Editing Lush (band) (section)

===Formation and early sound (1987–1988)===
The band was formed in 1987 in London, initially named the Baby Machines (after a line in the [[Siouxsie and the Banshees]] song "[[Arabian Knights (song)|Arabian Knights]]"),<ref>{{cite web |title=Chorus Lines – Lush In Conversation With Martin Aston |url=http://4ad.com/forewords/choruslines/lush-readonly.html
|publisher=4AD |access-date = 5 April 2016}}</ref> with a line-up of [[Meriel Barham]] (vocals), Anderson (guitar, vocals), Berenyi (guitar, vocals), Steve Rippon (bass guitar) and [[Chris Acland]] (drums).<ref name="Thompson">Thompson, Dave (2000) ''Alternative Rock'', Miller Freeman, {{ISBN|0-87930-607-6}}, p. 478-9</ref><ref name=avalyn>{{cite web|url=https://everything2.com/index.pl?node=lush|author=Avalyn|title=Lush|website=Everything2|date=12 March 2003|access-date=14 September 2021}}</ref> Their influences were diverse; they were inspired by the [[garage rock]] scene of the ''[[Nuggets (series)|Nuggets]]'' series, [[Cocteau Twins]], [[My Bloody Valentine (band)|My Bloody Valentine]], [[Siouxsie and the Banshees]], [[the Beach Boys]] and [[the Byrds]].<ref>{{cite web|first=AD |last=Amorosi |title=Lush Life: The Sirens Return |website=Flood Magazine |url=http://floodmagazine.com/35680/lush-life-the-sirens-return/|date=20 April 2016|access-date=3 March 2017}}</ref>

Anderson and Berenyi had been school friends, having known each other since the early 1980s, and together published the ''Alphabet Soup'' fanzine.<ref name=shelton>{{cite book|url=http://www.lightfromadeadstar.org/Biographies/Index.htm|title=Contemporary Musicians|editor=Angela M Pilchak |volume=13|author=Sonya Shelton|date=December 1994|access-date=14 September 2021|publisher=Cengage Gale|isbn=978-0-8103-5737-2 |via=Light From A Dead Star}}</ref> In 1986, Anderson joined the Rover Girls as bass guitarist and Berenyi joined the Bugs, also as a bass guitar player. Neither band lasted long, and in 1987, they joined Barham and Acland in the Baby Machines.<ref name="Thompson" /> Rippon joined shortly thereafter and the band members decided on a change of name to Lush, making their live debut at [[The Falcon, Camden|the Camden Falcon]] on 6 March 1988.<ref name="Thompson" /><ref name=shelton/> Barham left the band and later joined [[Pale Saints]]. Berenyi then took over on lead vocal.<ref name="Thompson" />

Anderson said of the band's beginnings, "We were kind of punk rock in one way. We did think, 'Well, if they can do it, why the fuck can't we?' Basically, our idea was to have extremely loud guitars with much weaker vocals. And, really, the vocals were weaker due to nervousness – we'd always be going 'Turn them down! Turn them down!{{'"}} Berenyi said, "We started by writing crappy [[riot grrrl]] anthems... which was probably charming in a juvenile way. But there was a very rapid shift from the minute we started to write for records. The music, the lyrics became much more thoughtful and expressive, more important, really. I remember that change beginning when Emma wrote Thoughtforms, it certainly made me think I needed to get my act together."<ref name=lightbios/>