UK alt-pop artist SICKY shares 'Billy Cousins' from adventurous third album 'Troubled Delight'

March 24, 2025

British indie alt-pop artist SICKY presents 'Billy Cousins', the first track on track on his third album 'Troubled Delight'. Written about a fictional character, Cousins is an imaginary superhero you can pretend to be when you find yourself doubting everything.

SICKY is the solo project of Mick Butler, whose brand of Britpop-infused indie rock borrows flickering elements from Beck, Supergrass and Blur. Originally from England's Black Country, he now lives in Shropshire. Formerly with several bands, ranging from the brass-soaked pop of Papa Mantra to the dirty stomp of SUMO, Butler now derives pleasure from banging out new SICKY material.

Empowering, fun and fearless, every track on 'Troubled Delight' is under three minutes. Three songs feature Jen Bone (Project Blues Band) on double bass, adding a bounce and flow to proceedings. Rebecca Butler sings on 'Mankind' and Lily and Scarlet Butler contribute backing vocals on the lead track 'I'm Happy If You're Happy'.

Just recently, SICKY also shared the single 'Slide', capturing the gritty reality of a relapse into harmful behaviour and the painful aftermath, reflecting a deeply personal and relatable struggle.

“'Billy Cousins' is a song about an imaginary character you can pretend to be when you find yourself doubting everything. The production is probably inspired by the Prince era, which left its mark on me. I’m talking about the Get Off/Sexy MF/Batman era. Big beats, outrageous grooves and killer hooklines. The little purple one blew me away with this stuff,” says SICKY.

“The video features a scene from the wonderfully nuts 1963 film ‘It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World’, which had just about every famous face from the time in it. A film that was shown regularly on TV, I can still hear my mom howling with laughter at the over-the-top characters – laughing so hard she’d have to leave the room. The Dick Shawn (real name!) character Sylvester in the video has something of Billy Cousins about him… Not a stoned care in the world, so the song’s a bit of fun in these trying times. If you want to step out and breathe for two minutes and fifty-five seconds, 'Billy Cousins' could be the perfect escape from the madness of reality.”

Other songs on this album are about real life happenings. Happy moments, fallings out, false promises and even a sense of fun even in the darker moments, showing that you don't have to make depressing music to talk about hard life realities. 'Ten Minutes'features Bridgnorth’s St. Leonard’s church bell. 'Money For The News' has sliding doors at a Stourbridge shopping centre. 'My Girl’s Gone' has a snippet from the film 'Quatermass and the Pit' with kind permission from Hammer Films in London. 'The Hill' recounts the pain of a 22-mile charity walk (never again!), kind of a metaphor for life.

SICKY first appeared on the scene (in this incarnation) during the lockdowns of 2021, releasing his debut album 'Bowling Balls', which was partially inspired by Prince, Bowie and Ray Bradbury's book 'The Martian Chronicles'. In 2023, SICKY released his sophomore album 'Garbage Town' to wide acclaim.

The 'Troubled Delight' album is out now and available from fine digital platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp.

CREDITS
Written by Mick Butler (SICKY)
Recorded, mixed and produced by SICKY in Shropshire
Mastered by Charlie Francis at Synergy Mastering Cardiff.
Photos by Helen Marshall
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR
Jen Bone - double bass on Tracks 2, 4, 5
Rebecca Butler - vocals on Track 11
Lily and Scarlet - back vocals & random noises on Track 2

British alt-pop artist SICKY releases fun and fearless third album 'Troubled Delight'

February 14, 2025

British indie alt-pop artist SICKY presents 'Troubled Delight', an album that lives up to its name, doing exactly what it says on the tin. Dark, empowering, frightened, fun, determined and absolutely fearless. He also presents the video for 'Slide', capturing the gritty reality of a relapse into harmful behaviour and the painful aftermath, reflecting a deeply personal and relatable struggle.

SICKY is the solo project of Mick Butler, whose brand of Britpop-infused indie rock borrows flickering elements from Beck, Supergrass and Blur. Originally from England's Black Country, he now lives in Shropshire. Formerly with several bands, ranging from the brass-soaked pop of Papa Mantra to the dirty stomp of SUMO, Butler now derives pleasure from banging out new SICKY material.

This is SICKY's third album to date - a more organic beast than his 2023 widely acclaimed sophomore album 'Garbage Town', featuring instruments "borrowed from the kids' music room", he says, "including a broken violin, a ukulele, gloks, bells, drums and a mouth organ… Anything you could get a noise out of really". Literally everything you hear in his music is him squeezing noises out of anything that'll sing.

