Mikky Ekko's ‘whatever-you-can-afford’ studios offer full creative control to artists

The ambitiously-named “La Missione” was built to counteract a distinctly corporate mentality and way of working and provide an environment to encourage creativity in his fellow artists. “I get super fucking depressed being in stuffy studios with only the most ‘correct’ gear," Ekko tells us. “I’m not saying studios like that aren’t important or inspiring for some people, I’m just saying La Missione is not that. I just gravitate to spaces that feel special and I think a lot of other artists feel the same way. Especially on the front end, growing something special requires time to realize who you are, without overpaying or stressing out your newfound record label (bank) over the recording budget (loan).”

Ekko’s at pains to stress he has nothing personal against labels or recording budgets but that La Missione will fill a space that isn’t necessarily catered for much: “a creative space to record/explore when [artists] are somewhere between bedroom productions and full-fledged studio records. The point is to give artists as much control as possible over the content they want to release. I just consider myself one of the lucky ones, so I figure it only makes sense to pass it on.”

He plans a ‘whatever you can afford’ cost for artists with and without a label - and the studio will also offer accommodation for those passing through town on a budget. The concept is loosely based on the idea of an art hostel or an Airbnb, Ekko explains, "… but for those who need it...or just need somewhere to chill and have a few beers and make music on the day off."

"At the end of the day most of us are looking for a place to connect the dots or recharge when we’re on the road and that’s more what this place is than anything."

It’s also a place to shoot live performances and film interviews, revealed via the above clip, which strips back "Blood on the Surface" to the bare essentials. "When 'Blood On The Surface' was written, my buddy, Tim Deaux, and I set out to write a '60s pop song," Ekko tells us. "We wanted it to feel somewhere between Pet Sounds and…something else. For me, it has a lot to do with the journey of finding yourself…how hard it is to figure out what’s real when there’s this constant stream of internet distraction."

"I think I found what I needed in the album version, but really loved stripping the song back to just two guitars. It gave me a better sense of where the song lives when it’s totally naked It also forced me to be totally honest with the vocal… no bells and whistles. Outside of all that, I just really love singing it, so it was really fun to shoot."

Ekko's on tour throughout January to March next year, with dates supporting BØRNS and a few solo shows: January 12 San Francisco, CA Rickshaw Stop January 17 Oakland, CA Fox Theater (with BØRNS) / January 19 Portland, OR (Roseland Theater with BØRNS) / January 20 Vancouver, BC (Vogue Theater with BØRNS) / January 21 Seattle, WA (Showbox with BØRNS) / January 24 St. Paul, MN (Palace Theater with BØRNS) / January 27 Chicago, IL (Riviera Theatre with BØRNS) / January 28 Grand Rapids, MI (20 Monroe Live with BØRNS) / January 30 St. Louis, MO (The Pageant with BØRNS) / February 1 Dallas, TX (House of Blues with BØRNS) / February 2 Austin, TX Stubb’s (with BØRNS) / February 3 Houston, TX (White Oak Music Hall with BØRNS) / February 5 New Orleans, LA (Joy Theater with BØRNS) / February 6 Atlanta, GA (Tabernacle with BØRNS) / February 8 Cleveland, OH (Agora with BØRNS) / February 9 Toronto, ON (Rebel with BØRNS) / February 10 Montreal QB (Club Soda with BØRNS) / February 11 Boston, MA (House of Blues with BØRNS) / February 13 Washington, DC (The Anthem with BØRNS) / February 15 Brooklyn, NY (Brooklyn Steel with BØRNS) / February 16 New York, NY (Terminal 5 with BØRNS) / February 17 Philadelphia, PA (Electric Factory with BØRNS) / March 4 Okeechobee, FL (Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival) / March 23 Tempe, AZ (Innings Festival)