Water Machine have recently been making waves in the Glasgow music scene, currently bubbling under and fresh from what I gather was a superb support slot at Monorail’s birthday bash supporting Gerry Love, if there is any justice, 2023 will see the band reach boiling point and explode like a geyser.
Enough of the shite water puns. The band’s music deserves better than my lame attempts at humour.
I’ve recently been conversing online with Jimmy from the band, who are a bit of a Glasgow music scene supergroup, and was half joking about creating a family tree to trace all the connections. The more I hear from him about the band and its various contributors, I am becoming more serious about it – does anyone have Pete Frame’s phone number – lol. If a planned interview takes place after the silly season, I will discover more…
Unfortunately, I have yet to experience the Water Machine live show, living it only vicariously to date through short live clips posted on their Insta account. Those short clips were enough to hook me and draw me in in to a band whose performances and sound are right up my street (“I like living in the south, its where I keep my house”), mostly having seen clips of the song Hot Real Estate to date…
Thankfully, January should have me dipping my toe into the Water Machine live experience, not once but twice… in a month that is already shaping up to be a great month for Glasgow gig-goers. I think I’ve already got shows featuring Lloyd’s House, Junk Pups, Brenda and Brontes amongst others.
In the meantime, the band have released some songs online (via bandcamp) and on an old skool tape in the form of their |”S/T Demo Tape”, its four songs cementing Water Machine in their place as my favourite new band.
The four songs are difficult to pigeonhole, which is something I love, fuck putting people in boxes. With songs about ill fated office relationships (Water Machine), frustration with life and society (I Quit), the ability to grow plants but inability to keep flowers (Flowers – note: I’m currently killing a Poinsettia) and identifying with the area you live (Hot Real Estate (remind me to be careful in the North – “I like living in the North side cos I’m hard as fuck” sings Hando)).
Water Machine take elements from all over, chuck them together and mix them up into their own sweet water of life – musically, the band take the best of alt/indie from the Scottish playbook – at times laid back like the Pastels, other times angular and jagged like Fire Engines, a bit lo-fi, a bit US slacker rock, and mix that up with elements from classic US alt guitar bands like Violent Femmes, then just to bring my reference points up to date, occasionally, with their barbed spiky delivery, Hando seems to be channelling the spirit of inimitable antipodean Amy Taylor. I should point out that Water Machine don’t sound like the bands mentioned, these are mere jumping off points for reference. Water Machine are very much their own band and I love them for that.
I for one cant wait to dive in head first when they play what are sure to be some special gigs in January…
Fuck, I’m going there again. Come on, stick your toe in, the water’s warm and welcoming…
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