Make Me Wiser by Daybreakdown

Carlton’s keyboard and organ play shows a tremendous amount of control and class with a sound reminiscent of Chuck Leavell-era Stones and Allman Brothers while Stone’s lyrics and guitar-play can swing from alt country to arena rock. The rhythm section, featuring Rayburn’s hard-hitting, heavy metal-like approach to the drums and Patrick's thunderous bass lines, rounds out a perfect supporting cast for band leader McClary’s unparalleled lead guitar work and soulful songwriting that has drawn comparisons to such greats as Warren Haynes, Eric Clapton, and Duane Allman.

On July 31st, 2003, Daybreakdown hit the road with a fresh outlook on the music and the whole “touring thing.” Nearly a year later, with a new touring radius spanning most of the Southern states, the band hasn’t looked back and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Their raw talent and knack for the improvisational has brought them unprecedented and long-overdue acclaim throughout the region. Their critics have gone so far as to label the band “the hardest working band from Mississippi.”

Southern rock is on the verge of making a huge comeback, and Daybreakdown is one of a select few bands those in the industry are resting their hopes on. As always, the boys from the DBD will keep you guessing, and clothing is always optional. Stay tuned for more…

“If you ante into our game,

check your feelings at the door…”

Make Me Wiser, the debut album from Southern rock phenom Daybreakdown, is steeped in that 70s-era dirty guitar-driven style that has been so elusive since the introductions of disco, hair metal, grunge and boy-band pop.

Despite serious Southern influences born in the Delta and the hill country of North Mississippi, Daybreakdown has a sound that transcends regional or contemporary comparisons, and Make Me Wiser captures that sound and spirit in its entirety.

The self-produced album was recorded at TRS Studio, just outside of Jackson, Mississippi, in the spring and summer of 2004. During those intense, emotional sessions, bassist “The Kid” John Phillips opted to leave the band to finish college and all recording came to a temporary hault.

Just three weeks into the band’s search for Phillips’ replacement, studio engineer Big John Patrick was handed the reigns. After familiarizing himself with the band’s originals, Patrick helped the band lay down the final tracks for the album.

Taking Patrick out of the studio and on the road meant more delays with the mixing and production of Make Me Wiser. But with a new-found energy, and just a little patience, the band eventually left the studio with the finished product they had been hoping for.

Make Me Wiser is a rock album in its truest sense. The honest, blue-collar lyrics of the band’s three songwriters Eric Carlton (keyboards, organ), Patrick McClary (lead guitar, vocals), and Reid Stone (rhythm guitar, vocals) cut through the superficial, whiney “rock star” clichés that are so prevelant in today’s music, and the thunderous beats from Daybreakdown’s rhythm section (John Patrick and drummer Tyler Rayburn) will keep heads bobbing and toes tapping.

Fans of classic rock icons the Allman Brothers, The Band and Little Feat, as well as current rock pioneers Gov’t Mule and the Black Crowes should all find Make Me Wiser a mainstay in home and car stereos from the Carolinas to California, and all points in-between.

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