By Johnny Griffith
When I’m searching for local musicians to interview every month I’ll browse through to see who’s playing where or if it’s someone I’ve heard before or I’ve had friends mention as someone worth hearing. Occasionally I’ll come across a band with a name that jumps off the screen and demands some attention.
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Dubb And The Luv Machines.
This is one of those bands I couldn’t help but smile over when I saw the name and decided they needed to be in this month’s issue. Then I listened to them and while the name might be catchy and silly, there is nothing silly about the talent The Luv Machines have on stage. Led by Dubb Williams, this band is built for the party bringing a great catalog of favorites, old and new alike, with the musical chops to leave any crowd wanting more.
I recently sat down with Mr. Luv Machine himself to get the story behind the band:
Johnny: Let’s start with a little background on yourself. Who is Dubb Williams?
Dubb: I’m originally from Sulphur Springs, Texas and I graduated from Saltillo High School in Saltillo, Texas. I completed my bachelor’s degree at Texas A&M – Commerce. I’ve moved all over Texas, and out of Texas, but I always found home to be Sulphur Springs. I’m married with four-legged fur kids and I work as a professional audio and video manufacturer’s representative to pay the bills. I’m a musician because it’s what I love to do but I’ve done everything from food service to repo man to Child Protective Services to owning my own production company. I’m a Jack of all trades, I guess.
Johnny: What was your first exposure to music that you can remember?
Dubb: That would have been riding in the car with my mom listening to her classic country tapes. It was all country from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. The good stuff!
Johnny: When do you remember thinking that this was something you wanted to do more than just a side hustle or a hobby?
Dubb: Some friends and I put together a band for a youth group we all attended and the fire spread from there. We were just goofing around and then it kinda sounded ok, not great or even good, just ok. Then we started playing real shows outside of the youth group and it really took hold. I knew music was something I never wanted to give up. We played in other bands and spread our musical wings and it kept growing, there’s no end to the possibilities nor are there limits. I am just along for the ride no matter the destination. If you desire to sense a real casino vibe you could play live dealer games online. This means a game with a real dealer and different gamblers through camera. Discover the best live casino sites, those platforms are tested and certified.
Johnny: Who is in the current lineup to Dubb And The Luv Machines?
Dubb: Currently there are six Luv Machines, including myself. Jordan Owens on drums, Jacob Mazoch on lead guitar, Colton Smith on bass, Cody McDowell on keys, Kristen Richmond on vox and a mean tambourine, and myself on vox and pretend guitar. I don’t play all that great but I surround myself with incredible guys and a gal, to make me look good.
Johnny: How did you all meet?
Dubb: We have all been friends for years through other parts of life, and when I moved back to Sulphur Springs from OKC, I decided I wanted to put a band together. It just worked out that the current members Jacob, Jordan, and Colton were either on a break from other projects or in between projects. After that, the pieces just locked into place. The chemistry is great and being friends prior makes it easy to bust each others chops or provide constructive criticism, but honestly, we prefer busting chops!
About a year after we started the Luv Machines, Kristen approached me while I was visiting her family’s business and told me she was going to sing in our band. I welcomed her without an audition, shoot what band can’t use a good looking singer up front! It prompted some raised eyebrows from the guys, but then at her first practice with us, she opened the heavens by belting out a ballad and the rest is history. She fit right in, jumped on the bus with us, and never looked back.
Johnny: So what’s the story behind the name?
Dubb: It was actually a joke from my buddy Ryan W. He called me Big Dubb Luv and I would joke back about being a luv machine. When we started playing around town and East Texas, we figured we needed a name. It needed to be a name that was memorable and one that said we are here for a good time. So Dubb Luv became Dubb And The Luv Machines. We like to have a good time and we make it our business to help everyone else around us joins in.
Johnny: You play a pretty diverse selection of music. Is there any genre or style you consider your wheelhouse? How would you describe your sound?
Dubb: We want to entertain everyone when we play and we all like different styles and genres so that was a perfect combination which led to our diverse catalogue of songs. Everything from classic rock to hip-hop to country to pop and whatever’s in between. My guys are very talented, so with the different tastes, and one common goal, I’d say music is our wheelhouse.
Johnny: How many originals do you have and how many find their way into a typical show?
Dubb: We don’t typically do originals at a Luv Machines show but on rare occasion, and it’s usually requested by friends that know about them, we’ll pull out one. Every now and then someone will yell out a request though.
Johnny: About how many shows a month is the band playing and are the gigs mainly in the East Texas region or are you travelling a decent amount for shows?
Dubb: Shows per month vary, we all have day jobs and/or daily grinds that come with having to “adult” so sometimes our schedule is thin and sometimes we are playing Thursday through Saturday. I’d book Sunday’s but some of us are in worship bands. We travel from Texarkana to College Station, up into Oklahoma and we can’t leave out Arkansas or Louisiana. If the road is big enough for the bus, we’ll go!
Johnny: What has been your most memorable show to this point?
Dubb: Man, they are all so much fun it’s hard to single one out, but playing our hometown at local establishments or private parties are always great times. Then we go out on the road and find hidden gems that rock. We love seeing new places and meeting new people.
Johnny: What can a first timer expect at a Dubb And The Luv Machines’ show?
Dubb: High energy, crazy antics from a rogue drummer, blazing guitar solos, fat bass lines, soulful vocals, songs they know and can sing along to, and occasionally a ‘request challenge.’ That’s when someone asks us to play a song not in our repertoire, and we go at it on the fly. Could be musical genius or could be a trainwreck, but we are gonna have fun with it and probably drag the requestor in on it.
Johnny: What is on the radar for the rest of 2018 for you and the band?
Dubb: We have a pretty full schedule to finish out the year and there may be an original EP on the loose soon. Who knows! We are playing Texifed Jam Fest this October which is going to be a 2-day festival in Sulphur Springs. We are very pumped about that. We have a couple of charity events to do as well, and those are always something we love to be involved in. We are looking toward 2019 with hopes of doing it bigger and better.
Catch Dubb & The Love Machine online at facebook.com/dubbandtheluvmachines.
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