"This was an accidental project. It started with a sketchy song idea, which led to another to another. It's my way of venting life, offloading the good and bad stuff it throws your way. It's better than carrying it around with you. I feel very lucky to have this musical release so I can reboot and move on. Hopefully the songs are relatable to people, because surely we're not all that different are we?" says Mick Butler.

"'Troubled Delight' was a load of fun to make. Every track is under three minutes, so blink and you’ll miss it. Three songs feature Jen Bone (Project Blues Band) on double bass, adding a bounce and flow to proceedings. My niece (Rebecca Butler) sang on 'Mankind' after a big night out on the town and somehow still managed to sound like an angel. And last but by no means least, we have Lily (10) and Scarlet (8) on backing vocals for 'I'm Happy If You're Happy', adding in some junior punk chaos.

He adds, "This album kicks off with 'Billy Cousins', a fictional character - an imaginary superhero you can pretend to be when you find yourself doubting everything. Other songs are about real life happenings. Happy moments, fallings out, false promises. Hopefully there's a sense of fun even in the darker moments; you don't have to make depressing music to talk about hard life realities in my book."

'Ten Minutes' features Bridgnorth’s St.Leonard’s church bell. 'Money For The News' has the sliding doors of a Stourbridge shopping centre. 'My Girl’s Gone' features a snippet from the film 'Quatermass and the Pit' with kind permission from Hammer Films in London. 'The Hill' recounts the pain of a 22-mile charity walk (never again!) and kind of feels like a metaphor for life."

SICKY first appeared on the scene (in this incarnation) during the lockdowns of 2021, releasing his debut album 'Bowling Balls', which was partially inspired by Prince, Bowie and Ray Bradbury's book 'The Martian Chronicles'.

As of February 14, the 'Troubled Delight' album is available from fine digital platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp.

CREDITS
Written by Mick Butler (SICKY)
Recorded, mixed and produced by SICKY in Shropshire
Mastered by Charlie Francis at Synergy Mastering Cardiff.
Photos by Helen Marshall
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR
Jen Bone - double bass on Tracks 2, 4, 5
Rebecca Butler - vocals on Track 11
Lily and Scarlet - back vocals & random noises on Track 2

UK alt-pop artist SICKY releases 'Slide' single on the gritty reality of a personal struggle

January 17, 2025

British indie alt-pop artist SICKY presents his new single 'Slide', which captures the gritty reality of a difficult experience, involving the relapse into harmful behaviour and the painful aftermath. Featuring Jen Bone (Project Blues Band) on double bass, this is a raw and powerful exploration of a deeply personal and relatable struggle previewing SICKY's new album 'Troubled Delight'.

SICKY is the solo project of Mick Butler, whose brand of melodic Britpop-infused indie rock spells good news for fans of Beck, Supergrass and early Blur. Originally from the Black Country region of England, he is now based in Shropshire.

'Slide' follows the lead track 'I'm Happy If You're Happy', an upbeat affair exploring temptation and the art of winning over another.... of all the possibilities if the bait is pitched right.

"This is a song about falling off the wagon. Going on a huge session and suffering the consequences. Nightmares, cold sweats, a hangover from hell and the wondering why in the world you did it to yourself. The video covers this perfectly I think. 'Slide' features the double bass skills of Jen Bone, who also played on the first single 'I’m Happy If You’re Happy'. I’d like to think the Soggy Bottom Boys would approve of the vibe on this track," says Mick Butler.

SICKY's forthcoming album - his third to date - is a more organic beast than previous offerings, featuring instruments "borrowed from the kids' music room", he says, "including a broken violin, a ukulele, gloks, bells, drums and a mouth organ… Anything you could get a noise out of really".

While Mick Butler has had his run of playing in bands, ranging from the brass soaked pop of Papa Mantra to the dirty stomp of SUMO, he now derives pleasure from banging out tunes and crafting new material. Literally everything you hear in his music is him squeezing noises out of anything that'll sing.

This single arrives two years since the release of British alternative artist SICKY presents his thickly layered and widely acclaimed sophomore album 'Garbage Town'. SICKY released his debut album 'Bowling Balls', partially inspired by Prince, Bowie and Ray Bradbury's book 'The Martian Chronicles', in 2021 during lockdown.

