Today, Los Angeles via Salt Lake City indie pop artist and powerhouse vocalist Mykel shares her resonant debut EP Hometown Runaway out now. Over six tracks, the musician emotionally reckons with faith, ego, leaving home and more. On November 13, Mykel will celebrate the release with a live show in Los Angeles at Permanent Records Roadhouse. See more information and tickets here.
With commanding vocals and sweeping, vast production, Mykel bravely confronts a range of themes like ego death (and escaping death), self-worth, imposter syndrome, her layered relationship to faith, and more. Messy and sharp with soft edges, the artist chronicles the challenges of leaving home in pursuit of her dreams, with assists from GRAMMY-nominated producer and mixer Yang Tan (Janelle Monae) and 3x RIAA-certified producer and engineer Gehring Miller (Giveon, Ella Mai) and recorded at LA's iconic Record Plant Studios.
Ready to give up, it took hitting rock bottom for Mykel to rediscover her artistic purpose and direction. Hometown Runaway, a rich mix of pop with R&B flairs, allows the artist the space to discover and define herself like never before as she embraces her past and looks ahead to the future, this time, with a renewed perspective and appreciation for life. Finally releasing the pressure of unattainable standards she's placed on herself, Mykel shares, "I knew I wanted to take all the nuances of my journey and put it into a body of work that represented me. Not what the industry or society wanted of me or told me would sell. This EP is a beacon of truth and integrity that has both freed and terrified me."
With the title track, Mykel pens a love letter to all parts of herself–one that holds nuance, honesty and pride. She adds, "It's an anthem for sitting in the nuance of who you are–pieces of you you can’t change, pieces you can. I will always love my hometown and I will always love LA. I don’t have to have it all figured out and two things can be true at once. A song for anyone who had the balls to leave everything they knew, and the bittersweet feelings that go along with that. "
"How Do You Know" is Mykel's "405 spiral song, an anxious anthem worth dancing to"–optimal for long highway drives and late nights spent questioning everything. Here, she faces her anxiety head-on. Melodic Magazine wrote "Mykel transforms anxiety into motion." and Voxwave Magazine added the track is, "a high-energy pop track with a sharp existential undertone...it feels like a soundtrack to inner anxiety, yet it makes you move and even smile through the unease."
Listen: "Brace For Impact"
In September, Mykel shared the lead single, "Brace For Impact," a meditation on mortality, survival and gratitude after she experienced a near-fatal car accident. Other Side Reviews wrote, "Mykel’s voice, commanding, soulful, and unflinchingly honest, anchors the track with a gravitas that feels both intimate and monumental.”
Originally raised Mormon in Salt Lake City, UT and now in Los Angeles, Mykel has a range of influences and experiences that culminate in the sharp, spiritual project. With a musical theater background, the artist delivers grandiose vocals coupled with elaborate storytelling that draws listeners in. After spending years working a slew of odd jobs and writing songs for reality shows like Love Island, Vanderpump Rules and more, Mykel is ready to take ownership of her story and tell it on her own terms.
The healing, thoughtful EP Hometown Runaway by Mykel is out now. Celebrate the EP live with the artist at LA's Permanent Records Roadhouse on November 13–see tickets and information here. Mykel reckons with leaving home, following her dreams and deconstructing her faith. Don't miss more from Mykel–connect via Instagram, YouTube and TikTok