Dead Confederate Not Satisfied Being a 'Mope-y Quasi Grunge Band'

Posted on Dec 30th 2010 12:45PM by Linda Laban
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Berry Brecheisen, FilmMagic

Athens, Georgia's Dead Confederate finish off 2010 and start the New Year with a localized tour of their home state before heading off to Germany for dates with The Whigs. As far as New Year's resolutions go, however, the band's already sorted.

"I'm not satisfied being in a mope-y quasi grunge band," singer Hardy Morris declares to Spinner. "I want to make music that isn't just in a certain genre. I don't get excited if it's the same song after song after song."

Far from quasi, though somewhat mope-y and grungy in a great way, the quintet's summer-released 'Sugar' certainly stepped away from their debut 'Wrecking Ball's' deliciously dark, churning meditations.

"We reached the decision that we did not want to make the same record twice. We want to keep people on their toes and keep ourselves on our toes. I guess, the biggest example would be 'Run From The Gun'," Morris recalls of recording the record's wistful anti-war epic. "We had to approach it a lot differently. Everybody in the band liked the song, but we wondered, 'How are we going to play this? What's everybody going to play?' We're used to banging away with a bunch of distortion. We stripped it down and I played it on the acoustic first. We added layers to it; we went round and around with it, tried it a few different ways. That song, I'm sure is furthest away from anything on the last record, but it's also got the most reaction."

When it comes to artistic and career role models, it's no big surprise that the noise rockers hold Sonic Youth in high regard. "It's their fearlessness and being true to themselves. I feel like the bands that I really value have never compromised in their careers. We'll continue to do what makes us happy and hope that translates to people. Then, at least you tired. I'd feel far worse if I was compromising and got bad results. At least, if I do what I want to do and get bad results then who cares, you know."

Far from quasi, though somewhat mope-y and grungy (in a great way), the quintet's sophomore effort, 'Sugar,' certainly stepped away from the deliciously dark, churning meditations heard on 2008's 'Wrecking Ball.'

"We reached the decision that we did not want to make the same record twice. We want to keep people on their toes, and keep ourselves on our toes. The biggest example would be 'Run From the Gun,'" says Morris of recording the album's wistful anti-war epic.

"We had to approach it a lot differently. Everybody in the band liked the song, but we wondered, 'How are we going to play this? What's everybody going to play?' We're used to banging away with a bunch of distortion. We stripped it down and I played it on the acoustic [guitar] first. We added layers to it; we went round and around with it, tried it a few different ways. That song, I'm sure is furthest away from anything on the last record, but it's also got the most reaction."

Watch Dead Confederate's Video for 'Giving It All Away' Ft. J. Mascis

When it comes to artistic and career role models, the noise rockers have a few stalwarts they hold in high regard, including Dinosaur Jr. frontman J Mascis (who lends a hand on 'Giving It All Away,' featured on Dead Confederate's new album) and, no surprise, Sonic Youth.

"It's their fearlessness and being true to themselves," Morris says of Thurston Moore and the gang. "I feel like the bands that I really value have never compromised in their careers. We'll continue to do what makes us happy and hope that translates to people. Then, at least you tired. I'd feel far worse if I was compromising and got bad results. At least, if I do what I want to do and get bad results then who cares, you know?"