Micko Westmoreland follows up his 2009, Wax and Wayne (Sartorial records) with Yours Etc Abc, an album full of intricate songs that play on good old fashioned hooks, coupled with a well-honed sense of musical experimentation. This is Micko’s fourth full-length release, and follows a previous liaison with Interscope – One Pound Note and Fabrications (Spiky records) under the moniker, ‘The Bowling Green’.
In between recent releases, Micko has been firming up his soundtrack credentials by working with brother Wash Westmoreland (director of Still Alice). Film fans will also know Micko from his acting role as the reclusive glam rock star Jack Fairy starring alongside Ewan McGregor and Christian Bale in the Todd Haynes film Velvet Goldmine.
Yours Etc Abc features guests; Mark ‘Bedders’ Bedford (Madness), Mickey Gallagher (The Animals/The Blockheads) and Terry Edwards (PJ Harvey/Franz Ferdinand/Gallon Drunk) – a personnel of key British players from the 1960s and 70s right up to the present day. The sound is a contemporary incarnation of 1966 meets 1980; songs dealing with issues of desperation, sexualisation and alienation.
Westmoreland says of the record, “Musically the album took flight with a 60’s guitar ensemble, my quartet consisted of a Fender, Gretsch, Rickenbacker and an old Gibson acoustic . They complement each other superbly neither over shadowing the other, blending really well with my production sound. Lyrically, I started to write about different personalities I’d come across down the line, situations that didn’t seem to add up. I used those observations, experiences and how I felt to meditate on the idea for the songs I wished to write”.
Micko Westmoreland is also presently the youngster in the Travelling Wilburys MK 2! A side project called ‘The Spammed” with the legendary Neil Innes (Monty Python/The Rutles), Horace Panter (The Specials), Rat Scabies (The Damned) and Kevin Eldon (BBC2 series ‘It’s Kevin”), with all proceeds going to charity.
The album launch will take place on 10th September by means of a pop art show at the A Side B Side gallery in Hackney, London. Micko will DJ/soundtrack to artworks and videos commissioned specially for the album.
