Discussing "Smile," the lead single for his upcoming debut album, Time, Nashville-based pop singer and multi-instrumentalist Mikky Ekko told Spin that he was looking to capture "that moment when you're a teenager and you lose somebody for the first time and you don't know what to do about it." In keeping with the onslaught of contradictory feelings that can grip a person in a time of loss, its big, buoyant chorus revolves around what is perhaps one of the most cynical-sounding lines he's ever pegged: Smile, the worst is yet to come. And this Sarah Chatfield-directed video for the track creates a similar feeling of emotional whiplash, cutting between idyllic images of Ekko snuggling up with a female love interest on a grassy hill and an ominous police scene. Time is out this fall via RCA. Tourdates with alt-J below.
Tourdates:11/10 Detroit, MI - The Fillmore Detroit
11/11 Toronto, ON - Kool Haus
11/12 Montreal, QC - Metropolis
11/14 Upper Darby, PA - Tower Theater
11/16 New York, NY - Beacon Theatre
11/18 Boston, MA - Orpheum Theatre
11/19 Washington, DC - Echostage