Biography
Secret Machines craft an ambitious, darkly ethereal sound rooted in vintage Krautrock, psychedelia, and '90s shoegaze. Early attention arrived with the 2004 debut Now Here Is Nowhere, followed by wider notice through 2006's Ten Silver Drops and 2008's Secret Machines. After a long hiatus the band resurfaced in 2020 with Awake in the Brain Chamber and later completed a long-shelved 2010 project issued in 2023 as The Moth, The Lizard, and the Secret Machines.
The Dallas, Texas trio originally consisted of Benjamin Curtis on guitar and vocals, his brother Brandon Curtis on bass and vocals, and drummer Josh Garza. Before forming Secret Machines, the three had already played together in punk and psych outfits such as UFOFU and Captain Audio. Their official start under the Secret Machines name came after relocating to New York in 2002. That year they issued the Chicago-recorded EP September 000, engineered by Brian Deck. Following extensive touring they returned to New York to record their first full-length, the Jeff Blenkinsopp-produced Now Here Is Nowhere, which Reprise released in 2004. The album drew online praise from fans and critics alike and was succeeded by the 2005 EP The Road Leads Where It's Led. Additional exposure came from opening European dates for Oasis and co-headlining a tour with Kings of Leon.
Ten Silver Drops, the band's second album, appeared on Reprise in April 2006. Despite leaking months earlier, it reached the U.K. Top 50 and entered the Billboard 200. Further high-profile gigs included support slots for U2. Around this period guitarist Benjamin Curtis exited to concentrate on School of Seven Bells. Former Tripping Daisy guitarist Phil Karnats joined as replacement. That summer the group began work on a third album, ultimately releasing the self-titled Secret Machines in 2008 on their own TSM Recordings imprint. The record adopted a larger, more anthemic stadium-ready approach. Label and management difficulties soon left the band largely independent, prompting them to start and then abandon a planned fourth album.
Though never formally disbanded, Secret Machines stayed largely inactive for the next decade. In 2013 Brandon and Benjamin Curtis were preparing their psych-rock side project Cosmicide when Benjamin received a T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma diagnosis. He completed chemotherapy but died later that year at age 35. Brandon continued onward, eventually serving as touring keyboardist for Interpol, while Garza collaborated with Diego Garcia, John McBain of Monster Magnet and Wellwater Conspiracy, the Warlocks, and additional artists.
By 2016 Brandon Curtis revived Cosmicide material through live shows and online releases. A Cosmicide performance led to reconnection with Garza, who joined onstage for several Secret Machines songs. The reunion endured, yielding the 2020 fourth album Awake in the Brain Chamber. Guests included Bryan Bisordi, Chris Kyle, and Sarah Pedinotti of Lip Talk/Okkervil River. Several tracks originated as Cosmicide songs, among them "Everything Starts," which incorporated production and guitar parts Benjamin Curtis had recorded before his death. Following the album's release the band revisited the abandoned 2010 sessions, adding final touches before issuing the results in 2023 as The Moth, The Lizard, and the Secret Machines. More experimental in character, the set bridged the aesthetic of 2008's Secret Machines and 2020's Awake in the Brain Chamber.
The Dallas, Texas trio originally consisted of Benjamin Curtis on guitar and vocals, his brother Brandon Curtis on bass and vocals, and drummer Josh Garza. Before forming Secret Machines, the three had already played together in punk and psych outfits such as UFOFU and Captain Audio. Their official start under the Secret Machines name came after relocating to New York in 2002. That year they issued the Chicago-recorded EP September 000, engineered by Brian Deck. Following extensive touring they returned to New York to record their first full-length, the Jeff Blenkinsopp-produced Now Here Is Nowhere, which Reprise released in 2004. The album drew online praise from fans and critics alike and was succeeded by the 2005 EP The Road Leads Where It's Led. Additional exposure came from opening European dates for Oasis and co-headlining a tour with Kings of Leon.
Ten Silver Drops, the band's second album, appeared on Reprise in April 2006. Despite leaking months earlier, it reached the U.K. Top 50 and entered the Billboard 200. Further high-profile gigs included support slots for U2. Around this period guitarist Benjamin Curtis exited to concentrate on School of Seven Bells. Former Tripping Daisy guitarist Phil Karnats joined as replacement. That summer the group began work on a third album, ultimately releasing the self-titled Secret Machines in 2008 on their own TSM Recordings imprint. The record adopted a larger, more anthemic stadium-ready approach. Label and management difficulties soon left the band largely independent, prompting them to start and then abandon a planned fourth album.
Though never formally disbanded, Secret Machines stayed largely inactive for the next decade. In 2013 Brandon and Benjamin Curtis were preparing their psych-rock side project Cosmicide when Benjamin received a T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma diagnosis. He completed chemotherapy but died later that year at age 35. Brandon continued onward, eventually serving as touring keyboardist for Interpol, while Garza collaborated with Diego Garcia, John McBain of Monster Magnet and Wellwater Conspiracy, the Warlocks, and additional artists.
By 2016 Brandon Curtis revived Cosmicide material through live shows and online releases. A Cosmicide performance led to reconnection with Garza, who joined onstage for several Secret Machines songs. The reunion endured, yielding the 2020 fourth album Awake in the Brain Chamber. Guests included Bryan Bisordi, Chris Kyle, and Sarah Pedinotti of Lip Talk/Okkervil River. Several tracks originated as Cosmicide songs, among them "Everything Starts," which incorporated production and guitar parts Benjamin Curtis had recorded before his death. Following the album's release the band revisited the abandoned 2010 sessions, adding final touches before issuing the results in 2023 as The Moth, The Lizard, and the Secret Machines. More experimental in character, the set bridged the aesthetic of 2008's Secret Machines and 2020's Awake in the Brain Chamber.
Albums
You Want It Worse
2022
Allaire Sessions
2019
Ten Silver Drops
2006
The Road Leads Where It's Led
2005
Now Here Is Nowhere
2004
Singles
The Finalizer
2023
There's No Starting Over
2022
Underneath The Concrete
2022
The Fire Is Waiting
2022
Lightning Blue Eyes
2006
Alone, Jealous And Stoned
2006
Live