As of January 16, 'Slide' is available from fine digital platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp. The full 'Troubled Delight' album will be released on February 14.

CREDITS
Written by Mick Butler (SICKY)
Recorded, mixed and produced by SICKY in Shropshire
Mastered by Charlie Francis at Synergy Mastering Cardiff.
Photos by Helen Marshall
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR
Jen Bone - double bass on Tracks 2, 4, 5
Rebecca Butler - vocals on Track 11
Lily and Scarlet - back vocals & random noises on Track 2

British alt-pop artist SICKY presents ironic new single 'I'm Happy If You're Happy'

December 3, 2024

British alternative artist SICKY presents his new single 'I'm Happy If You're Happy', an upbeat affair exploring temptation and the art of winning over another.... of all the possibilities if the bait is pitched right. Featuring Jen Bone (Project Blues Band) on double bass, this is the first taste of his new album 'Troubled Delight', to be released in early 2025.

SICKY is the solo project of Mick Butler, whose brand of melodic Britpop-infused indie rock spells good news for fans of Beck, Supergrass and early Blur. Originally from the Black Country region of England, he is now based in Shropshire.

His forthcoming album - his third to date - is a more organic beast than previous offerings, featuring instruments "borrowed from the kids' music room", he says, "including a broken violin, a ukulele, gloks, bells, drums and a mouth organ… Anything you could get a noise out of really".

While Mick Butler has had his run of playing in bands, ranging from the brass soaked pop of Papa Mantra to the dirty stomp of SUMO, he now derives pleasure from banging out tunes and crafting new material. Literally everything you hear in his music is him squeezing noises out of anything that'll sing.

"This is a song about seduction. The use of temptation as a means to an end. Calculated moves to get something from an unsuspecting dreamer. The track features the wonderful Jen Bone on double bass. I wasn’t too sure how to record the bass, so just pointed a mic at it and hoped for the best.I think luckily it turned out well. Also featuring is the force of nature that is Lily and Scarlet on backing vocals and random noises. This was not a dull recording process," says Mick Butler.

"In the background you may hear Scarlet’s impressive turkey impression as well as all sorts of percussion instruments borrowed from the girls' music box. Some played by them and some by me.
There is a slightly chaotic feel to it but hopefully the energy and the joy cuts through. Here, there's more than a slight doffing of the cap towards The Cure's 'The Lovecats'. Hopefully Mr. Smith would enjoy it."

This single arrives two years since the release of British alternative artist SICKY presents his thickly layered and widely acclaimed sophomore album 'Garbage Town'. SICKY released his debut album 'Bowling Balls', partially inspired by Prince, Bowie and Ray Bradbury's book 'The Martian Chronicles', in 2021 during lockdown.

As of December 3, 'I'm Happy If You're Happy' is available from fine digital platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp. The full 'Troubled Delight' album will be released on February 14, 2025.

CREDITS
Written by Mick Butler (SICKY)
Recorded, mixed and produced by SICKY in Shropshire
Mastered by Charlie Francis at Synergy Mastering Cardiff.
Photos by Helen Marshall
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR
Jen Bone - double bass on Tracks 2, 4, 5
Rebecca Butler - vocals on Track 11
Lily and Scarlet - back vocals & random noises on Track 2

Indie artist SICKY unleashes quirky pop fun on 'Beans' single. 'Garbage Town' LP is out now

December 16, 2022

"This music is down-the-middle catchy and clever. It is, at the same time, gleeful, tuneful, and a hell of a lot of fun... recalls such artists as Gene, Manic Street Preachers, Muse and Super Furry Animals" ~ Amplify Music Magazine

"This is intelligent brit-pop-rock that presents some delightful off-the-rails fun" ~ The Spill Magazine

"It’s pop, yes, but pop that comes from the streets, pop that has had a tough upbringing, pop with dirt on its face and blood on its knuckles" ~ Big Takeover Magazine

"There is something in the balance of weight and jauntiness, the lyrics that get deeper and darker the more you contemplate them, the fine line it walks between pop and a hard place, between edge and accessibility" ~ Dancing About Architecture

British solo artist SICKY presents 'Beans', a complex melodic slice of alt-pop with slick lyrics, from his thickly layered sophomore album 'Garbage Town'. This 12-track collection was supported by three singles - the title track 'Garbage Town', 'The Bridge' and 'A Bite Without A Mark'.

