Mikky Ekko - a Louisiana native turns the tables on the concept of "British music invasion"

John Stephen Sudduth - AKA- Mikky Ekko

 By: Conner Mitchell - MSTv Correspondent
additional info by: BBC Newsbeat

In the summer of 2011, Louisiana's Mikky Ekko arrived on his own in London. He frequently got lost, felt miserable and was lonely.

During that time, he wrote a song called "Stay."

Eighteen months later, the single has become a UK top 10 hit after it was recorded by Rihanna. "She sounds amazing on it," says Ekko. "I think it's really brave to sound so vulnerable on a record like that."

He's still not sure exactly how the duet came about but says Rihanna was the one to champion the song.

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"I will say that's one of the most intense experiences of my life, having to get the track finished for her record.

"It was a total madhouse, they're moving at a million miles a minute and she's at the centre of that hurricane. The way her people work is really inspiring."

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The trip to London, last year, was the 27-year-old's first to the UK. It was the summer of the English riots and the weather was balmy. 

He says some of those solitary moments he had in the city lent themselves to create some "really beautiful songs".  These songs and images will be released on his debut album. (for an example of his incredible sound, check out his video: "Feels like the End" below)

Louisiana-born, Mikky's real name is  John Stephen Sudduth.

His father was a preacher and Mikky spent his teenage years travelling around the southern US states with his family.

"My mom only listened to classical, my dad liked 'oldies' and then there was Christian music everywhere.  But, I went for grunge and random hip-hop. When I heard the opening of Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit I'd run to the tape player to press record."

Since those simple beginnings, Ekko began his professional music career by posting his solo material online. With his first single, "We Must Be Killers" accumulating over 100,000 views on Youtube, notice to his talents began in earnest.

The video for his second official single, "Feels Like the End"(above), was uploaded to YouTube on September 25, 2012, with Ekko's third single, "Pull Me Down", released on October 30, 2012. The trax was remixed by Ryan Hemsworth and was featured on Rihanna's album, Unapologetic, on the track "Stay" which he wrote and later became a single.  All in all, not a bad way to end up for a Louisiana preacher's son.

But when asked to describe his sound amid his growing success, in five words though, he thinks about it, remains silent, before saying "sounds like me, I suppose". Five words exactly.  That's very Louisiana...

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