Today, Los Angeles via Salt Lake City indie pop artist and powerhouse vocalist Mykel aims to stay grounded with "How Do You Know" out now. Her stirring debut EP Hometown Runaway is due out November 7, which wrestles with faith, ego, leaving home and more.
The artist calls the latest track her "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. Recorded in her home state with a close friend, Mykel says, "I wrote this tune in 2 hours with one of my best friends and longtime collaborator, Todd Tran. We did this in Utah in his home studio."
Listen: Brace For Impact
Last month, she 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.”
With commanding vocals and sweeping, vast production over six tracks, 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, grounded and bittersweet, 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."
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 forthcoming 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.
On the healing debut EP Hometown Runaway, due out November 7, Mykel reckons with leaving home, following her dreams and deconstructing her faith. Don't miss more from Mykel–connect via Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. | 
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