EMQ’s With These Dead Machines
EMQ’s With These Dead Machines
Hi everyone! Welcome to another EMQs interview, this time with UK Alt-Rock/ Electro solo project, These Dead Machines. Huge thanks to the man behind the project, Dan, for taking part.
What is your name, what do you play and can you tell us a little bit about the history of the band?
I’m Dan and as I’m a one-person band, I play guitar, bass, drums, vocals and occasional other stuff. I started making music on my own after my previous band disbanded towards the end of the pandemic. While in this form, I’m not able to play live, it’s opened me up creatively I think
How did you come up with your band name?
I try to name song ideas as soon as they happen, as part of capturing the theme. When there was no longer a band, I took this name from one and liked the way people could read into it
What Country / Region are you from and what is the Metal / Rock scene like there?
I’m based on Manchester, UK and I think it’s pretty healthy – certainly decent shows come to town and there’s a few pubs that pitch to that crowd
What is your latest release?
My first album is just out (as of 2nd December), ‘Any Minute Now’. It’s just so satisfying to have finished it and get it out into the world. Mostly recorded in my dining room, it’s so cool that random people around the world might come across it!
Who have been your greatest influences?
I guess there are a few ways of answering that – one would be people that I’ve followed musically for ages that you know are going to keep making music whatever happens because it’s in their bones. Bands you see working their arses off because they believe in what they’re doing.
Musically, it’s a mash-up from The Cure, The Smiths & The Police to Deftones, Glassjaw & Smashing Pumpkins to Fourtet and Beastie Boys
What first got you into music?
That’d be my Dad, who was always into music and used to run a record shop that me and my brother grew up in. He always had a guitar around to noodle around with and cranked up music he loved to really bask in it
If you could collaborate with a current band or musician who would it be?
Good question! It’d have to be something way outside of my comfort zone…maybe a Kpop act or something?
If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?
Not sure of a specific festival but always a fan of smaller scale more indie festivals that have a bunch of like minded artists and audience
What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?
Hahah…not sure I’ve yet been offered more than a Mars Bar from a fan at this point!
If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?
Not just for my music but any indie artist/band – word of mouth is incredible. If you like something, help us out by spreading the word
If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?
John Bonham – so curious if there would’ve been some later-stage Zepplin if he was still with us
What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?
It’s the best in that there’s so many ways you can do it – from just strumming a guitar for pleasure at home, to playing with others, learning other people’s songs or writing your own – maybe you share it with the world, or you keep it to yourself, I just like that versatility. I guess I hate that the way things are at the moment it’s increasingly difficult for even pretty successful musicians to make a living from their act
If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
So much… I think going back a couple of decades or more, A&R in labels would invest in acts and help grow them, nurture them to be as good as they could be…whereas now it feels very much like you do that yourself
Name one of your all-time favourite albums?
Depends on the day you ask me but I go to the double-album of ‘Live at Siné’ by Jeff Buckley as it brings out so much of his character. So good.
What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CD’s or Downloads?
I’d say most have a place – vinyl at home, downloads on the go…but I’ve not yet let go of the CDs I own! Not sure cassettes have much of a place though they have that sense of nostalgia to them
What’s the best gig that you have played to date?
Best in that it was just great to play with a band you’ve been a fan of for years was supporting My Vitriol a while ago. Not quite the same line-up and stuff but were so into them when they broke so just a really cool thing to get to play with them
If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?
There’d be some kind of creative outlet. Over the years, I’ve dabbled with all kinds of writing projects, so maybe one of those avenues would become a thing?
Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?
Damn…only 5? I’m not going to pick famous people or anything…I think 5 random people from very different backgrounds to me…maybe from different periods of history? Yeah, like Bill & Ted!
What’s next for the band?
There’ll be a couple of singles from the album so mainly focused on raising awareness about all of that. I’m always writing and experimenting so just keep up the momentum and hopefully have something new ready to go in the first half of next year…keep evolving the sound and see where it goes
What Social Media / Website links do you use to get your music out to people?
website: https://theseeadmachines.com
BandCamp: https://thesedeadmachines.bandcamp.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thesedeadmachines
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6ht37v6guluQY1ZJSpkZs7
Time for a very British question now. As an alternative to the humble sandwich, is the correct name for a round piece of bread common in the UK either a Bap, a Barm (or Barm Cake), a Batch, a Bun a Cob, a Muffin, a Roll or a Tea Cake?
A roll? I still have to think before ordering barms around these parts
Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Thanks for the chat! I guess that there’s always great new music out there and now more than ever young bands need people to go to small venues and support them. The tickets are affordable and you’ll be around something fresh and new
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