WATCH: Micko & The Mellotronics Share “Autosexual”
New album, Le Vice Anglais, due out November 17th
For fans of modern British rock, Micko Westmoreland is undoubtedly a name you should know.
Whether he was creating ambient dance music for Trent Reznor’s Nothing Records as The Bowling Green in the early 00s or crafting spiky guitar pop under his own name in the ensuing years, Micko has established himself as one of London’s most steadfast talents.
And since 2017, he’s been on overdrive with his current band The Mellotronics, who released a great debut LP, 1/2 Dove 1/2 Pigeon, in 2020 and survived the pandemic to play shows with such acclaimed names as Evan Dando (Lemonheads), David Devant & His Spirit Wife, Blue Orchids, Sheep on Drugs, The Television Personalities and The Monochrome Set.
Their sound might draw comparisons to the likes of The Jam and XTC, but the angular jangle of The Mellotronics has a character entirely of its own. And this latest incarnation of the band sees Micko’s rabble-rousing vocals and spiky, agitational guitar work balanced out by a rhythm section comprised of drummer JD Kickdrum and Budge Magraw on bass. Together, the group will be releasing their second album Le Vice Anglais, due out on November 17th via Land Line Records.
However, Kickdrum and Magraw are only on a portion of the album, as Westmoreland employed a gaggle of prolific friends to help on Le Vice Anglais, including Paul Cuddeford (Holy Holy/Boomtown Rats) on lead guitar, Terry Edwards (PJ Harvey) on brass, actor/comedian Kevin Eldon (Fist of Fun, Brass Eye, It’s Kevin), guitarist Leo Abrahams (Brian Eno/Florence & The Machine),Mike Paradinas (µ-ziq, Kid Spatula) and, perhaps most importantly, bassist Horace Panter of The Specials.
“The band was in transition as I was making the record, as a couple of players had moved out of town,” explains Micko. “So I called up Horace Panter [bassist for The Specials] who I’ve worked with a lot. Horace came to record when his band had to cancel recording commitments in L.A. due to Terry Hall’s illness, and recorded seven for me in two sessions. I then met bassist Budge Magraw, who finished up the record.”
One of those songs, “Autosexual,” is slated to be released as a single this Friday, October 27. But Rock & Roll Globe is honored to premiere the video for the wiry second single today on our site.
“‘Autosexual’ is essentially a riff on the autoerotic,” Micko says. “Those that get turned on by an attraction to themselves rather than another. What people do is their own business though, right? But I do find this kind of stuff fascinating, so I’ve decided not to mind my own business.How did they get there or were they always there? Is it recently discovered or have they always known? Are they partial or total? What makes people tick or in this case itch. These are my musings. It presents many questions, doesn’t it?”
As for the title of the upcoming LP, it’s a callback to Westmoreland’s memorable role in Todd Haynes’ 1998 glam rock opus Velvet Goldmine.
“I called the album Le Vice Anglais”, Micko explains, “after being invited to the Tribeca film festival in New York for the screening of the 25th Anniversary of Velvet Goldmine last year. It’s a line from the film where the character I play, Jack Fairy, is described as a courtesan. It chimed with me as the album is particularly English. It plays with observations about class, identity, masculinity and sexuality amongst others. It’s self conscience too, as it’s a title which reflects on how we are perceived by others.”
Le Vice Anglais was mastered by veteran specialist Simon Heyworth of Tubular Bells fame and all recorded at home.
Available on CD and digital formats, the album will be released on Micko’s own Land Line Records and distributed through Republic of Music.
VIDEO: Micko & The Mellotronics “Autosexual”
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