know when he's going to be in a certain area or town so they can meet up with him if they'd like. He's pretty quiet at first, but quickly warms up to the company of others.

OTHER
• Hart is best known for his colorful attire. In an interview, when asked about his favorite and least-favorite colors, he said the following:

"I absolutely love bright, neon colors. I mean, look at me - I kinda have to like bright colors if I'm gonna look like this! If I had to choose an absolute favorite out of the neons, though, it'd have to be yellow. Not for any particular life changing reason - it's just a rad color. Plus I look really good in it.
"Now, if I had to choose a LEAST favorite color, hands down, it's gotta be grey - not just grey, but concrete grey, to be more specific. I spent the majority of my life in a bustling city filled with bright, neon signs... But a lot of monochromatic colors as well. I love color, and the absence of it is just a major turn off for me."

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BASICS
Tripp Evans (born January 9th, 1995) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician, best known for being the lead singer and guitarist of the band Failure of the Decade. Born in Los Angeles to John and Laura McCarthy, Evans spent the first twelve years of his life with his dead name: Janice McCarthy. From a young age, Evans knew he wasn't like the other girls his mother pressured him to act like; he was more a tomboy, with a rough n tumble attitude.

At the age of six, Evans met Neo Hart sometime during the fifth week of school. They'd been seated next to each other, and upon noticing the transfer student's uneasiness, Evans began conversing with him. They quickly became friends after realizing they shared a love for music, oftentimes spending free time sharing songs with one another.
During his time in elementary school, Evans' relationship with his parents grew rocky and dysfunctional; Evans had been spending quite some time going to the abandoned roller rink with Hart, and his parents were concerned he'd lost focus in school. This caused a rift to form between him and his parents, with Evans leaving more and more often to hang out with Hart.

At the start of middle school, Evans and Hart had a less than desirable experience with Sunny Locke, a student whom had just recently transferred to their school. A while later, once the ordeal had been sorted out and deemed a misunderstanding on Evans' part, the three became friends, oftentimes sitting next to each other in band and working on projects together in other classes.
It wasn't until winter break that Evans had come out as transgender, and his parents would have none of it. They tried to send him off to correctional therapy, and Evans refused every step of the way. His spirit would not be broken, and he would not change who he was. He eventually ended up getting disowned by his parents at the end of eighth grade, and moved in with Locke and his family, who were open and accepting to Evans' change.

Shortly after cutting off all ties with his birth family, Evans picked up his old interest in guitar, using the money he'd saved up from birthdays past to buy himself a bass. He'd begun practicing daily, using it as a creative outlet for his problems, and by fifteen had written his first song.
On his sixteenth birthday, Evans changed his name legally to Tripp Evans, and began his transition. Hart and Locke were extremely supportive of their friend, and encouraged him to keep going when dysphoria and bullying had him down.

After graduation in 2014, Evans had proposed starting a band with Hart and Locke, to which they agreed wholeheartedly.

IN-DEPTH
Evans' bandmates and fans describe him as a reckless goofball, oftentimes coming across as loud and impulsive. His determination to succeed fuels his upbeat energy, and if offended, he can hold quite the grudge. He has been described as selfless to those he's close with, and cold to those who've gotten on his bad side. While he can be quite the jokester, Evans knows when to take things seriously. His friends have said that he's best known for cheering others up through comedy.

OTHER
• During an interview following after one of the band's concerts with Sugapest, Evans was questioned about the police tape he'd wrapped around himself preceding their performance - more specifically, the one around his mouth before the show had started. Evans responded:

"It's sort of a metaphorical thing, really - we'd been trying to come up with a way to express to people to not let anyone bring 'em down, and Neo suggested police tape. It says 'Do Not Cross,' and we felt that was a way to show, during the performance, to not let people cross you - if you don't react, they can't get under your skin. You decide if you get angry or not; they have no control over you.

"Now, as for the reason I covered myself in the stuff? We'd originally planned to just put it all over the stage, but Radio [Sugapest] had made a good point that that would sort of undermine the symbolism behind it. So, I offered to wear some of it to prove our point. I think I might keep it; it looks good on me, yeah?"

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BASICS
Sunny Locke (born December 13th, 1996) is an American musician, best known for his role as the pianist/backup vocalist in the band Failure of the Decade. Born in Fortworth, Texas to Garfield and Florence Locke, Sunny spent the first half of his life in a loving family as the only child, taking up an interest in piano and choir at an early age.

By the age of seven, Locke had performed in most of his schools' talent shows, oftentimes placing second or better with his piano covers of various songs. His parents took pride in their son's gift, and Locke was commonly invited to play at the town's special events.
The summer before seventh grade, tragedy struck the Locke household: Locke's father had fallen down the stairs, gotten a concussion, and died later that night. Devastated by the loss of her husband, Florence quickly relocated Sunny and his baby sister Lilac to Los Angeles, California, due to being physically and emotionally unable to stay in their former house any longer.

Upon starting school in a new state, Locke had unintentionally offended Tripp Evans and Neo Hart upon meeting them, due to still being torn up over his own father's death. It was awkward, to say the least, during their first few weeks together, as they shared the same class schedule. Shortly after coming to terms with both his father's death and the misconception of the "argument" between himself, Evans, and Hart, the three began talking, soon becoming good friends with a shared interest in music.
Shortly after the start of winter break, Locke had learned of Evans being kicked out of his house due to being disowned by his family, and offered a place to stay for the older boy. Evans gratefully agreed, and Florence welcomed in her son's friend with open arms; Lilac grew to adore Evans as well, oftentimes requesting for her brother's friend to sing to her.

When Evans and Hart had started high school, Locke kept in touch through Evans, and the trio oftentimes went to hang out at the local abandoned roller rink just past the elementary school. Shortly after his friends' graduations in 2014, Locke joined their upcoming band, Failure of the Decade. Just days before his own high school graduation in 2015, the boys got a call from Vai-High Records, who had offered the band a record deal.

IN-DEPTH
Friends and fans of Locke describe the boy as being "too polite for his own good," oftentimes offering help to those he feels need it. He's very generous, which usually leads to others trying to take advantage of him for it; due to this, Evans and Hart have become fiercely protective of the youngest member of their band. Locke is rather introverted at first, but will warm up to company with time.

OTHER
• In an interview with a local alternative rock magazine, the subject of favorites was brought up. When questioned about his favorite song, Locke had only this to say:

"Hands down, my favorite song is 'My Way,' by the legendary Frank Sinatra. People usually ask me, 'Why don't you like newer songs?' It's not that I don't like newer songs - it's just that no song will ever hold a candle to the reason I love My Way so much.

"The earliest memory I have of my dad was when I was just three years old - he's the one who taught me piano, see. The first ever song he showed me how to play was My Way, and I remember him so clearly; the look of pure happiness while he was belting it out, it's like that song was made for him to sing it. It was the song I sang at his funeral, and it'll always hold a near and dear spot in my heart. It's the song that keeps my dad alive and well."

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SONG RECS
Amy Lee - "Love Exists" - xxx
The Lifted - "Mr. Sandman" - xxx
Bastille, Other People's Heartache - "The Descent" - xxx
Yellowcard - "Ocean Avenue" - xxx
Tobu - "Happy Ending" - xxx
INZO - "Overthinker" - xxx
Flora Cash - "You're Somebody Else" - xxx

OTHER
Radio/Sugapest is a Vaiki concept I'm currently attempting to fill, and therefore has no official ref yet.