Q-and-A with Mikky Ekko
Mikky Ekko answers questions during an interview with The Panther prior to the spring concert in the Musco Center for the Arts April 30. Photo by Allie Camp.
Mikky Ekko headlined the University Program Board’s annual spring concert in the Musco Center for the Arts April 30. The Panther sat down with Ekko before the concert for a Q-and-A:
Q: Do you have any weird, preshow rituals?
A: Before we go onstage, we always huddle. We start a sentence and somebody starts the first word, and then the next person and the next person. It gets really ridiculous and gross.
Q: What’s your favorite song to perform?
A: It depends on the crowd, honestly. If the crowd is like Seattle, a little more aggressive and they like the rock stuff. “Riot” is always good for that. I always like doing “Time,” though, I think, or “Pull Me Down.” It’s hard for me to decide. “Pull Me Down” is an older one, and anyone who’s been around with me for a while kind of knows it, and I can always see it.
Q: Which artists inspire you?
A: Right now, there are a lot. Always Kendrick (Lamar), he’s super inspiring. There’s this one band called Girlband – I like to listen to a lot of noisy stuff and thrashy stuff, and they definitely fit that criteria. And then there’s this band called Soak from Ireland that I’ve been listening to. Just really nice vibes, and her voice is really pretty. And Kendrick.
Q: How did you come up with your stage name?
A: I just wanted something really simple. Just something that was easy to say in a bunch of different languages, but nobody’s good at spelling it, so that kind of backfired. But I just wanted something simple and catchy.
Q: Who would play you in a movie?
A: Oh, James Franco. I’m not that funny, but I’d like him to play me just to see how funny I could be.
Q: If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
A: Flight, probably. I used to lucid dream a lot – and this is me getting weird, but I learned how to fly, when you know you’re dreaming. All you have to do is just know you can do it and you can do it. So I think to have that in real life would be pretty dope.
Q: How did you get into music?
A: I think it probably just started with me knowing there was nothing else I could possibly do. Music has always been really important to me, I grew up in the church – my dad was a preacher for a long time. Just here and there, I did a few things in Nashville, and then I got signed to a label.
Q: What makes you the most excited about performing at Chapman?
A: Well, the room is huge, so that’s a little intimidating. I always love playing at colleges because I think you just get people who are eager to be out and interacting with music and there are a lot of people who are turned onto new (expletive) that I love to hear – just talking to people after the show. I’ll be out there tonight just talking to people and hanging. I think it’s just a good atmosphere.
Q: How would you describe your music?
A: Probably like trying to find your way through a labyrinth, and the emotions that you experience along the way.
Q: What was it like to collaborate with Rihanna?
A: I mean, crazy. The collaboration part wasn’t the craziest part. The Grammy’s were the craziest part. The first live show I played, basically, was the Grammy’s. From there, working with her and trying to find a place that suited both our voices, I think it was a really interesting marriage of two different places.