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We are fun people, playing fun music, for fun fans. It's an indie-pop fiasco, and every night is a time for celebration!

Biography

Composed from the ashes of two previous Ottawa bands, the dance-inspiring pep that is the Love Machine came together in early 2004 around the line-up of Sean Prescott (guitar/vocals), Allan Gauthier (guitar/vocals), Jordan David (Bass/vocals) and Mike Laing (drums/vocals). They've spent the three years since their inception honing and refining both their sound and their live show.

Their eponymous debut EP, released a year after the band's formation, established their sound with definition. Jangly yet intense guitars, huge synth melodies, pulsing bass, stomping drums, and more vocal harmonies than should be legally allowed compose their energetic pop sound. Each piece of the sound is equally important in the songwriting, as the band writes without a primary songwriter. This collective approach to writing, along with the fact that every member in the band contributes vocals, makes The Love Machine's sound an extremely unique and fresh one in the crowded pop scene.

The lyrics aren't shabby either, contributing humor-tempered drama to their sound. In standout track "We Are Squirrels And This is Nuts (The Family Song)," lead singer Sean Prescott calls out, "This is the way that we scream our hearts out," to which the rest of the band ironically replies with a chorus of mellow doot doots.

These are guys that don't take themselves too seriously, but sober up significantly when talking about the future of the band.

"We like to have fun, but this is a business. We're fun people, but when it comes down to it, it's what we do with our lives," Mike said.

That serious take on the band has resulted in a strong DIY work ethic, as the two years since the Love Machine's 2005 EP have been packed with gigs at home and away.

"We were kinda getting a feel for things. We wanted to just tour and get some experience and take our time," Mike said.

It doesn't matter where the van takes them, or how often they take their stuff out on the road.

"We try to get as many as we can, and we try to hit as many towns as possible," Sean said.

They hit the road in the Summer of 2006, embarking on a short one-week stint around Ontario and Quebec playing for crowds in Montreal, Belleville, Kingston, Brockville, and Picton. In addition to the mini-tour, The Love Machine have also visited Hamilton, London, and Toronto, making day-trips out of their shows.

Their enthusiasm for touring is fueled by a love for playing live.

"Live is what it's all about," Jordan said.

"We try to make it something new and exciting every time," Allan said. "If we have a wacky idea, we go ahead and try it."
The band has tried their hand with confetti cannons, planted fans in the crowd with spray painted shirts bearing either an "x" or an "o", handed out hundreds of homemade shakers, and even enlisted the help of a fans to dress up as robots (literal "Love Machines") and come on stage for a finale.

"To be honest it's one of our favorite parts of the whole deal," Mike said. "We like to get people involved. We're having a great time and we want them to know we're having a great time."

Another way that The Love Machine keeps fans involved in the life of the band is through its series of humorous YouTube short films "30 Seconds with the Love Machine." An ongoing feature of the band, the videos are shot by the band and chronicle some of the less-public moments of the band, such as hanging out in the studio, getting pumped before a show or creating costumes to wear on-stage. As a nod to the humor of the band, every single clip has greatly surpassed the thirty second mark.

All the emphasis The Love Machine puts on making their live shows amazing has not gone unnoticed. Listeners flock to Love Machine shows because they know that it's in the energetic live show the band really shines.

"The CD release was our proudest moment - the first band hadn't even played and there were 230 people in the room," Mike said. "We weren't sure who our true fans were, since we get thrown on some crazy bills, but it sold out right away. They were there to see us."

Their enthusiastic sound and energetic live show have not only gathered fans - they've scored the band shows with such acts as MeWithoutYou, .moneen., Bear vs. Shark, The Sleeping, and The Most Serene Republic, as well as a spot on the 2007 edition of the Ottawa Bluesfest with Sebastian Grainger et les Montanges, Built to Spill, and Metric.
In fact, it's their love for playing live that has held up the creation and release of their new CD.

"We had to make a conscious effort to stop playing and make time to record," Mike said.

The band decided to repeat the atmosphere of their previous EP by recording in the same studio (Little Chicago) and working with the same producer (Jason Dahl).

In the spring The Love Machine took to the studio for a two week lockout in order to track their new release.

"The ability to more or less have the studio be our home for two weeks really helped give the right atmosphere for the recording," said Allan. "When we recorded the first EP we were much more strapped for time, and I think that you'll really be able to see the difference that having as much time as we did made."

After the songs were all tracked, and all the arrangements finalized, the mixing process started.

Mike had this to say about mixing the new record, "Mixing is always a pain. I think each of us, individually, are very particular about how we want the record to sound, and when you take all of our opinions and try and put them together and then explain that to a producerwell it can take a while to get everything worked out right."

Almost three months after the last note was played in studio, the mixing and mastering is all done, with the only step left being the actual pressing of the CD itself.

"I think we all just want to get the CD out and get back on the road," Jordan said. "We're all very proud of the record, and we've all grown to love the songs. All that's left is to start playing them live and get everyone else loving them."

The new album, titled "If You're A Bird, I'm A Bird", will be officially released on August 23rd, 2007.

"It's been a long wait, but it was definitely worth it," said Sean.

Following the release of the CD, the band will immediately hit the road, heading out across Ontario for the remainder of August and then out towards the East Coast in September before heading back through Ontario once again.

Jordan concluded by saying, "We still just want people to have a good time when they listen to our music, that's all we've ever hoped could come of what we're doing."

- Stephen Carradini, Independent Clauses