The Answering Machine burst onto the scene in late 2006 as a 3-piece to a wave of giddy adulation and excitement. The band, who had all met at University in Manchester, were smart, well dressed and had a setlist full with potential dance floor fillers. Acclaim arrived hard and fast. Arguably too fast - the band took their time to shape new ideas, and headed leftfield to make good on all that early promise, and without compromise. In 2007, the band replaced their drum machine for a real drummer, Ben Perry. Having spent most of 2008 prolifically writing several dozen new songs, the young citygazers locked themselves up in a remote North Yorkshire studio with Manic Street Preachers' producer Dave Eringa, and returned with their eagerly awaited debut album 'Another City, Another Sorry' released in June 2009. The album shows a band who had taken their time to polish their craft. Rather than settle for a second rate rushed album, The Answering Machine wrote bigger, better and more exciting songs yet still retained their youthful indie pop outlook. It's an astute, confident debut with forty minutes of perfectly crafted pop songs. The album was instantly appreciated by many of the major UK publications and radio stations. The NME declared it a 'perfect debut' whilst BBC said 'these songs are utterly remarkable'. After all this praise the Answering Machine hit the road for the rest of the year. The Manic Street Preachers requested the band as main support on their full UK tour playing to over two thousand people a night. The band have also played extensively in the UK alongside other bands such as The Charlatans, Doves, Twisted Wheel, Ra Ra Riot and The Casio Kids. Having toured the length and breadth of the UK constantly for a year, which included a month's residency of shows in New York in October/December 2009, the Answering Machine turned to writing their second album in January 2010. Tracking on the album was completed in June 2010 and the band engaged Dave Eringa again to mix the album. The band plans to tour extensively in Europe, USA and Japan in the second half of 2010 and onwards into 2011. The band release the title track of their 2nd album Lifeline on 14th Feb and the album itself was released on 21st Feb.
http://schedule.sxsw.com/events/event_MS11917
