Micko & The Mellotronics: Would You Imagine It
DL/Streaming
Obtainable thirty first July
Micko & The Mellotronics launch Would You Imagine It, a tune in regards to the frontman’s expertise of first and final moments…
This newest launch is a spikey guitar pushed quantity with one foot within the put up punk / new wave period, accompanied by a black and white video punctuated with the events splash of color.
Would You Imagine It’s the first single from Micko & The Mellotronics upcoming album, The Trinity, which is scheduled for launch in early 2026. Thematically, the album takes from the expertise of mid-life points, reflections on the previous, politics with a small “p” and social remark. Human behaviour and its motivations have all the time been key parts in Westmoreland’s work.
I sat down with the primary man for a chat in regards to the single, his writing, extra-curricular band work, Physician Who and the brand new album…
MICKO WESTMORELAND INTERVIEW
LTW: Good day Sir, how are you?
Micko Westmoreland: Good thanks – seatbelts on – Let’s go!
LTW: You’re releasing your new single, ‘Would You Imagine It’ on the finish of the month by way of your individual Landline Data. When was the final time you used a ‘landline’ to make a phone name?
MW: Final evening truly, after I want to talk to him I name my son on the landline by way of the cell he usually solutions with the phrases ‘Howdy Daddy’. I’ve a trim telephone and a 70s ringer.
LTW: The one is about ‘first and final’ moments? I’m guessing that it should have been a really private monitor to write down.
MW: My Father stated ‘Would you imagine it’ after I arrived on a hospital go to; he was affected by pneumonia however very happy to see me. There’s loads you may get from the ability of an expression, each actor is taught this, so the preliminary inspiration got here from Dad’s response. I knew there was a tune there however needed to watch for the remainder of it to show up. The monitor is written partly from a non-attached perspective with emotions bleeding from the edges. Feelings sit at a decrease degree than the mind however are sometimes overdone in tune. I go for a extra sparing use of violins, if what I imply. It occurred to me that it was a bit miserable although to write down a tune about Dad dying, so I coupled it with one other second when my son was born. It appeared to make larger sense. Full Circle stuff.
LTW: I’ve learn that your father was key in your brother Wash’s subsequent profession as a movie director, did he have an identical affect in your performing and musical escapades?
MW: Each my brother and I come from an alarmingly unartistic background in Leeds, Yorkshire. There was no tradition rising up, by no means taken to the cinema (besides bedknobs and broomsticks) nor eating places (bar Harry Ramsden’s), there have been no books round. My dad was very supportive although particularly round music. My brother and buddies acquired there first, I used to be three years junior. We had ludicrously huge amps which contain industrial hatchback runs with the seats all the way down to rehearsal in an area church. My dad was there serving to me vogue a lead from 5 pin to quarter inch jack to make a reel to reel Dansette into probably the most intriguing fuzz field. He was an electrician which the tune refers to.
LTW: Probably a predictable query… what have been the primary and final information to procure?
MW: Monster Mash by Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett. The final actually good one was Thurston Moore’s Demolished Ideas
LTW: What does your writing course of seem like? Do you have got notebooks filled with lyrics and a number of other whistled thought for tunes in your telephone?
MW: Writing and the technical manufacturing aspect are fairly separate. I benefit from the writing far more. Usually, hold a number of issues open on the similar time so I can cross reference concepts, if one explicit factor isn’t working, there’s one other. Work move is necessary, you don’t wish to stare at a clean web page or display, get bored when there’s no want. As a substitute of minimalism I’m going the opposite approach and edit again.
I discovered meditating helps me loads from falling on new concepts to figuring issues out, flip of phrase, nuance of language and many others. An instance of how one can play with phrases, on a non advanced degree is the refrain to the brand new single, “Journey TO the guts of it, Journey THROUGH the guts of all of it’ – easy stuff. From that I attempt to put as a lot element and refined variation into the lyrics as doable. There’s a brand new one which has barely totally different wording every time the refrain seems. Some may argue that’s the place you lose folks, perhaps engagement, dedication to content material is a bridge too far these days… A 3rd of all the things I write by the way in which is complete garbage.
LTW: Who have you ever labored with on this monitor?
MW: I’m extraordinarily grateful to the band. Budge Magraw particularly who caught by me while the correct drummer was kind. It took us ages to search out Jan Noble after the unique participant, the beautiful Nick Mackay left city. The rhythm part is from the Cesarians, they’ve performed loads collectively, work as a unit, I do the George Formby bit on high. Paul Cuddeford moonlights when on the town though he has in depth musical commitments. He was round for a superb portion of the recording for the latest file. We labored remotely by and enormous, a really intuitive composer, nice musical sensibility and all the things that he despatched to me was extremely usable. Superb stuff!
LTW: Your earlier ‘incarnations’ have seen you working with ex-members of The Conflict, The Specials, The Banshee’s in addition to Tony Visconti, which musicians you’d prefer to work with?