SICKY is the solo project of Mick Butler, his brand of melodic Britpop-infused indie rock spells good news for fans of Beck, Supergrass and early Blur. Originally from the Black Country region of England, he is now based in Shropshire.

"This album continues the theme of shaking off dark days and making better things happen. It also includes songs that are just quirky bits of pop fun. 'Beans', for instance, is a tale of someone I know who cannot be named. This friend has become infamous for his loose behaviour so I’ve likened him to Beans, the family cat. Songs 'None of That' and 'Protect Me Protect Mine' were very much inspired by the invasion of Ukraine. It's so hard to believe this can still happen in the 21st century," says SICKY.

While Mick Butler has had his run of playing in bands, ranging from the brass soaked pop of Papa Mantra to the dirty stomp of SUMO, he now derives pleasure from banging out tunes and crafting new material. Literally everything you hear in his music is him squeezing noises out of anything that'll sing.

"Life inspires me.Things that happen to me or people around me, good or bad. I tend to write when I least expect it. I never sit down and plan to write something. All my albums have been accidents. If you like dark matter, heart felt musings, rough edge diamonds, heart on sleeve kinda music, then please give Garbage Town a listen... It might just leave a mark," says SICKY.

The new album comes a year after his lockdown album 'Bowling Balls', which was partially inspired by Prince and Bowie, as well as Ray Bradbury's book 'The Martian Chronicles'.

The full 'Garbage Town' album is out now, available across all good digital platforms, including via Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp, where it can be obtained directly from the artist.

CREDITS
Written by Mick Butler (SICKY)
Recorded, mixed and produced by SICKY in Shropshire
Mastering by Streaky at Streaky Mastering
Written & recorded in January 2022. Mixed in July 2022
Keep up with SICKY
Website | Bandcamp | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Soundcloud | YouTube | Spotify | Apple Music

Northern England's SICKY delivers cutting Brit indie rock showcase on 'Garbage Town' LP

November 19, 2022

"This music is down-the-middle catchy and clever. It is, at the same time, gleeful, tuneful, and a hell of a lot of fun... recalls such artists as Gene, Manic Street Preachers, Muse and Super Furry Animals" ~ Amplify Music Magazine

"It’s pop, yes, but pop that comes from the streets, pop that has had a tough upbringing, pop with dirt on its face and blood on its knuckles" ~ Big Takeover Magazine

"There is something in the balance of weight and jauntiness, the lyrics that get deeper and darker the more you contemplate them, the fine line it walks between pop and a hard place, between edge and accessibility" ~ Dancing About Architecture

British alternative artist SICKY presents his thickly layered sophomore album 'Garbage Town', a 12-track collection that follows three singles - the title track 'Garbage Town', 'The Bridge', and the latest 'A Bite Without A Mark'.

SICKY is the solo project of Mick Butler, his brand of melodic Britpop-infused indie rock spells good news for fans of Beck, Supergrass and early Blur. Originally from the Black Country region of England, he is now based in Shropshire.

"This album continues the theme of shaking off dark days and making better things happen. It also includes songs that are just quirky bits of pop fun. 'Beans', for instance, is a tale of someone I know who cannot be named. This friend has become infamous for his loose behaviour so I’ve likened him to Beans, the family cat. Songs 'None of That' and 'Protect Me Protect Mine' were very much inspired by the invasion of Ukraine. It's so hard to believe this can still happen in the 21st century," says SICKY.

"'A Bite Without A Mark' is about the figures you don’t see in the dark world of drug dealing - the guys who pull the strings from a secure and safe distance, not having to deal with the heartbreak and chaos of real lives being crushed. So some hefty subject matter, but that’s life. Hopefully the album sounds uplifting despite some of the imagery. The final track 'Times Ten', which is about finding your feet at last - somewhere you belong and with people you can trust, is a positive vibe to end with. I hope this album leaves a mark".

While Mick Butler has had his run of playing in bands, ranging from the brass soaked pop of Papa Mantra to the dirty stomp of SUMO, he now derives pleasure from banging out tunes and crafting new material. Literally everything you hear in his music is him squeezing noises out of anything that'll sing.

The new album is slated for release a year on from his lockdown album 'Bowling Balls', which was partially inspired by Prince and Bowie, as well as Ray Bradbury's book 'The Martian Chronicles'.

As of November 18, the full 'Garbage Town' album will be available across all good digital platforms, including via Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp, where it can already be ordered directly from the artist.

