Decline To State embraces heavier sounds and bigger dreams
Decline To State is a Reno-based emo band that was established in August 2024 and consists of three full-time members: Ashton Roske (vocals/guitar), Chase Carpenter (drums) , Jacob Rubin (bass), and recently said goodbye to guitarist Ven Noel, who relocated to Portland.
RØKKR was able to meet with Roske to ask some questions about the band, now celebrating its first year together. Decline To State recently released their single “Gravity” which shows the band stepping into a heavier light. The single features Roske’s use of harsher vocals, a heavier guitar set, a well-harmonized breakdown, and powerful drums. We asked Roske about the new single, and he replied, “I’d say the new single is a little bit darker, but keeping a radio-friendly style that should be digestible to anyone who hasn't heard us before, and it makes for a good high-energy song in the middle of our live show.”
We also discussed challenges the band faces, including its geography. Reno, Nevada, isn’t known for its music scene and often is skipped by touring acts, as a result. However, Roske has been involved directly in bringing more artists to the area and putting Reno on the map for music. In fact, most of Decline To State’s members have been in or are in other bands. In speaking to the effort that goes into putting a project together, Roske said “I think the biggest challenge getting into the music scene was just trying to find the right people for the band. I spent a long time trying to find people I worked well with. Similarly, I think a big challenge was just trying to find our audience in Reno. Pop punk/emo isn't really a dominant genre in the Reno scene, so trying to find a good Reno audience was tough.”
Reno is home to several medium to small-sized venues such as: Virginia Street Brewhouse, Club Underground, and The Cypress. However, while limited in their room capacity, they are not limited in their ambition. Decline To State has had many shows at these venues, including opening for household names such as Hawthorne Heights.
A brief moment between Decline to State bandmates before opening for Hawthorn Heights in Reno, Nevada.
“Opening for Hawthorne Heights was one of the coolest things I've ever had the opportunity to do, but it was incredibly stressful. With any show, there's always a lot going on behind the scenes that makes any show stressful, but this one in particular, we were on such a big time crunch. We didn't have a lot of wiggle room with our set time, and we had to get our gear off stage super quickly. Our soundcheck also got cut due to time constraints. Despite the stress, it's still some of the most fun I've had on stage, and everyone in the crowd was just super nice. It was so nice to meet and talk with some new fans,” Roske said.
Decline To State has hinted on Instagram about the potential for an upcoming album. We asked about the album and Roske said, “I don't think I can speak on an album name quite yet, but we are trying to have it out before the end of the year. It’s going to feature around 12-14 songs, including one re-recorded old track and a couple remastered songs that have previously been released, but it's going to be mostly new sounds and music.”
“I don't think I can speak on an album name quite yet, but we are trying to have it out before the end of the year,” mentioned Roske
The band has had some incredible moments so far, and it's only been a year. Decline to State continues its momentum opening for Saliva on October 3, 2025, at the Cargo Concert Hall, alongside LYLVC, The Founder, and Earshot. Also, the band will be opening for A Skylit Drive on December 14 at Club Underground in Reno. They will also share the stage that evening with Tiny Paper Hearts, No One Good, and Too Close For Comfort.
Before concluding the interview, we asked Ashton about the next step in this project, and he said, “As of right now, the immediate next step with the band is the album; however, you can expect plenty more awesome shows next year, possibly venturing outside of Reno, as well as more new music after the album releases.”
DECLINE TO STATE | INSTAGRAM
