EKKSTACY shows off his range on new self-titled album
The artist GQ dubbed ‘Gen Z’s new King of sad punk songs’ delivers his most dynamic body of work to date
Photo: Jason Nocito
EKKSTACY isn’t one for subtlety. As a songwriter, the Vancouver native is a direct communicator who’s never afraid to let his audience know exactly how he feels. This trademark emotional honesty is on full display throughout his self-titled third album released January 19. Over an action-packed 12 songs, clocking in at an exhilarating 33 minutes, ‘EKKSTACY’ takes listeners on a frenetic, genre-bending adventure into the mind of the young indie-rock star. As GQ recently dubbed him, “Gen Z’s New King of Sad Punk Songs” delivered on his latest offering. The project is the 22-year old’s most dynamic body of work to date, seamlessly shifting between shoegaze, post-punk and surf rock. Created while touring his previous album “Misery,” the breakneck, chaotic pace of EKKSTACY is a reflection of his inability to stay still for an extended period of time while on the road.
As a child, Stacy, born Khyree Zienty, developed his musical sensibilities from skate video game soundtracks, shying away from his dad’s extensive 90s rap CD collection. Before leaning fully into punk, he enjoyed pop and R&B, and even had a Chris Brown phase, much to his mother’s chagrin. Then, once high school started, his parents got a divorce and his cheerful demeanor became darker and more withdrawn. He began hanging out with the skate kids and listening to bands such as The Drums, Surf Curse and Current Joys. Soon Stacy would drop out of school and begin working what he calls a “horrible” job at Amazon. While working the night shift, he would discreetly listen to music with his Airpods tucked under his beanie. Inspired by the spare production of multi-instrumentalist Current Joys, Stacy began to focus on creating his own sound. Within a couple of months, Stacy began making more money from Spotify residuals than his Amazon checks and decided to quit his job to pursue music full time. He hasn’t looked back since.
The artistic growth on his latest project can be attributed to a couple of factors. For starters, Stacy took it upon himself to get more involved in the production, locking in with collaborators Apob and Mangetsu and expanding on the soundscapes of “Misery.” During brief moments of downtime on the road, Stacy and co were listening to iconic bands such as The Ramones, The Strokes, and My Bloody Valentine for inspiration. Attentive listeners can hear it in the playful punk, indie rock power chords, and celestial production all over the LP.
The first single “problems” features one of his SoundCloud rap heroes: Trippie Redd. The two compliment each other nicely over the mellow, reflective track, serving as a surprising change of pace from the brash, punk rock energy displayed at other points of the album. Met with a warm reception from critics and fans alike, the track currently sits at over 2.7M streams on Spotify.
The follow-up single “bella,” based on an amalgamation of Stacy’s exes, is a bright, beautiful love song with an incredibly catchy hook. He refers to this song as “the one” and it’s easy to see why. His knack for songwriting shines throughout this project, specifically on tracks such as the opener “I don’t have one of those.” Right away, lyrics such as “you make me feel like home and I don’t have one of those” capture the listeners attention. The bouncy yet moody track “alright” featuring another melodic rap standout The Kid Laroi, is another highlight. Stacy’s nimbleness in tackling a variety of subjects across 12 tracks including: depression, relationship problems, and life on the road is a testament to his developed pen game.
Photo: Jason Nocito
For a young artist, his lyrics have the emotional depth of someone far beyond his years. He’s able to perfectly encapsulate the highs and lows of being a touring musician and the solitude that comes with it. He possesses a unique ability to balance heavier, darker subject matter over upbeat, lighter production in a charming sad-boy kind of way. This charm mixed with the handsome features and bad boy aesthetic (face tats, bleached hair and all) has landed him on the cover of the most recent issue of GQ Hype and his own billboard in Times Square. If you’re not yet familiar with the young Canadian star, chances are you will be soon because he’s blowing up quickly. His music has gone viral on TikTok, most notably his breakout hit “I Walk This Earth All By Myself.” In a few short years, he’s gone from processing returns at Amazon to rocking concert halls and major festival stages all over the world including Reading, Melt Festival in Germany, SXSW and Lollapalooza.
This is Stacy’s moment and he’s making the most of it. He’ll embark on a three-month North American & European tour in February, hitting 32 cities including New York, Paris, London, and Berlin before closing out in Los Angeles. Tickets are available now on his website. In typical EKKSTACY fashion, he’s already working on his next project.
Listen to ‘EKKSTACY’ here and license from him to soundtrack your next project.