This Machine & Me began life as a duo in the Summer of 2005 when English singer/songwriter Christopher Brennan hooked up with Belgian guitarist Luc Van Haver and they began writing songs together. Two like-minded spirits, the blueprint was to write songs which not only told a story and which occasionally made a foray into the darker recesses of the human mind, but combined the whimsy of classic late 60s pop and traditional English music hall with the freedom to explore any other genre that happened to take their fancy.
Having spent the best part of a year writing material, the two then proceeded to recruit other musicians, a sometimes long and arduous task. Enigmatic pianist and multi-instrumentalist Olaf Janssens (ex-Satellite City) soon found himself onboard playing keys, followed by guitarist / saxophonist Mark Somers (ex-Street Legal and sometime Billy Jenkins cohort), on bass. By the Spring of 2007, drummer Robert Van De Laar had swelled the ranks and the line-up was complete. The group immediately went into their own recording studio and recorded and produced 4 tracks, including the evocative ‘View From A Hill’ and the darkly comical ‘Swamp Song’.
The band try to keep it simple, creating music which has as organic a sound as possible and which combines ‘strong, heartfelt melodies and beautiful lyrics’ with a dynamic, ‘captivating rhythm’ section. Each of the personalities involved in the group put something of themselves into the songs and this certainly shines through:
Chris: “The wonderful thing about ‘This Machine & Me’ is that everyone involved all get along so well – we’ve developed a great friendship and bond – something that I have never experienced at this level personally in a band before. I love spending time with these guys and the feeling seems uncommonly mutual. I really think this helps in the development of the music – we gel so well, the whole writing process is a pleasure from beginning to end – everyone knows exactly what to do and how to do it – it really feels like a match made in heaven, and I feel blessed that I got to be here with everyone involved in this project.â€
CM