CREDITS
Written by Mick Butler (SICKY)
Recorded, mixed and produced by SICKY in Shropshire
Mastering by Streaky at Streaky Mastering
Written & recorded in January 2022. Mixed in July 2022

UK alternative pop maverick SICKY releases 'Garbage Town', title track from forthcoming album

October 5, 2022

British alternative artist SICKY has released his new single 'Garbage Town', the title track to his forthcoming album 'Garbage Town' album, following up 'The Bridge', a lively pragmatic Northern Soul-inspired banger.

A Black Country boy now residing in Shropshire, SICKY is the solo project of Mick Butler, his brand of melodic Britpop-infused indie rock spells good news for fans of Beck, Supergrass and early Blur.

"Garbage Town is not a place - it's a state of mind. The lyrics talk of breaking free and leaving all the bad stuff in your head behind. Feels like all roads have led to this album. I play and record/produce everything myself so I'm a bit like a decathlete... Quite good at a couple of things and pretty average at the rest. Hopefully it sounds like in your face dirty pop," says SICKY.

"The album continues the theme of shaking off dark days and making better things happen. It also includes songs that are just quirky bits of pop fun. Hopefully the album sounds uplifting despite some of the imagery."

Having played in various bands, ranging from the brass soaked pop of Papa Mantrato the dirty stomp of SUMO, now Mick Butler derives pleasure from banging out tunes and crafting new material. Literally everything you hear in his music is him squeezing noises out of anything that'll sing.

The new album is slated for release a year on from his lockdown album 'Bowling Balls', a collection that was partially inspired by Ray Bradbury's book 'The Martian Chronicles'. This music is inspired by Prince and Bowie, perhaps in equal measure, as well as Nirvana, Supergrass, Blur, Queens Of The Stone Age, Fun Lovin' Criminals and Elvis.

The 'Garbage Town' and 'The Bridge' singles are out now and available across all good digital platforms, including via Spotify and Apple Music. On November 18, the full 'Garbage Town' LP will be released, and is available for pre-order via Bandcamp.

CREDITS
Written by Mick Butler (SICKY)
Recorded, mixed and produced by SICKY in Shropshire
Mastering by Streaky at Streaky Mastering

Written & recorded in January 2022. Mixed in July 202

British alternative pop artist SICKY takes us to the edge on 'The Bridge' single, previewing new album

September 6, 2022

UK-based alternative 'dirty pop' artist SICKY presents his new single 'The Bridge', a lively danceable offering that is a pragmatic Northern Soul-inspired bucket of joy.

A Black Country boy now residing in Shropshire, SICKY is the solo project of Mick Butler, who has played in various bands, ranging from the brass soaked pop of Papa Mantra to the dirty stomp of SUMO. Now he derives pleasure from banging out tunes and crafting new material. Literally everything you hear in his music is him squeezing noises out of anything that'll sing.

'The Bridge' is the lead track from his new 'Garbage Town' album, which is being released a year on from his lockdown album 'Bowling Balls', a collection that was partially inspired by Ray Bradbury's book 'The Martian Chronicles'.

"The Bridge is a song of few words, but underneath, they have huge meaning. Inspired by someone close to me, who had the sheer guts and determination to take on a darkness and set things straight. On the musical side of things, it was inspired by frequenting a Northern Soul night that happens once a month in my local town (called 'Motown in Lowtown' - I kid you not)," says SICKY.

"Those classic tunes tend to stay with you on the drunken walk home and beyond.... As a kid I used to wade through my older brothers box of northern delights (he would have killed me had he known) Those records became ingrained and still sound cool today."

This music is inspired by Prince and Bowie, perhaps in equal measure, as well as Nirvana, Supergrass, Blur, Queens Of The Stone Age, Fun Lovin' Criminals and Elvis.

SICKY explains: "Garbage Town is not a place - it's a state of mind. The lyrics talk of breaking free and leaving all the bad stuff in your head behind. Feels like all roads have led to this album. I play and record/produce everything myself so I'm a bit like a decathlete... Quite good at a couple of things and pretty average at the rest. Hopefully it sounds like in your face dirty pop."

'The Bridge' is out now and is available across all good digital platforms, including via Spotify and Apple Music. The full 'Garbage Town' album will be released on November 18 and can be pre-ordered via Bandcamp.

CREDITS
Written by Mick Butler (SICKY)
Recorded, mixed and produced by SICKY in Shropshire
Mastering by Streaky at Streaky Mastering
Written & recorded in January 2022. Mixed in July 2022