In 1990, while ad agencies and record companies in NY and LA were busy scrambling to produce a marketable identity for the youth culture Derrick Buisch, Joseph Heeg, and Peter Quinn were holed up in the Hat Factory warehouses in Baltimore. Having just lost Penzer to Austin, Tx, The three decided to hide out from the gluttony of Miller Lite guitarists in order to begin. It wasn't until Daniel Papkin was introduced to the band that The Candy Machine came to fruition.

After 2 self released tapes, DeSoto records put out the Candy Machine cardboard 7" that would get The Candy Machine out into the light of the rest of the country. In 1992, Skene records, through the mastermind connection of Damon Locks (Trenchmouth) released #25, the bands first full length cd. Soon later (Heeg moves to Germany, and Buisch moves to Minneapolis) co-conspirators Lyle Kissack and Forrest French join the band on drums and bass. After the 7" release "Love of Politics, Politics of Love" (SKENE) and a handful of tours, the band and Forrest French parts ways in 1993. In 1994 the decision is made to draft Panzer back from Austin to join the band on bass. This new Machine would soon record and release A Modest Proposal (SKENE) which would soon after be aptly described as "a blueprint for chaos" and thus reflect how the band was stranded in an ice storm in the flooded WGNS studios. Reaching underground notoriety, the reinvented Candy Machine, after touring the US and Canada, decides to leave Skene records to look for a more conducive vehicle for their next release. In 1997, the Candy Machine find themselves back at the eastern seaboard with long awaited Dischord/DeSoto release Tune International maintaining the group aesthetic vision while reinventing themselves again, beyond classification.

Currently, Natt Rabb (bass) and Charles Scott (keyboards and samples) have joined the band and are working on their next recording the candy machine INK tapes.