Rebranding is one of the biggest gambles a band can take.
Years of name recognition and building an identity are suddenly up for debate, and if the music doesn’t justify the change, fans aren’t likely to let them forget it.
After 15 years as Boy Named Banjo, the band formed by childhood friends made the difficult decision about a year ago to change their name to Breakfield. Named after a country road in the town of Sewanee, TN where the band members spent their college years and really cut their teeth playing in front of crowds, the name choice was an intentional one, meant to keep the band tied to their roots while ushering in a new era sonically for the Nashville-based bluegrass-turned-Americana quartet.
Signed with Rounder Records, they released their first single “Canyon Walls” under the new moniker back in October, and after building suspense with the release of a handful of singles thereafter, they released their full self-titled record Breakfield a month ago. Any sort of name change or rebrand is major leap for an established act, and one that inevitably will come with backlash from the existing fans partial to the original name. If a band is going to do it, though, it’s important that they follow it up with some of their best music yet to ensure the listeners that nothing has changed but the name.
In recent years, both Read Southall Band and Mike and the Moonpies have undergone similar rebrands, changing their names to Southall and Silverada respectively. Both bands immediately followed the rebrand with a killer self-titled record, and as soon as fans realized the music was only getting better, the concerns over the name seemed to vanish. With how strong the new album is, Breakfield should have no issues following suit.
Comprised of 11 tracks that further explore the band’s sonic capabilities and feature some of their best songwriting to date, Breakfield examines the restless and uncertain nature of a career in music, juxtaposed with the hope that comes with ushering in a new era for the band.
In its current form, Breakfield’s lineup is Barton Davies on banjo/vocals, Ford Garrard thumping the base, William Reames on guitar/harmonica/vocals, and Sam McCullough holding it down on drums. Together, these guys have tapped in to a unique sound through years of honing their craft, and this album is proof that their hard work is paying off.
Teaming up with producer Sadler Vaden, who is best known for playing guitar in Jason Isbell’s band the 400 Unit and producing albums for Morgan Wade and Drayton Farley, it’s also clear the band surrounded themselves with exceptionally talented collaborators to bring the project to life. Reames and Davies had their songwriting fingerprints on each track, but Katie Pruitt, Ben Chapman, and Meg McRee, among many others, contributed as co-writers as well. Of course a stacked list of collaborators only matters if the songs live up to the hype. Luckily they do.
I could sit here and elaborate on how special this album is, but the proof is in the music. Give Breakfield’s recently released self-tiled record a listen for yourself here with a few of my early favorites:
“Rivers Run”
“Darker Out Tonight”
“Live by Me”
“Who Am I”