So Dead Confederate kickstarted their new tour to promote their latest album addition to the music world, and we were lucky enough to have them grace the Troubadour with their presence!  Their latest album “Sugar” is a welcome addition to any music library with it’s emotionally charged rock accessorized with the agonizing vocals akin to something straight out of the 90s.

Their single “Run From The Gun” has been on my own heavy rotation list as of late- and though the band seems to hate the grunge label- there’s no denying it’s presence in some form fused into every track off Sugar, which is “sweet as poison,” and just as addictive!

I was lucky enough to catch up with Dead Confederate bassist Brantley Senn while he was gearing up to kick off the Sugar tour and in between show prepping and crossing state lines, he answered a few questions and protested the grunge label.

BNB:  YOUR NEW ALBUM “SUGAR” JUST DROPPED AND YOU’RE CURRENTLY ON TOUR PROMOTING IT- WHERE ARE YOU MOST EXCITED TO HEAD TO?

BS:  I really love the Pacific NW and pretty much all of California, and Colorado. The drives are beautiful.

BNB:  WHAT WAS THE MAIN INSPIRATION BEHIND THE DEEPLY EMOTIONAL AND GRUNGE INFUSED ALBUM?

BS:  I’m not sure either of those terms really apply, at least not for me. Each song comes from a different place. Each song is very different on this album. Inspiration came from a very different place for every song I wrote on the album.

BNB:  I HEAR A LOT OF SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE AND OG SMASHING PUMPKINS IN YOUR TUNES- WERE THEY BIG INFLUENCES?

BS:  I’ve never listened to Sunny Day Real Estate if you can believe that. I like Smashing Pumpkins and they’ve always been an influence. A lot of the inspiration musically for these tunes came from the bands we’ve been on the road with.

BNB: SO YOUR ALBUM IS “SWEET AS POISON”- WHO’S RESPONSIBLE FOR THE POIGNANT LYRICS?

BS:  Hardy wrote that one.

 

BNB:  WHAT’S CURRENTLY ON HEAVY ROTATION IN THE TOUR TRANSPORTATION VEHICLE?

BS:  On my iPod: Gillian Welch, Neko Case, Lucinda Williams, Townes Van Zandt, Loretta Lynn, X, early Replacements, The Modern Lovers, Futurebirds, Best Coast, Beach House, Love Language, early Springsteen.

 

BNB:  YOU SEEM TO BE RESURRECTING THE 90S GOLDEN AGE OF GRUNGE- WAS THIS THE GOAL?

BS:  Hell no and I’m honestly tired of the Grunge label. That word didn’t mean anything in the 90′s and it still doesn’t today. We use distortion. And I’m a bass player so I really don’t know much more than bar chords when I write so some stuff comes out like that. At the same time, there’s obviously stuff in there that isn’t anywhere near the genre of Grunge. It just is what it is.

 

BNB:  IF YOU COULD HAVE THE OUIJA BOARD CHANNEL ANY ROCK ICONS OF YESTERYEAR- WHO WOULD IT BE?

BS:  Vic Chesnutt. I’d like to let him know how much he’s missed. He’d probably just tell me to quit being a pussy. I teared up the day I found out he passed. I really loved his music and his shows were beyond inspiring. You ain’t seen nothing if you haven’t sat in silence at the 40 Watt in Athens and seen one of his sets.

 

BNB:  MOST INSANE TOUR/SHOW STORY TO DATE?

BS:  I can’t tell you that. Maybe once my parents are long gone, which hopefully is a long time away. The craziest night we had so far on tour was the first night of our tour with Alberta Cross. Some of us went to the strip club in Portland after the show. There was a rather large stripper that climbed to the top of the pole and then slid down it upside down, but she slipped and landed on her head. We tipped her well cause we felt really bad. I wonder if she did it on purpose.

 

BNB:  WHAT’S UP NEXT FOR DC POST-TOUR?  A LITTLE HIATUS OR BACK TO THE MUSIC GRIND?

BS:  Hardy is getting married in October so we’re taking a little time off. I don’t mind it. It gives me time to write and to go out drinking with my friends in Athens. I love home.

 

BNB:  IF YOU COULD COLLABORATE WITH ANY ARTIST- WHO WOULD IT BE?

BS:  I would’ve loved to do something with Vic, but that’s never gonna happen.

 

BNB:  PRE-SHOW VICE OR RITUAL?

BS:  I wait 2 hours before the show and then I start pounding Jack Daniels. Lately it’s been 3 hours. Oops.

 

BNB:  TOUGHEST THING ABOUT BEING ON THE GO CONSISTENTLY?

BS:  Leaving your friends and the ones you love at home.

BNB:  FAVE TV GUILTY PLEASURE YOU CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF?

BS:  True Blood. Everyone I know watches it so I feel like I have to keep up.

 

BNB:  IS THE HOKEY POKEY REALLY WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT?

BS:  I think it just might be. “Living is dancing / Dying does nothing at all” – Townes Van Zandt

 

BNB:  YOUR FAVORITE SONG OFF “SUGAR”?

BS:  I don’t pick favorites out of my babies. They’re all my favorite.

BNB:  CLOSING REMARKS?

BS:  Come to the show and wear your big kid boots boys and girls.

You can catch the sweet quintet next in Arizona, and check back at www.myspace.com/deadconfederate for other chances to catch the group on their sweet “Sugar” promo tour.  As far as I’m concerned grunge is indeed back with a vengeance, and resurrecting my own teenage wasteland from last decade is indeed a sweet little surprise- thank you “Sugar” for bringing the dark back into the music light!