Echo Machine - Questions for the Band
The fabulous Echo Machine are the debutants of Questions for the Band, so I won’t spend too much time with an introduction let’s hear from the band themselves, so without further ado:
Let’s start of with a nice intro question, for those that don't know the band that well, can you tell us a little bit about yourselves ?
We are Gary, Mike, Ben and Lewis, from the sunny coastal town of Dundee. We've all been in different musical outfits around the city over the last few years, and decided to get this unholy union together back in 2018. Originally just writing sad songs in Mikes bedroom, before graduating to a proper band. We've been recording and playing shows over the last 18 months or so, and will be releasing out debut album "Instant Transmissions" on February 28th 2020.
Who are the bands musical influences ?
We’ve got too many to name. Which probably shows in the sort of chaotic sounding music we make. We are all pop music fanatics, nothing is off limits as long as its good. We definitely get our kicks from overblown 80s electro pop, from Depeche Mode to Duran Duran, OMD, The Pet Shop Boys, and Tears For Fears, but probably get equal joy from loud alternative rock like Pixies, QOTSA, Nirvana, Placebo, Idlewild and Mclusky. Then add in the stuff that we love, but could never try to emulate, like Frank Ocean, Angel Olsen, Weyes Blood, Danny Brown and Kate Tempest.
What is your writing process ? Music or Lyrics First ?
It's a mixed bag really, we don't have a set process. There might be a song that starts from just the music, anything from a couple of guitar chords to a weird beat we've made in GarageBand, and there are other things that I might start by building some music around a phrase or line that I've written that I really like. I think that keeps things more interesting than just me coming in with a song I'd written on an acoustic guitar and asking the band to flesh it out. I have nothing against that, but personally feel that with all the cheap and easily available technology around these days we don't need to be so restricted.
What music venue would you most like to play and why ?
Probably Hampden Park. I know it's not necessarily a venue as such, but that would be a dream come true. We are an ambitious bunch. I think we have a sound that is good for large spaces, and egos that sometimes no roof can contain! I would love to create a massive audio/visual show in a space like that, where you could do something really wild.
What is the best and worst parts of being in a band ?
Being in a band is like a sort of odd chemical addiction, which is probably 95% horrible, and 5% great, but that 5% is so good you just can't stop. Writing music is a kind of self reflective torture where I think you have to open yourself up in the most deep scrutiny, you feel naked and battered, but then you make something that you are proud of and that you connect with and it makes everything worthwhile. Touring is kind of the same. You spend 23.5 hours of the day crammed in tiny spaces with other people, be it a van, broom cupboard dressing room or manky hotel room, you carry heavy gear up endless flights of stairs, and don't even earn enough to feed yourself, but that other half hour of the day, where you are on stage, playing music you are passionate about and connecting with other humans is so unbelievably good that you forget about all the other stuff. You know its killing you and making you a terrible person, but you just can't quit it.
If you could collaborate with any other band/musician who would it be and why ?
Right now I'd probably say Charli XCX. Everything she makes is pretty much perfect, and sounds so insanely modern and exciting. And from listening to her last album I think we might share a passion for silly 80s drum sounds. She could probably teach me how to dance a lot better as well.
Looking ahead for this year, you release your debut album at the end of February, what else can we expect from you ? and do you have any ambitions that you want to fulfill this year ?
We just want to play shows really. We've done all the boring stuff. Writing, recording, sending out countless emails and doing all the dull behind the scenes admin, now we just want to go and cause a little chaos. There is a kind of duality to making music - a higher, more intellectual side, where you get to be creative and thoughtful, where you read and study and craft - and then there is the lower, more animalistic side of it where you become feral and just want to break things and jump around, no thought required, just pure hedonism. We've been in calm, studious mode for too long, we need to go and release some of the other energy. We are in the process of booking a lot of shows, and are trying to get out and explore the world a bit, there a few festivals and things that are 99% confirmed that we can't wait to get over the line. I don't think we have many set ambitious beyond that, we just hope some people like our album and come along to our gigs.
And finally, if you could only listen to one album for the rest of your life, what would it be and why ?
That is a very tricky question. Very. If I had to, I'd probably take "Turn On The Bright Lights" by Interpol. It is an album that means a lot to me and never fails to make me feel a bit better about the world when I hear it. I can't really explain why.
Thanks to Echo Machine for some fantastic answers and an insight to the band, as they said they release their debut album “Instant Transmissions” on 28 February and this can be pre-ordered from Assai Records using the link below:
https://assai.co.uk/collections/frontpage/products/echo-machine-instant-transmissions-ltd-vinyl-lp-pre-order-28-02-20?fbclid=IwAR1FhNhuYA9qhRep7GZeMsLlUfuyIqt9dl-yCLv7Rd_pbz2VKx7ujtoC6UU
They will also be playing some album launch shows:
Dundee - Assai Records, Friday 28 February 7pm
Edinburgh - Assai Records, Saturday 29 February 2pm
Aberdeen - Chameleon Records, Saturday 7 March 12 noon
Get along to hear some tunes and meet the guys, in the meantime give them a listen on all the usual sites.