Micko & The Mellotronics: Proper Job
(Landline Records)
DL/Streaming
Released 31st January
Micko & The Mellotronics channel the sound of the 1970’s with Proper Job and provide another tease for their forthcoming third album, The Trinity.
Micko & The Mellotronics return with Proper Job, following Would You Believe It and Misery Guts, the latter one of Louder Than War’s favourites of 2025.
The track is a retro glam anthem, if you can imagine such a thing, and has Micko examining class and creativity over a 1970’s inspired soundtrack and taking it’s title from a phrase which, regardless of generation, would have struck deep with most teenagers, a phrase passed down from parents to kids in the quest for a stable lifestyle. Proper Job considers the kinds of work those from more privileged backgrounds are less likely to perform, and the resulting dominance of middle-class kids in the arts.
Discussing the track the frontman says, “Proper job is essentially about evading capture. I first managed to do this when returning back to Leeds after being chucked out of Trent Poly. I came back to experience friends doing terrible jobs they hated or taking too many drugs. At that point I had to get my act together or potentially meet the same fate. From the years on the dole where the rug could be pulled at any time I find myself still checking for the exits, it’s never quite left me…”
During the track Micko cites Larry David and Brian Eno, the latter of whom once stated, “I think as soon as you can release people from the absolutely grinding poverty that so many people are in, you give them the chance, the space to think and the space to get themselves out of a bad situation.” He explains that both David and Eno were advocates of social security, which allowed them some time to develop their work as artists. Now that’s largely gone, their experience suggests a broader subtext of class related issues in relation to ‘the creative life.’” Later in the song, Micko shifts the setting to a building site, to working unpleasant jobs, and to being spoken down to when finally finding a job you thought you might enjoy.
“These experiences of mine shaped the song,” adds Micko, “However, even with all its pitfalls, living an ‘alternative’, artistic life is still one I wouldn’t trade for any other, so there’s also a joy expressed within.” Musically, the track boasts a retro glam feel thanks to lead guitarist Paul Cuddeford (Boomtown Rats), backed by powerhouse classic-rock rhythm section made up of Jan Noble and Budge Magraw (both Ex-Cesarian).
As with previous singles, it’s accompanied by a video directed by Cameron Poole and features Tuyen Do (author and actor), Haydn Hades (writer) and a mysteriously hooded, snorkel parka-wearing figure who deliberately flunks a job interview in order to evade capture…
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All words by Iain Key. See his author profile here or find him via his LinkTree
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