Yesternight’s Decision may sound like a novel written in the 19th century, but it is the name of a local rock band comprised entirely of Mississippi State students.
Blake Wall, lead guitarist and vocalist of Yesternight’s Decision, said the name of the band was basically a joke. It was first heard from a friend when their group of friends was hanging out, eating dinner.
“He said something about ‘yesternight,'” Wall, a graduate student in computer science, said. “I don’t even remember what the sentence was about, but I just thought that was pretty funny. At the time, we didn’t have a band name so I thought, ‘We can be Yesternight’s . ,’ and later I added ‘Decision’ because it seems important and the album is about a lot of life changes and decisions.”
Wall said there were also disadvantages to the band’s name.
“But it’s the worst name ever because nobody knows how to spell it or say it. Not a single person,” Wall said.
While the band jokes about its alias, the members take their craft very seriously and have since its beginning.
Wall said he befriended bassist Bradley Bishop, a senior biological science major, through pickup basketball games.
“He could play ‘Guitar Hero’ really, really well so I was like, ‘You can play bass,'” Wall said. “And it turns out he could.”
The two then put out an ad on Facebook for a drummer. Enter Memphis native and senior business administration major Bill Harry.
“My sister showed it to me, because I’m not very Facebook-savvy,” Harry said.
After about two years of playing locally, Yesternight’s Decision lost its original guitarist and recent MSU graduate, Eric Rutan, to a job in Texas.
The band members immediately began searching for another guitarist. Luckily, they found just what they were looking for in another MSU graduate, Whitney Mackey.
“He was the most eager person you had ever met when it comes to playing music,” Wall said. “He’s just really psyched to play and really won us over with his singing abilities.”
The current lineup has now been together for six months and their debut album is already in the works. In fact, Enough to Follow Through has an estimated release of April 6. Wall said the band’s sound is alternative/hard rock.
“I wrote most of these songs on my trips to Starkville from my job in Tupelo,” Wall said. “I had nothing to do, so I would just sing these songs as loud as I could, where no one could hear, until they sounded ok. Then later, I’d try to find the chords for them.”
Wall said the band would later get together and finish the songs, adding more instrumentation and finishing touches to them. When the time came to make a CD, the band members dipped into their own pockets in order to independently produce and record Enough to Follow Through.
The album’s 10 tracks are filled with personal events and feelings; Wall and Mackey split the vocal duties. Bass and drums dominate the rhythm-driven songs, including the band’s standout track “The Books I Love the Most.”
Live shows differ slightly with a stronger focus on drumming and extended jamming. With a set list that can last over three hours, the band plans with passion and an unbridled energy. The band members said they’ve learned a lot playing at Rick’s Cafe, Dave’s Dark Horse Tavern and other shows in Meridian, Memphis and Tupelo.
“We’ve learned a lot about stage presence,” Wall said. “We’ve played on everything from a plain floor where everybody’s in the back to private parties and dive bars. We now know how to put on a good time.”
Up next for the Yesternight’s Decision will be more local live shows at Dave’s and a dodgeball tournament hosted by Rick’s Cafe.
“We’re all going to be here at least another year,” Wall said. “Right now, we’d like to play to more parties and stages around town.”
Wall said the band will keep playing music whether people buy this album or not. But after the members put so much money and energy into this passion, they would really like the fans to hear the CD.
“We couldn’t have done it without them,” said Wall.
CDs can be purchased for $8, while a CD/T-shirt combo is $18.
For more information about purchasing the CD, visit facebook.com/pages/Yesternights-Decision or myspace.com/yesternightsdecision.