The Dream Machine are a modern psychedelic pop band from The Wirral in Merseyside, and taking their name from a William Boroughs invention that recreates hallucinations similar to psychedelics without taking substances, the band was formed in 2021 after meeting at The Mosslands School in Wallasey. Comprising Zak McDonnell (vocals, acoustic guitar and percussion,), Matt Gouldson (backing vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, lap steel, piano), Jack Inchboard (backing vocals, bass) and Isaac Salisbury (drums), Zak's dad David McDonnell was a former member of Hoylake heroes The Coral, and so music was in his blood. After hearing an album that his dad had made in his bedroom under the name of The Sand Band, Zak started drumming in his first band The Mysterines when he was 13, and by the time he was 16 he'd left them and started to play guitar and write songs, and while working in Parr Street Studios in Liverpool, The Corals' James Skelly encouraged him to start his own band. After recruiting his school-mates and forming The Dream Machine, the band released a couple of EPs in 2021, and a single and a third EP in 2022, and they have just issued their debut album 'Thank God! It's The Dream Machine...' on Modern Sky Records, and it's great stuff. So much so that I delved into their back catalogue to hear their earlier releases, and I found that a lot of the music on them was not on the album, and so for a band who have only been together for a couple of years they already have enough extra material for a second record, and so here it is. If you like what you hear then do check out the album, as I think that they could turn out to be something special.
Track listing
01 Introduction (from 'Vol 1: Sacraments' 2021)
02 Jesus Babe (from 'Vol 1: Sacraments' 2021)
03 I Still Believe (In Jim Jones) (from 'Vol 1: Sacraments' 2021)
04 Days Of Heaven (from 'Vol 1: Sacraments' 2021)
05 Oceans Wide (from 'Vol 2: On The Water' EP 2021)
06 Me And My Ghost (from 'Vol 2: On The Water' EP 2021)
07 The Sea Is My Friend (from 'Vol 2: On The Water' EP 2021)
08 Taking The Reins (from 'Vol 2: On The Water' EP 2021)
09 Too Stoned To Die (from 'Vol 3: Pooch Slingers' Wild Round Up!' promo EP 2022)
10 Wild One (from 'Vol 3: Pooch Slingers' Wild Round Up!' promo EP 2022)
11 Om Kring (from 'Vol 3: Pooch Slingers' Wild Round Up!' promo EP 2022)
12 Peregrine (from 'Vol 3: Pooch Slingers' Wild Round Up!' promo EP 2022)
13 Yokozuna (b-side of 'TV Baby/Satan's Child' single 2022)
14 The Blue Rose (from 'Lola, In The Morning' EP 2023)
15 Mountain For My Head (from 'Lola, In The Morning' EP 2023)
16 Song To Betty (from 'Lola, In The Morning' EP 2023)
17 Trip Away (from 'Children, My England' EP 2023)
18 U-Train (from 'Children, My England' EP 2023)
19 Baby Run (from 'Children, My England' EP 2023)
