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Let’s think back to 2012: a year marked by the release of songs like Carly Rae Jepsen’s career-launching “Call Me Maybe,” the American release of One Direction’s seemingly overnight success “What Makes You Beautiful” and Rihanna’s brooding, yet unforgettable ballad, “Stay.” Rihanna’s hit topped the charts week after week, peaking at No. 3, and became a worldwide sensation. However, Rihanna was not alone in creating this ballad. The mega-hit was co-written by John Stephen Sudduth, better known by his stage name, Mikky Ekko.
The release of the single, which featured Ekko’s vocals, launched him into the limelight. Millions were captivated by the alluring combination of Rihanna and Ekko. The pair even performed at the 2013 Grammy Awards together, and interest surrounding the mysterious Mikky Ekko continued to rise. Fans couldn’t help but wonder when he was going to release his first record. Ekko spent the next two years crafting his debut album, Time, which was released in January 2015.
Songs from Time have been featured on the soundtracks of television shows like Pretty Little Liars and The Vampire Diaries, as well as in the movie Paper Towns. Ekko has been splitting his time between touring, attending events such as Men’s Fashion Week in Paris and writing in the studio with big name celebrities including Zedd, Gwen Stefani and Lil Wayne.
Ekko is currently on tour with Transviolet and will perform in Atlanta on Tuesday, Oct. 27 at Vinyl. We spoke with him over the phone and asked about his musical influences, the frenzy surrounding “Stay” and more.
Maya Nair: When did you start creating music and what do you love most about it?
Mikky Ekko: Oh gosh. I mean, ever since I was a little kid, music has always been really important to me. My mom and dad used to sing to me and my little brother when we were really little; they would sing us to sleep. But I think music has always been in my family. And for me, music has always been a safe place. It’s a place where you can go when you’re feeling upset or angry or lonely or in love. There’s always music that fits [those moods], and I think that’s such a cool representation of that [vision].
Ilana Berghash: Can you tell us more about your creative process and writing songs?
ME: It varies. That’s probably the one thing that’s consistent — I try to change it [up] all the time. I try to find new ways to approach the same subject, whether it’s the recording process or who I’m working with or what kind of songs I’m writing. For me, it’s about finding people who can inspire me, whether it’s through visual art or music, and pushing it farther.
MN: I know your real name is not Mikky Ekko, so how did the stage name come about?
ME: Honestly, I just wanted something simple and something catchy. It was important for me to have something that was easy for people to say in a lot of different languages, and something that kind of felt universal, and that was where I landed.
IB: You grew up in Louisiana and you are now living in Nashville. How has living in the South impacted your music?
ME: The more I write, the more [I’ve come to] think [that] it’s just in you. There are things you can’t escape, for better and for worse, and I think that all plays into who you are as a human. I grew up singing in church, so there’s definitely a reverence there. But the South is such a cool, strange place, and I think that also plays into the music.
MN: Having listened to Strange Fruit compared to Time, Strange Fruit can be viewed as a more experimental project. Have you transformed stylistically since then?
ME: For Time, my main focus was really on the art of the song. I set out to write songs that are diverse as the music that I listen to; there’s everything from punk rock to R&B to folk stuff and hip-hop. And to keep the album honest and vulnerable, I wrote with a lot of people who wrote with Adele and Lana Del Rey, and then I collaborated with a lot of amazing producers as well. It was really to find songs that people can connect to that were an honest depiction of my journey.
IB: Speaking of the amazing people you collaborate with, was there pressure to put the album out right after your song “Stay” blew up?
ME: Oh, definitely. But [the album] wasn’t ready then. And that’s what I told my label, and that’s what I told basically everybody in any conversation that I had [about it]. They were like, “What can we expect? What can we expect?” and I told them they had to wait. I honestly was going to put the album out the fall after [Rihanna and I] performed “Stay” at the Grammys, and I said to my label, “I think there’s one more song I have to write,” and between January and March of the next year, I wrote five songs that were all on the album. Four of them were singles, and that for me was the proof in the pudding; it really rounded the album out.
