Dead Confederate originally emerged in the Athens music scene in 2006 with a few local shows. The band had been together in Augusta, Georgia as the "Redbelly" since high school, eventually gravitating to "The Redbelly Band", after keyboard player John Watkins joined the group. On January 22, 2008, the band released a self-titled EP on The Artist Organization record label , a newly created label by Gary Gersh, known for signing-on bands like Nirvana and Sonic Youth to major labels. This release, along with an appearance at the South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas gave them some national exposure.
On September 16, the band released their first LP, Wrecking Ball on the Razor & Tie record label. After the album, the band kicked off a nationwide tour, featuring a free show at the 40 Watt Club in their hometown in Athens. On October 10, the band made their first nationwide television appearance on Late Night with Conan O'Brien.
Their first single, "The Rat", debuted and peaked at #39 on the US Modern Rock chart in February 2009.
Dead Confederate take a spacy approach to indie rock by peppering their music with psychedelic songcraft and atmospheric washes of guitar. Seeds for the band's formation were planted during the late-'90s, when future bandmates Hardy Morris (vocals, guitar), Brantley Senn (bass), Walker Howle (guitar), John Watkins (keyboards), and Jason Scarboro (drums) bonded over a shared affinity for Pink Floyd and Black Sabbath. Although hailing from Augusta, GA, the quintet relocated to Atlanta following college. A second move quickly followed, this time to Athens, where the group doubled its touring efforts and caught the attention of former Capitol Records president Gary Gersh. Impressed with the band's haunting sound, Gersh signed Dead Confederate to his new label, The Artists Organization, and issued their debut EP in early 2008. A full-length album, Wrecking Ball, followed in September.
"The Rat"
Start Me Laughing
Wrecking Ball
Heavy Petting
Yer Circus
Is It A Rose
