Viva Machine were a Welsh

Wales

Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

 Rock

Rock music

Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...

 band who started out in 2003 under the name Ipsofacto before changing their name and reinventing themselves in 2006 under the name Viva Machine, and later in 2008 adding a second guitarist and synth player Justin Hendy. The band announced a hiatus in September 2009.

Formation, début release (2003-2007)

The band released their first single "My Jet Set Radio" on 4 December 2006, which whilst limitedly available, gained a small amount of radio play through BBC Radio 1, as well as being exposed through ITV

ITV

ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...

 show The Guest List where the band performed "My Jet Set Radio", "Robot Bodyrox" and "Earthquakers and Love Shakers".

Working with Future Of The Left

Future of the Left

Future of the Left are an alternative rock group based in Cardiff, Wales.- Beginnings :Future of the Left were formed by singer/guitarist Andy "Falco" Falkous and drummer Jack Egglestone, both previously of Cardiff band mclusky, alongside singer/bassist Kelson Mathias, formerly of the...

 and Duffy

Duffy (singer)

Aimée Ann Duffy , known as Duffy, is a Welsh singer-songwriter. Her 2008 debut album Rockferry entered the UK Album Chart at number one. It was the best-selling album in the United Kingdom in 2008 with 1.68 million copies sold...

 producer Richard Jackson

Richard Jackson

Richard Jackson is an English professional footballer.-Scarborough:Jackson was born in Whitby and began his career at the then Natiowide Division Three club, Scarborough, as a trainee in August 1997. He made his first appearance for the club in a league game in November 1997 against Doncaster...

 the band worked throughout 2007 on tracks for their debut, recording 15 tracks for the album, and then working on around 20 b-sides. The band finished much of their album in mid-2008 and have since recorded further tracks for inclusion. Rough versions of some tracks that are believed to be on the album have appeared on the band's myspace page, including "Death Star Trucker", "Oxygen", "Futuristic Dracula", "Yo Ho" and "Robot Bodyrox".

The band announced on that "Robotbodyrox" would be the first single from the bands album, the single will be available from 9 November 2008, along with track "Go! Go! Go!", the single will be limitedly available on vinyl at the bands shows. music video premièred also online on 21 October 2008. Due to troubles with the bands distributor the release of "Robotbodyrox" has been pushed back to December 2008 on itunes

ITunes

iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....

 and 7digital

7digital

7digital is a privately held digital media delivery company based in the United Kingdom, offering downloadable music, video and movies to customers primarily within major European markets...

, however the band made tracks "Delirious" and "Mercenaries" available to download for free via myspace

Myspace

Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....

. "Robotbodyrox" became available on itunes

ITunes

iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....

 on 27 November 2008, with the full release via Rocklouder Record coming on 9 December.

Debut album, lineup change and hiatus

In September 2008 the band announced the addition of Justin Hendy, stating on the band's myspace "we have one added member. He goes by the name of JUSTIN HENDY. Why? 'cause we can thats why. He makes our sound twice as massive, adds live guitars n' keyboards, freeing Chris up to fling himself off the stage".

The band's debut album, Viva Machine, was released on 15 June 2009 by Rocklouder Records after they took a break from live shows so bassist Tom could finish his degree. They have also begun working on new material to perform live, which may eventually appear on a second album. The band released the track "Earthquakers & Loveshakers" as a free download on 8 June to promote the album's release.

In September 2009 the band announced that they would be going on a lengthy – and very possibly indefinite – hiatus. The band cited financial and educational commitments as the reasons behind the hiatus.

Style and Influences

In an interview with Rocklouder bassist Tom Stephens described the bands style, saying "I think the album is a pretty good reflection of the last year of our lives and all the song titles are part of that’s happened to us", going onto say "I think we can write about what a lot of other people would write about, but we try to wrap it a different way. So many bands write literal lyrics that mean exactly what they say, whereas on something like ‘A Futuristic Dracula’ you wouldn’t really know what it’s about until you read it and work it out for yourself.". The band draw their influences from such bands as Clutch

Clutch

A clutch is a mechanical device which provides for the transmission of power from one component to another...

, Queens Of The Stone Age

Queens of the Stone Age

Queens of the Stone Age is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, United States, formed in 1997. The band's line-up has always included founding member Josh Homme , with the current line-up including longtime members Troy Van Leeuwen and Joey Castillo , alongside Michael Shuman and...

, Weezer

Weezer

Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...

, Jarcrew

Jarcrew

Jarcrew was a five-piece progressive rock band from Ammanford, Wales. They were a relatively well known underground band for approximately five years between 2000 and their early 2005 split...

, Biffy Clyro

Biffy Clyro

Biffy Clyro are a Scottish rock band from Kilmarnock, comprising Simon Neil , James Johnston and Ben Johnston...

, Radiohead

Radiohead

Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...

 and The Beach Boys

The Beach Boys

The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...

.

Band members

During the bands song "Here Comes The Speed of Light" Tom formerly played synth whilst Chris plays bass guitar prior to the addition of Justin Hendy, who now plays keyboards, whist Tom and Chris stick to their regular positions on bass and vocals respectively

• Chris Seacombe (vocals, synth)
• Tom Stephens (bass, vocals)
• Gareth Carter (guitar, vocals)
• Dai "D.P. Francais" Francis (drums)
• Justin Hendy (guitar, synth)(2008–present)

Singles

• My Jet Set Radio (2006)
• Robotbodyrox (2008)
• Earthquakers & Loveshakers (2009)