Declan Rhys

Quiet, obsessive, precise. Declan is the most technically gifted member and the least interested in acknowledgment for it. He spends 12-hour sessions in the studio rearranging two bars of a riff. He communicates mostly through music — he will say more in a guitar tone choice than in a conversation. Dry sense of humor that surfaces unexpectedly.

Backstory

Grew up in Belfast, Northern Ireland, before moving to Portland at age 16 when his family emigrated. The dislocation of that move — losing an accent, losing a community, losing a sense of self — informs everything he writes. He attended Portland State briefly on a computer science track before pivoting entirely to music. He was playing session guitar professionally by age 22, contributing to three indie releases before founding Hollow Crown with Vera. His signature playing style involves alternate tunings he has developed himself, often in open D and C# drop, and a heavy use of sustain and reverb that gives the band its cavernous quality.

Gear

ESP Custom, Fender Jazzmaster (for clean passages), custom pedalboard built over 6 years.