I think people have already pigeonholed us to death and we haven t even made album number two.

Athens, Ga. s Dead Confederate was thrust into the spotlight when R.E.M. tapped them to open for their 2008 South by Southwest appearance at Stubb s. Suddenly the band with only an EP to their name was playing before the largest crowd of its career; as a result, Wrecking Ball, a full-length released last fall, debuted to critical acclaim.

And with good reason. Spurred by uber-catchy single "The Rat," the disc showcases a band with myriad talents, from indie rock to shoegaze to drone to throwback grunge. This is a young band, to be sure, a band perhaps yet to plant its feet in any one sound. However, with a live show rumored to be explosive, they re already over the metaphorical hump. Keep an eye on these guys—and catch them if not at this year s SXSW then on tour at a city near you.

I recently had the chance to ask bassist/vocalist Brantley Senn ten questions (the band also includes vocalist/guitarist Hardy Morris, lead guitarist Walker Howle, keyboardist/vocalist John Watkins and and drummer Jason Scarboro); take a moment to get to know Dead Confederate.

Favorite city to play?

San Diego gave us a lot of love this last tour. I wish I lived in Southern California. I ve always romanticized the idea of living there. New York City is always a good time, too. I like extremes, apparently.

Best part about opening for R.E.M.?

Playing in front of a packed crowd. I think we had around 30 people at our previous show in Austin.

Oddest thing a fan has said to you?

One guy told me he had just gotten bailed out of jail to come to our show. Later that night he came up to me and was really angry and asked me if I had thrown a beer bottle at him while he was on the toilet (which I hadn t!!). He seemed like he was wacked-out on something. I m not sure they should have let him go.

Which song do you wish you d written?

"All Night Long" by Lionel Ritchie.

Worst thing about the music industry these days? Best?

Worst: It s really difficult to make a living. Best: It s not a day job in a cubicle.

Live or studio?

Live.

How do you pass the time while on tour?

I spend a lot of time on my laptop. Mostly though, there s a lot of sleeping.

What advantage does being from Athels, Ga., give you over your peers?

Athens is a tight-knit scene. It s not as competitive as other places. Bands understand that working together will have greater success than bands working against one another. 

How best to approach songwriting as a team?

Only one song in our catalog so far has been written by more than one person, so maybe we re not the best people to ask. Hardy and I each write our songs separately and then run it by everyone when we re done. At least that s how it s been to-date.

Biggest misconception about your music?

I think people have already pigeonholed us to death and we haven t even made album number two. To me that seems silly. We have a lot of diversity in our music and album two will probably be a good bit different.

Dead Confederate on tour:

03.13 | Bottom Lounge, Chicago
03.14 | Fubar, St. Louis
03.17 | KC Live, Kansas City
03.18-21 | SXSW, Austin
03.26 | 40 Watt Club, Athens
03.27 | The Earl, Atlanta
03.31-04.08 | Europe
04.13 | Rhythm & Blues, Chattanooga
04.14 | Minglewood Hall, Memphis
04.15 | The Varsity Theatre, Baton Rouge
04.16 | Revolution Room, Little Rock
04.17 | George's Majestic Lounge, Fayetteville
04.18 | Proud Larry's, Oxford, Miss.
04.20 | 40 Watt Club, Athens
04.21 | Sky Club, Augusta, Ga.
04.22 | Common Grounds, Gainesville
04.24 | Crowbar, Tampa
04.25 | The Social, Orlando
05.02 | Bottletree Café, Birmingham
05.03 | Beale Street Music Festival, Memphis
06.10 | Riverbend Festival, Chatanooga

Dead Confederate will be touring with The Whigs, Manchester Orchestra and Dinosaur Jr., check website for details.

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