When you attract one of hard rock’s most respected producers to work on your debut album, you know you must be onto something musically – especially if it’s Mike Clink (who has worked with Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, Megadeth, and Motley Crue, among countless others). And on their debut full-length, ‘My Machine,’ Crushed do just that – by offering an album that manages to be hard rocking, cinematic, and melodic, all at the same time. The Phoenix, Arizona-based band is comprised of singer/guitarist Mark Lauer, guitarist Mike Halland, guitarist/keyboardist Harry McCaleb, bassist Mike Brown, and drummer Jeff Garten.

“Before Crushed came together, I tried to just look for a band,” recalls Garten. “Being the catalyst to assemble a group from scratch was furthest from my mind, but at the urging of those closest to me, I ran the ads. Mike Halland was the only guitar player out of the 20 that called me that I was sincerely interested in meeting, and Mark Lauer called just as the ads had run their course. I knew Mark from the club scene, and could barely believe he was available. Getting together in a meeting/rehearsal and writing a tune the first night out had us convinced we had to see if there was more. There was! Michael Brown and Harry McCaleb…what more could a band ask for?”

After several demos were cut, Crushed caught the attention of Clink, who offered his services for ‘My Machine.’ The producer remembers the sessions vividly. “We started the process by listening to all of the Crushed material which consisted of around 25 songs. It was hard to eliminate any songs because they are all so interesting in their own way. Finally the list was pared down to twelve with two alternatives for b-sides. The basic tracks were recorded in Los Angeles, and then it was off to Phoenix - where the temperature at that time was around 114 degrees, but a dry heat. We settled into the Saltmine Studios with a Neve console and all of the vintage mics, guitars and amps anyone could wish for. After the guitars were finished we came back to L.A. to record the vocals and some keyboards. A short break followed and we started the mix at Sound Instinct Studio. I brought in Fred Archambault to help out with the mix and he took the project to the next level.”

Halland agrees with Clink about the contributions of Archambault, who added a whole other sonic dimension to ‘My Machine.’ “The other guy that can't be overlooked is Fred Archambault. Amazing talent that has also worked with some groundbreaking bands such as Avenged Sevenfold and the Deftones. The band went out to Hollywood to listen to the mixes and make changes if necessary. We were blown away and didn't change a thing. The record sounded very powerful and pristine. I think it was a brilliant move on Mike's part to bring in Fred. These guys are almost from two different schools, and that is kind of like Crushed - we all listen to different types of music and I think that is what makes our songwriting approach unique.” Archambault himself was impressed with the band. “It has been my favorite record to mix ever. All the elements that are used serve the songs very well and never cloud what Crushed are expressing as songwriters and performers. Mixing the record came together easily because every performance was deliberate and captured to its fullest potential. I can not wait for people to hear this record, Crushed have put their best foot forward.”

The members of Crushed found that working with Clink was both educational and challenging, with ‘My Machine’ fulfilling what they originally set out to accomplish. "Recording with Mike Clink was both the best and one of the most difficult things I have ever done,” admits Lauer. “I felt I already knew a lot about writing and singing songs until I got behind the mic with Mike Clink at the controls. We would do numerous takes of each song. If there was something Mike didn't like he would stop right there, hand me a pen and pad and say I know you can do better. I would re-write a new version of the lyrics and he would say great, lets record it. We did this on a daily basis for two weeks until we were done tracking." McCaleb also admitted experiencing some butterflies upon entering the studio with Clink. “It is kinda scary working with such a big name, but he is a cool guy and he put us at ease. Plus, he wears really practical shoes. Any guy with such utterly functional footwear obviously lets his work speak for itself!"

While ‘My Machine’ is an extremely consistent listen from front-to-back, certain personal favorites stick out for the Crushed men. “’Crash Coping’ is very positive and powerful at the same time,” says Lauer. “It has all of the elements I like in a song both lyrically and musically." Halland also narrowed his favorite to a single track. “’Nocturnal’ - It comes in like a truck load of bricks and then drops into a clean melodic verse. Very unexpected and I like that. I also think the chorus is cool, especially the line "I'm waiting on line and I'm feeling so exposed." I also like the trippy guitar solo I did with a phaser along with the skipping effect." Halland offered his pick, as well. “I love grooves you can sink your teeth into – ‘Hovering’ has always been a favorite for that reason. It's a fun live tune, and the hook on the chorus just hangs with you for hours.”

With the new album on the streets, Crushed is looking forward to airing the new tunes on concert stages throughout the world. “It's always been a second nature thing with us,” Garten points out. “We have always been united in the idea that our job is to provide a great sight, and sound experience. We have always insisted on using our own technical crew whenever possible because we have always strived to put on a show that we would want to see again if we were in the audience. Playing the songs from ‘My Machine’ is the best feeling, we stretch out playing wise, and you get positive feedback from every face in the audience!”

As for the group’s future plans, Halland predicts extensive gigging, as well as breaking further sonic ground. “The band plans on touring regionally and would love to tour Europe and Asia. We would like to continue to evolve on the next record and infuse even more styles and diversity while maintaining the ‘crushed sound’." And judging from ‘My Machine,’ the ‘Crushed sound’ is one that will undoubtedly be embraced by the hard rock masses.