Mechanical Owl started as the lonely solo project of Mike Payne, making home recordings in North Wales and playing solo shows with a laptop and various instruments around Leeds and Manchester. Mechanical Owl has now grown into a band of 4 musicians playing experimental music with melody, structure and personal and poetic lyrics, creating pop songs influenced by Why?, Diane Cluck, four tet, Sigur Ros and 90s grunge. With a strong D.I.Y ethos, the band are currently recording a self produced album in locations around North Wales. They will be releasing the album themselves in different forms in early 2010, including recycled media with handmade artwork and packaging. With a belief that you should make where you live better before running to a bigger scene, and with a fledgling music scene developing in their home town of Mold, North Wales, the band are creating a music and art collective called "the beard collector." They hope to bring together and expose local artists and musicians, as well as showcasing the music they love from around the UK at their monthly nights in local pubs and clubs. Championed by DJ's Bethan Elfyn, Steve Lamacq and Adam Walton, the band have recorded live sessions and played shows for Radio One and radio Wales, hoping to make their mark in 2010.