MW: Chris Kimsey (Stones, Led Zep, Killing Joke, Psychedelic Furs, Peter Perrett) has been very supportive and useful in producing the brand new file. Detailed notes that I observe to the letter, as a result of they’re proper! I’d accept Nigel Godrich (it’s within the title – God wealthy) or Eno (Ecstasy…not at present thanks).
LTW: Inform me in regards to the Specialised challenge and ‘The Spammed’… how did you become involved?
MW: The Spammed is a celeb charity band. It’s a ten 12 months challenge for the teenage most cancers belief (www.specializedproject.com) which has attracted a variety of performers and producers, that’s how I met Chris, Tony Visconti, Nick Lowe and extra. It form of fashioned itself while working with artist pal Harry Pye, the title got here from a combo of The Specials and The Damned as Horace Panter and Rat Scabies have been each gamers. The recording days are great enjoyable! We do nonetheless miss our previous mucker Neil Innes RIP
Rat is busy with Damned commitments so Woody Woodmansey has stepped in to assist out! May need to alter the title to ‘The Particular Spiders’
LTW: Have you learnt what the ‘theme’ of the challenge this 12 months might be?
MW: Feminine icons.
LTW: As a fellow Physician Who fan, who’s your favorite Physician, and which is your favorite story? Mine are Horror Of Fang Rock and Peter Davison.
MW: Can’t we chat about Blake 7 season one? Ha!
LTW: Subsequent time!
MW: For Physician Who, it’s Tom Baker and 70s ‘Who’ which is up my straße.
Right here’s my Prime 5 (only some typical suspects – no explicit order)
The Daemons (Pertwee)
Inferno (as above)
Talons of Weng Chiang (Baker)
Mind of Morbius (Baker)
Metropolis of Dying (Tom and Lalla Ward, so in love on this one)
LTW: You’re a little bit of a snazzy dresser, is the Time Lord as a lot as an affect as Bowie and many others…
MW: I’m a fan of the bow tie which from time to time was sported by each. In a way I’ve additionally studied them. In my function in Todd Haynes’ Velvet Goldmine I needed to go off grid to search out the ‘Jack Fairy’ glam rock persona, to make it plausible on display.
LTW: You’ve labored with Cameron Poole for the video, am I proper that the final time you’d have labored collectively was for The Bowling Inexperienced monitor Disco Thong?
MW: A couple of years again, sure. Engaged on the video was great this time round. As we simply went out and shot some stuff and it actually did fall collectively from there. Getting within the water was necessary, there’s a number of significance in relation to rebirth and restoration inside that. I dug the symbolism. That was the centre of the video and in addition lyrically the title of the tune. Cameron composed some wonderful photographs, and was tremendous good within the edit. I do really feel that we managed to give you one thing from nothing and have Cameron’s experience to thank. There’s plans afoot to do extra. I’ve additionally labored loads with Ashley Jones, so I’m very fortunate in that regard.
LTW: Was he somebody you’ve been eager to work with once more?
MW: Definitely
LTW: The one is the primary out of your subsequent album, The Trinity which is due out in early 2026. What can folks count on from the brand new album?
MW: It’s a really private album however all of them are for me. Data, quick for diary entries. There’s a number of processing at work on ‘the Trinity’, some laundry too. Illustrations by way of vignette and character examine. Grappling with my Mom’s Alzheimer’s is the backdrop to the making. I believe the tragedy of this pushed me additional and deeper into the songs, by means of escape. The art work is offered by my previous drawing tutor at basis Garry Barker. He produced a bunch of labor after he’d been run over. I recognized with this.
Individuals usually remark that the songs are narrative based mostly. I wouldn’t body it that approach, with my stuff there’s a purpose why the third verse is the place it’s. When you don’t have a reasoning behind that technically something may fall collectively in any order so long as it sounded good. Though making it sound correct with the music is necessary, my songs operate finest with a unfastened, versatile, binding agent utilized. So I like to explain it as ‘course of journey’ over narrative. Then you’ll be able to convey all kinds of deviations and modifications to a theme, I discover this liberating. Having stated I could also be on Burroughs’ minimize ups subsequent time!
LTW: You point out mid-life points, reflections on the previous… what recommendation would you give your youthful self?
MW: My youthful self wouldn’t take lip from a senior.
LTW: Earlier than I allow you to go, I ought to say you’re enjoying at Paper Gown Classic on Thursday thirty first July with Cult Figures… have you ever every other gigs deliberate within the latter a part of the 12 months?
MW: We do, heaps below growth. Let’s simply say there’s a ton of latest stuff coming your approach Iain. No jacket required.
LTW: Micko, it’s been a pleasure… we’ll positively catch up once more earlier than the discharge of The Trinity.
MW: I do hope so. Thanks to your good self and naturally to the readers for listening to me out.
For extra Micko go to Fb / Instagram / Twitter
All phrases by Iain Key. See his creator profile right here or discover him on Bluesky
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