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Mikky Ekko’s album Time officially comes out on January 20. You can pre-order it now. Coming off the heels of his new song “Mourning Doves”—one of our favorite new songs of the week—Mikky shares with us a playlist of music that inspired him. Listen to “Mourning Doves” below, and read what he has to say about each song in the playlist.
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Lykke Li – “I Follow Rivers”
“I love classic sounding tunes with beautiful melodies and sweet melancholy. This song ticks all those boxes for me.”
Niki & The Dove – “The Fox”
“I’ll never forget the first time I heard her voice/this beat. The vocals are stunner and the beat is dirt-nasty.”
Max Richter Orchestra – “Richter: On The Nature Of Daylight”
“Put on headphones and dissolve.”
Bat For Lashes – “What’s A Girl To Do?”
“Besides having a dope-ass music video, I love the Phil Spector-meets-gentle-goth vibe. Sounds like it belongs in a Tarantino film.”
Marnie Stern – “The Things You Notice”
“Sometimes you need to be alone and sometimes you need to be alone.”
Melody’s Echo Chamber – “I Follow You”
“It’s an easy tune to fall into. I always feel like I get halfway through, and then remember how much I love it.”
Ty Segall Band – “Tell Me What’s Inside Your Heart”
“The sweet is never as sweet without the bitter. I love sweet songs with a harsh juxtaposition.”
Toro Y Moi – “Blessa”
“I think my brain is still recovering from hearing the first 10 seconds of this song for the first time.”
Atlas Sound – “Walkabout (w. Noah Lennox)”
“Feels so good. The Dovers sample is on point.”
Beach House – “Real Love”
“Sometimes simplicity is the key. That vocal gives me all the feels.”
Actress – “R.I.P.”
“I’m melting.”
Elliott Smith – “Don’t Go Down”
“I always loved Elliott’s ability to marry vicious and sweet all in the same song.”
Gary Jules ft. Michael Andrews – “Mad World”
“The original version of this song is awesome, but it’s rare when you hear someone transform a classic song into a piece just powerful as the original. I love this interpretation for that reason.”