Hennessy Love Machine Biography
“HLM have something special, a bluesy driven smooth rock with undeniable appeal. The strength of musicianship mixed with their engaging live show makes you want to put on a swagger and sip away on the warm flavours of the Hennessy Love Machine...”
Ben Campbell – ZED, Atlas, Elements Music
Since the formation of Hennessy Love Machine in late 2007, Morgan Williams, Kurt Preston, David McKinnon and Jon Coursey have produced a large volume of impressive original work. Ranging from smooth catchy pop tunes to grittier rock/funk influenced tracks these Christchurch based music makers got their chops and honed their repertoire in large part from playing live. Consequently, Hennessy Love Machine have refined their appealing acoustic pop sound whilst developing an engaging and locally renowned live act.
Hennessy Love Machine began with Morgan (vocals) and Kurt (rhythm guitar) creating a duo playing a strange mix of acoustic hip hop, much like the early sounds of Scribe. While this seemed like a good idea at the time, the only 2 positive outcomes of note came in the form of It Only Takes One Bite which features on the feature length zombie film ‘Last of the Living’ and the band’s name – Hennessy; the French cognac for inspiration and Love Machine; two words on Kurt’s old trucker t-shirt he was wearing that day. Not long after the naming came friends David (bass) and Jon (drums) who brought their extensive talents to the table and Hennessy Love Machine as we know it today was born. Each band member came from such different and colourful backgrounds it enabled them to experiment with many genres of music, with the focus being creative chord structures while maintaining a high level of appeal. Pop, hip hop, rock, funk, jazz and a kind of country shuffle all play a part in the creation of Hennessy Love Machine’s music, although no one really knows where the ‘shuffle’ influence came from. They’re still looking… Half way through 2008 saw Moses Robbins (lead guitar) join the band, who brought with him extensive experience both in a live and studio capacity. At this point the band had to drop their ‘all acoustic’ label, as the lead guitar was not. But now with blissful lead solos, Hennessy Love Machine deliver a full and powerful sound – memorable melodies and dazzling technical skill which is currently getting girls dancing and making guys jealous throughout Christchurch and Canterbury.
With comparisons to John Butler Trio, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Counting Crows and G Love & Special Sauce, Hennessy Love Machine has a broad appeal, a sample of which can be heard in their recently recorded, self released E.P. – Everyday Adventures. Single; Lemon & Honey received considerable attention on Kiwi music site Amplifier.co.nz with large numbers of downloads as well as airplay on the bNet radio network and inclusion in the NZ made film, Last of the Living.
