Mikky Ekko

A singer and songwriter whose voice could summon both raw blues textures and sleek urban pop sheen, Mikky Ekko absorbed gospel traditions from an early age while journeying across Louisiana, Mississippi, and the broader American South alongside his preacher father. Once the family put down roots in Nashville, he lent support to various ensembles as a backing musician and honed his craft through co-writing sessions before shifting focus to material of his own. His initial outing arrived with the predominantly vocal-driven Strange Fruit EP in 2009, after which he began sharing additional tracks via the internet in 2010. The song “Who Are You, Really?” drew the attention of left-field hip-hop producer Clams Casino, prompting a partnership that yielded the 2012 single “Pull Me Down,” later reworked by Ryan Hemsworth. Ekko issued two further singles that same year—“Feels Like the End” and “We Must Be Killers,” the latter appearing in the second season of Teen Wolf. His most significant exposure arrived via the duet “Stay” with Rihanna, featured on her 2012 album Unapologetic and nominated for the 2013 Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. In 2014 he joined David Guetta for “One Voice,” part of the United Nations’ “The World Needs More” campaign, and teamed with DJ and producer Chris Malinchak on the single “Stranger.” Preparing his first full-length project, Ekko enlisted Clams Casino alongside Paul Epworth and David Sitek; the resulting album Time reached listeners in January 2015. That year he contributed to Giorgio Moroder’s Déjà Vu, and in 2016 he rejoined Clams Casino for the major-label release 32 Levels. Returning to Nashville to shape his follow-up, he partnered with producer Jay Joyce to weave in rougher sonic elements and broader influences on Fame, an effort introduced by the advance singles “Blood on the Surface” and “Light the Way.”