Sunbeam Sound Machine is the moniker of 23 year old Melbourne musician Nick Sowersby who began writing and recording music in his mid-teens, singing and playing guitar in various bands over the past five years.
Written and recorded at Sowersby‘s parents’ Seaford home, first EP One is a raw-sounding, playful collection of songs. The self-titled second EP is more insular, dreamlike and cohesive, recorded at his homes in Fairfield and Collingwood. View our full Profile on the artist here.
Listen to both below and read a track by track written by Sowersby himself.
Sunbeam Sound Machine Double EP out digitally 29 November 2013 via Dot Dash / Remote Control.
One by Sunbeam Sound Machine
The Sound Of Glass Breaking
I came up with this song while I was on the couch watching bad late night television. I’d been mucking around with recording my own songs for a while but this one marked a bit of a change of direction that became Sunbeam Sound Machine. Its got a feeling of excitement and anticipation to it, kind of a childlike enthusiasm.
Shake (Sleepwalking)
This song started off with some chords I was playing on my excellent Antonelli Golden Organ, an absolute steal at $1.25 on ebay. You can hear it at the start of the song, but unfortunately it turned out to be out of tune, so it drops right down in the mix when everything else comes in, which is a damn shame.
Little While
This one is about falling in love with strangers at first sight, but it’s done in an overly dramatic kind of way to make fun of it a bit. It reminds me of being a teenager. I managed to squeeze a thumb piano onto this track too, which was nice, if not a little unnecessary.
Odd Connection
A track that came together really quickly, over a few hours. I like the guitar solo, it reminds me of steel drums.
Sunbeam Sound Machine by Sunbeam Sound Machine
Whistle While You Wait
This song also came together quite quickly. I recorded the chord progression one night so I wouldn’t forget it but just kept adding layer after layer of guitar and keyboard and whatever else was around until it became what it is. I knew straight away that this would be the first song of the EP.
Space Face
I recorded all of the guitars and the ‘It’s all for me/It’s all for you’ vocals one night just mucking around with a new bit of equipment. The rest of the vocals came several months later when I realised it had actually turned out alright. I like the way the vocals sort of sit calmly in this wall of guitars, it feels very meditative.
Cosmic Love Affair
Another one that happened pretty quickly. I was housesitting for my parents and planned to finish off the EP while I was there but I kind of accidentally recorded this instead. I wanted it to sound like it’s all going on inside someone’s head, thoughts swirling around all over the place.
M’love
I really wanted to write a plaintive love song that sounded like it could be on A Hard Day’s Night. The end of the song makes me think of the end of a Western, with the hero riding off valiantly into the sunset. If that even happens in Westerns.
I Dreamt I Saw You In A Dream
This song is about having a really vivid dream that leaves you in a strange mood for the rest of the next day. Just before the election I had a dream that I met Tony Abbott and he was actually a really great guy. That really messed with my head for a few days
