Getting to Know… These Dead Machines | Interview

In the 442^nd Q&A in our Getting to Know… series, we get the inside scoop from Manchester, UK rock musician These Dead Machines. 

What makes These Dead Machines unique? “I guess the way I mix electronic elements with alt-rock.” Formerly a band, as the name suggests, it became a one-man band: “I wanted to find a way to keep doing music, got myself an electric drum kit to skill up on, and took it from there.” Word. The Manchester, UK rock musician gives us the inside scoop on his genesis, goals, musical influences, and current and future musical endeavors. So, without further ado, let’s jump into Getting to Know…These Dead Machines: Interview No. 442!

For those who may not be familiar with you, what would you say makes These Dead Machines distinct or unique? How do you rock the audience’s socks off?

I guess the way I mix electronic elements with alt-rock is one – and as any human making music, a whole bunch of life experiences to pour into it!

Okay, let’s explore some juicy backstories. How did These Dead Machines come about, and what were some of your goals or visions early?

Well, this was a band (under a different name) until the latter stages of the pandemic when we amicably went our separate ways. I wanted to find a way to keep doing music, got myself an electric drum kit to skill up on, and took it from there. While I don’t have the ability to play live (at the moment), it’s opened things up more creatively, which has been very cool.

Let’s talk more about goals.  Have your goals or your perspectives changed since first starting? What do your aspirations or goals look like now?

For now, they’ve been about the same – exploring my sound more, creating whenever the spark hits, and trying to finish things. Over time, build an audience, and keep trying stuff out and improving!

Everybody is influenced by somebody else. Whom would you consider some of your biggest musical influences and how are they influential?

There are almost eras of influences from the earliest I can remember like The Cure, The Smiths, and The Police, through the Seattle/grunge stuff, into more electronica. My Dad was a big influence in getting into music from when we moved North, and he opened a record shop when me and my brother were little.

Ah, the fun stuff.  What’s your craziest tour story or the wackiest thing that’s happened during a performance?  Feel free to be creative.

In a previous band on two separate occasions for different reasons, we ended up getting naked. No idea why!

To this point in your career, what would you describe as your favorite song you’ve recorded or performed live? What makes that song special?

There are a few but on the album that’s coming out there are two that fall into that category: “Heartstrings” because it’s got a different style being acoustic with lo-fi beats and a spoken-word middle-8 and “Hello World” because it started off as a nice song talking to my kids before they were born but then inevitably ended up more melancholy and dark.

Is there anything else awesome, cool, or left-of-center we should know about These Dead Machines? Secret talents or surprising tidbits?

Now there’s a question! I try all kinds of creative stuff outside of being a parent and my day job, one of which is getting into screenwriting. I’ve had this idea for years and wrote a first draft of a film – read it back and it wasn’t at all in my head, so left it for a long time! I was just happy to’ve gotten to the end of the first draft!

What is These Dead Machines currently working on or promoting that you can share? We love secrets, but there’s no pressure. 

My first album is due out on 2nd December called Any Minute Now. It’s got a melancholy undertone as it covers themes around different kinds of loss and love but hopefully balances with signs of hope and resilience. I’m really happy to’ve got to a place where I could do such a thing!

https://thesedeadmachines.bandcamp.com/album/any-minute-now

Thank you so much for sharing and taking the time to answer these questions, and best of luck moving forward. 

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Getting to Know…These Dead Machines: Interview No. 442 [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; These Dead Machines]