Watch Mikky Ekko Capture ‘Raw Emotion’ of ‘Time’ in Three Performances
Singer-songwriter Mikky Ekko – best known as the male voice on Rihanna’s 2012 song “Stay” – hoped to capture some of what he calls the “raw emotion” of that Top 10 hit on his debut album, Time, which came out earlier this year. Featuring collaborators ranging from Kesha producer Benny Blanco to TV on the Radio’s Dave Sitek, Time combines big, dramatic melodies and intimate, specific lyrics. Ekko, (who was born John Stephen Sudduth, and hails from Louisiana) recently visited Rolling Stone‘s studio for our Sperry Sessions series to play three of the record’s stand-out tracks – “Time,” “Riot” and “Love You Crazy” – and discuss the stories behind them.
How have you evolved since your first EP, 2009’s Strange Fruit?
Well I’m definitely a better writer now – or I hope I’m a better writer! I think the biggest thing is that I feel like I’ve gotten better at connecting with people. I know how to write from a hidden place, but I also feel comfortable stepping out of my comfort zone and writing something that’s more vulnerable and more accessible to people.
Did creating the Mikky Ekko character help you write from that vulnerable place?
For me, it’s a filter. It keeps me safe, and it keeps the listener safe too because I think there are some things I’m able to express. I feel comfortable being angry or more sensual or more intimate in an environment where I’m able to express things without holding back. I do that in person too, but I think for me it feels like a natural extension of a place I can go to capture that emotion in an extreme way.
The success that accompanied “Stay” must have been really exciting. How long did that last before you felt like yourself again?
It lasted close to a year, and then things kind of calmed down. I think a lot of people expected me to hit the road with Rihanna or to start doing more collaborations with other pop people. My main focus was trying not to let that get to my head because success is a fickle lover.
Did the reception of “Stay” influence how you went about creating Time?
Definitely. I was nearly done with the album, which was supposed to come out in the fall of 2013, but I told my label I felt like I needed to write one more song because when “Stay” came out I realized how powerful a song can be and how many people it can touch.