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MN: Obviously “Stay” has become a huge worldwide hit and because of it, you got to perform at the Grammys, and it brought you into the public eye. But do you ever think there has been a negative side to it?
ME: I don’t know. I try not to let myself get negative. I’m passionate, so the way I see my life every day is what do I want to do tomorrow, not what happened in the past. But for me, it’s influenced the way I see art and the impact of a single song. It really opened my eyes to the impact a song can have.
IB: When it comes to touring, what’s your favorite song to perform live? Which song gets the best reaction from fans?
ME: You know, it’s crazy! It’s so city to city. Because the album doesn’t land in one single place — it’s not an album full of love songs or punk songs or ballads. It is all over the place, and live, the show is really dynamic. So when we go on tour, “Pull Me Down” or “U” or the love songs, [we] see the kind of reaction we get there, and [we] really get to go on a journey with the fans [through] that full range of emotions.
MN: On tour, have you had any very memorable fan experiences, either good or bad?
ME: Last night, a girl climbed up on stage. She was really, really drunk. It was funny; she was upset because she came to see me at the last show, and I didn’t look more excited in the picture we took. So I asked everybody to thank her for expressing herself. I feel like we dodged a bullet there.
MN: Do you ever get freaked out when fans get emotional in front of you?
ME: No, I don’t really freak out about [that] kind of thing. ‘Cause for me, it’s all fun. It’s exciting, really.
MN: If somebody who has never listened to your music had to listen to one song, which song do you think sums up who you are as a musician?
ME: That’s a hard one. If I had to pick one, I would probably pick “Time,” just because it’s the most stripped down song. From a classic songwriting sense, I knew exactly what we were going in to write, and I really wanted to write a love song that felt classic.
IB: We saw on your Instagram that you attended Men’s Fashion Week in Paris. What was that like?
ME: It was pretty unbelievable. That was my second Fashion Week I had actually done. I had done London’s Men’s Fashion Week the week before, but there’s something about Paris that’s just so, so cool and chill. Everybody’s style there is just really dynamic. And for me to be around some of those designers I really respect, and get to see the runway and the show from start to finish, and then meet a lot of those designers directly after the show — it was an experience I wish everybody could have.
IB: So do you think fashion has become a big part of your life and how you express yourself?
ME: Yeah, for sure. I think how you choose to present yourself is who you are. And it’s fun because you can choose who you want to be, and fashion and clothing helps you do that. For me, that’s such a huge part of trying to get an idea across that hasn’t been communicated before.
MN: I loved the video for “Watch Me Rise” and it’s such a unique visual experience. How did you come up with the idea and what was it like filming it?
ME: I had never really done anything like that before. So initially, the director, Nina [McNeely], brought it to me, and I was like, “I don’t know if I can dance around and stuff,” and she was like, “Just get in there and go crazy and express yourself.” So we did that, and the longer it went on, the more into it I got. For me, it was just about trying to push my limits and test myself. I really wanted something that felt really explosive and colorful, and it was a ton of fun.
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IB: Outside of music, what do you enjoy doing?
ME: I love playing soccer and walking my dog, Yoshi. And honestly, I just love being in the studio, and I love being around my friends. You know, when I go back home to Nashville, [being with my] friends and family is just like recharging batteries.
MN: What are your plans after the Time tour is done?
ME: Well, I’m going to Paris for Christmas! Outside of that, I’m going right back into the studio when I get home. That’s what I always look forward to when I get home. But I’ll be back in the studio, and then I’m trying to figure out what I want to do with the spring — whether we’re going out to try to hit a few more cities we haven’t hit for Time or whether I’m going to hole back up and start working on album two.
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Mikky Ekko’s Vocals Will Echo Throughout Time
Courtesy of RCA Records Press
Courtesy of RCA Records Press
