Sunday 6th June 2010

Well, it’s been an increasingly exciting time in the Sun Machine world.

So far it’s been a year of new songs, new venues and new experiences – keep them coming, please.

As you’ve have seen from Russ and Colin’s blogs, the last couple of months have seen the Sun Machine name going further afield. Colin has managed to get us some airplay on BBC Radio Wiltshire and through Rob Saunders at Deuce we’ve also had airplay in Australia, the USA and Scotland (more of that later).

Fame and fortune, however, seem as distant as ever - not that we’re giving up the chase, of course.

Colin has also told you about the Wishbone Ash gig at the Cheese and Grain in Frome. That was a real highlight – a packed hall and they were cheering! Wow.

Russ has since said that what he’d like is to play a longer set at the Cheese and Grain with more room. Amen to that. He’s a bit hemmed in at present as we’re a larger band than the current venues seem to allow. He’d like to move around a bit (or at least be able to get out of the way of Bev’s flying kicks).

And last week also saw us being interviewed live on air for the radio – Leith FM in fact, in Edinburgh.

So three cheers for Graeme Logan, the wonderfully helpful DJ at Leith (who appears to have excellent musical taste in one respect at least); for not minding if we cut him off when trying to get to grips with the technology (otherwise known as the ‘speakerphone’ button); for playing all three of the tracks which he’d been sent by Rob Saunders; for putting us on in the first place; and finally for asking us for more tracks when the album’s finished.

My particular thanks go to Russ – for brushing aside my comment about his non-existent gout; for mentioning J.G. Ballard; for lightening the mood when I was put on the spot about ‘The Sign (Gone)’; and to Bev, for sharing a bed with Russ and I (on it, not in it, and fully clothed, of course), for finishing off with one of the best jokes of the morning, and for being Bev, really. (And that chicken impression is scarily realistic.)

So, onwards, upwards and sideways, all in one fluid movement as always.

Like everyone else we could do with a break to get to the next level, which God knows we deserve.

We’re about to start recording the first album (at long last and subject to our producer surviving Glastonbury), which we’re self-funding; and then we’re off on our travels – Portishead, Dorchester, Basingstoke and, hopefully, the stars!

Well, you never know.

Tim