On 15 November Micko And The Mellotronics’ are to release their new single Guilty. A brand new stand alone track about Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be hanged in the UK, the single follows the success of last year’s ‘Le Vice Anglais’ album.
‘After returning to Holloway about 5 years ago I had the idea to write two songs about where I’d moved’, says frontman and song writer Micko Westmoreland. ‘Holloway Road (last single) about Joe Meek and one about Ruth Ellis, who’s life ended close to where I write this. I found it to be a truly tragic tale fuelled by class prejudice and misogyny. It was on the back burner, then one day a friend said something to me, a light bulb went on, I’d found the way in.’
Continuing their unique art-punk singer-songwriter style, the track features Mellotronics regulars Budge Magraw (Cesarians/Gretschen Hofner) and Paul Cuddeford (Holy Holy/Boomtown Rats) with the addition of new drummer, the acclaimed poet Jan Noble (Cesarians).
Micko And The Mellotronics are known for their infectious, catchy sound with lyrics that are both erudite, curious and entertaining, laced with innumerable references to pop culture philosophy, history and more. Formed in 2017 with the intention of turning Micko Westmoreland’s songwriting skills into a dynamic live prospect, they released their debut album 1/2 Dove 1/2 Pigeon in 2020 followed by Le Vice Anglais 2023.
Westmoreland says of writing ‘Guilty’, ‘Tone was everything in this track, I looked to import different viewpoints from the characters involved to tell enough of the story without getting bound by it. I was happy to fall upon a quote from my favourite author Raymond Chandler, to express my point of view as writer, for it’s lyrical coda’.
The Mellotronics are always busy playing shows around the capital and beyond, making return visits to the 100 Club in Oxford Street and earning multiple requests for support slots from acts as established as Evan Dando (Lemonheads), David Devant & His Spirit Wife, Blue Orchids, Sheep on Drugs, The Television Personalities, The Monochrome Set and more recently The Woodentops. Bringing a new dimension of sharp and economic post-punk/new wave attitude to the diverse Westmoreland songbook, they’ve been already been favourably compared to The Jam, Pil, Wire, XTC and Pulp but their sound is undeniably their own.
An actor and musician, front-man and songwriter Micko was signed to Trent Reznor’s Nothing Records in the early noughties and is already well known for his releases as ambient dance solo artiste The Bowling Green as well as for art-pop guitar albums under his own moniker. Micko also played a major role in the fictionalised glam rock movie Velvet Goldmine alongside Ewan MacGregor and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers. He is also a member of charity-fundraising covers group The Spammed with Rat Scabies, Horace Panter and the late, great Neil Innes.
‘Guilty’ has a clear message but is penned with a thought provoking hand. The Ellis case is recognised as leading to a change in the law and is to be dramatised in a 4 part ITV drama with Lucy Boynton and Toby Jones to air soon.Micko will appear with The Spammed, featuring
Kevin Eldon, Horace Panter and special guest Woody Woodmansey, at the 02 Indigo on Thursday 28th November to celebrate the life and work of the late, great Neil Innes . https://www.theo2.co.uk/events/detail/neil-innesMicko & The Mellotronics also play the following shows:
Thursday 24 October – Half Moon Putney (with The Dirt Band) 93 Lower Richmond Road SW15 1EU https://tickets.halfmoon.co.uk/events/2024-10-24-the-dirt-road-band-half-moon-putney-1
Wednesday 18th Dec – The Dublin Castle 94 Parkway, London NW1 7AN https://www.wegottickets.com/event/629200
‘Guilty’ single pre-save link: https://lnk.to/Guilty-Single
https://www.facebook.com/micko.westmoreland
https://www.facebook.com/MickoMellotronic/
http://www.landlinerecords.com
Veglam 
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