New York, NY (Top40 Charts) From its Kinksian descending basslines and lyrical quips, to its Stranglers-esque solo and sense of mischief, "Sick & Tired" wears its classic influence on its sleeves to produce a track that nods to the past, but thinks carefully over our actions in the present.
Touching on the nationwide problem of homelessness and the disparity in social attitudes of how to tackle it, "Sick & Tired" finds frontman Micko Westmoreland pausing for thought on an incident that framed these issues in the plain light of day.
"I gave some money to a homeless person and was criticised by a local resident for doing so." remembers Micko. "He thought I was colluding with his problem! Obviously, the plight of the homeless is not his responsibility. However homelessness is a much bigger issue than just the inconvenience of having to walk past it. Somehow this perspective had been lost and the significance was the lack of compassion expressed for the guy at his feet"
A rigorous dissection of a situation that spiralled quickly out of control, the track finds Micko resetting the scene and stepping into the shoes of all of those involved to find deeper understanding. Containing a different point of view in each of its five verses (We/He/She/They/You), the song is ultimately about our very human tendency to hone in on the often trivial details in life, while the elephant remains prominently in the room.
"I wanted the track to get progressively more serious with the last verse being the final pay off, so it starts with a 'Viz' like scene of a vicar scoffing too many biscuits at a village jumble and finishes with the one about the homeless" muses Micko. "Nothing seems to satisfy, finding fault in everything, happy to externalize than except what lies within', the chorus proclaims, this is a statement about loss of perspective and a reluctance to examine one's own feelings before reacting."
Taken from the Mellotronics' debut album '1/2 dove - 1/2 pigeon' (out now on Landline Records), 'Sick & Tired' was also the first to be written for it. Fronted by Micko Westmoreland; a musician, actor and creative already well known for his solo releases under his own name and material as The Bowling Green; '½ dove - ½ pigeon' is the first release in which he is joined by his backing band The Mellotronics including Nick Mackay (drums), Vicky Carroll (bass) and legendary guitarist Jon Klein (Siouxsie & The Banshees / The Batcave). A record packed with references to pop culture, philosophy, history and more, the album also features a stellar array of special guest musicians including The Specials' bassist Horace Panter (who notably lays down the roving bassline on "Sick & Tired"), horn impresario Terry Edwards (PJ Harvey/Madness/Nick Cave), alternative violinist Dylan Bates (Waiting On Dwarfs/Penge Triangle), plus the late Neil Innes (Monty Python/The Rutles/Bonzos).
Over the years, Westmoreland has also built up an array of TV & film connections; most notably with a starring role in the cult 90s movie
Velvet Goldmine, but also composing soundtracks with acclaimed sibling Wash Westmoreland (Still Alice, Colette). With a passion for the theatrical, early videos for featured singles 'The Finger' and 'Noisy Neighbours' featured actors Paul Putner (Little Britain) and Susy Kane (The I.T. Crowd, Gavin & Stacey).
Following in this visual vein, the Mellotronics' new video for "Sick & Tired" is a quirky and humorous addition to their creative catalogue. Inspired by pop-up books and developed by
Chaos Engineer Ashley Jones (who also produced the accompanying 3 videos for the album), the video sees Jones innovatively utilise green screens to animate the different scenarios that inspired the lyrics of "Sick & Tired" as the band perform in the thick of it. Additional artwork is by friend of the band
Peter W., who also worked on "Psychedelic Shirt".
Produced, arranged & mixed by Jon Klein and Micko Wesmoreland, "Sick & Tired", the new single by Micko & The Mellotronics is out now via Landline Records: https://landlinerecords.com.
This Summer, Micko & The Mellotronics will be playing the songs of '1/2 dove - ½ pigeon' for the first time since its release at a handful of live dates.
Catch them at the following venues as follows:
2021 LIVE DATES
6 AUG - Thunderbolt, Bristol
18th Aug - The Dublin Castle, Camden
