Merseyside five-piece The Dream Machine release the new single “Things That Make Us Cry,” taken from their third album ‘Fort Perch Rock’, out February 27, 2026 via Run On Records. The song was recorded on found and unconventional instruments and written during touring downtime, with songwriter and vocalist Zak McDonnell citing influences from Phil Spector and Brian Wilson. Recorded and self-produced across studios on the Wirral and in Liverpool, the album spans 12 tracks and follows the band’s earlier releases ‘Thank God! It’s The Dream Machine’ and ‘Small Time Monsters’.
The single arrives as the band announce their biggest headline show to date, set for March 27, 2026 at the Liverpool O2 Academy. The performance follows a run of grassroots U.K. dates and precedes a new schedule of festival appearances. ‘Fort Perch Rock’ takes its name from a historic coastal landmark in the band’s hometown of New Brighton and will be released across digital, CD, and vinyl formats, including special edition pressings and a band-exclusive vinyl paired with a glow-in-the-dark 7-inch covers EP honoring The Shirelles.