You and Us: Fun Machine Dream
You and Us: Fun Machine Dream Volume One release July 11, 2025
Fun Machine Dream Volume One takes the listener to new heights, fruitful with whimsical and heart-felt lyrics, and melodies. Produced by Luther Dickinson (iconic blues guitar legend of North Mississippi Allstars), Wyndham Garnett, and Nicole Porter, joined by Marco Giovino on drums! A little bit about the magic of the recording process. This album is all live instrumentation captured across two main sessions. Giovino welcomed them into his Massachusetts studio for the initial recording. He and Dickinson toured together in their early days, while Marco was the drummer for Robert Plant, Luther opened in the Black Crowes. At the request of Nicole Porter the two joined forces with You and Us to master this unique children’s advocacy project. Now here You and Us gives you… more magical metaphors to keep children in the creative zone, while integrating beneficial skills/mantras throughout the tunes.
This latest You and Us work is a tribute to the collective conscious and the power of creative collaboration. When heaven exists on earth the children are all given a sense of safety and peace to explore, play, and learn. The processes that brought the current musicians and artists together to bolster global child trauma response sync in the live recordings, mirroring the benefits and significance of a collective community spirit.
Porter’s beloved Mom, Marina Willcox, upon hearing the initial recordings with Dickinson only days before she passed away, cheered “Turn up that guitar!”, and soon after, “I raised a dynamo.”
In this spirit of unconditional family love, let this album ignite new energy for child advocacy and art therapy awareness! More news and details on this heavenly album soon!
🎶 You and Us 🎶
“You and Us: Fun Machine Dream” is a children’s album rooted in emotion, imagination, and presence. The songs came through during moments of overflow — when music became a way to process life, connect with children, and remind families how powerful a few mindful minutes together can be.
The full album is available to stream on all major music platforms.
The origin of the band name is the concept of incorporating everyone — especially the forgotten child. It speaks to the idea that anyone can interpret it through the eyes of a little one. When children look at the cartoon illustrations created for You and Us, my hope is that each of them can see themselves in at least one of the characters — and feel like they are the ‘you’ in You and Us.”