Mike Melan isn’t trying to fit into anyone’s mould. The London-based singer-songwriter carves his own lane with ‘Those Were The Days’, a surging reflection on youth that captures the raw rush of memory in full Technicolour. It’s the kind of song that evokes the past, it drags it out of the attic, dusts it off, and spins it into something gloriously alive.
With a wall of layered guitars and thunderous percussion, the track moves like a runaway train of emotion. There’s a grit here, reminiscent of early Tom Petty or Bruce Springsteen, that grounds the soaring choruses. But unlike mere imitators, Melan brings a distinctly modern pulse. Think heartland storytelling meets the widescreen haze of The War on Drugs. The result is a driving, melodic anthem that aches with nostalgia without ever falling into sentimentality.
What makes the song land so hard is the conviction in Melan’s delivery. The lyrics are wistful, drawing from his upbringing in Johannesburg and shaped by the distance and growth of time spent abroad. When he sings, it’s not just about what was, it’s about how those moments still echo now.
Recorded at London’s Echo Studios and mixed by seasoned producer George McFarlane, the track walks the line between polish and passion. There’s enough grit to keep it grounded, and enough gloss to make it radio-ready, without ever losing its soul.
‘Those Were The Days’ proves that great songs still come from gut feeling, and a refusal to overthink the magic out of music. Melan’s upcoming LP ‘Lightning Strikes at Altitude’ already feels promising, but if this track is any indication, he’s both revisiting and rewriting his past in stereo.
