Ekkah interview: ''There should be more women sticking together''

Once members of glam punk outfit The Arcadian Kicks, Rebecca Wilson and Rebekah Pennington a.k.a Ekkah, still have the attitude, even if the music isn't as gritty. With smooth melodies and rich grooves present throughout, everything the duo have released in the last two years is a perfect marriage of 80's and 90's pop with a conscious ear to the present.

As best friends, everything they discuss or perhaps bitch about makes it's way into the music meaning love stories and break ups are a prominent lyrical feature, aside from that it's all about getting down. 

'Last Chance To Dance', their 2014 debut single, is a stellar effort that is enjoyable not just because of its immediacy but also its subtlety. It's a seductive jam which lures you to you feet rather than grabbing you by the lapels and that has gone a long way in stopping music snobs denouncing it as pop trash. 

The duo's recent double A-Side, 'What's Up'/'The Space Between Us', was produced by Dâm-Funk, and they have won supporters from the indie crowd which means appearances at Glastonbury and Tramlines are inked in their diary, as well as a recent support slot on Jess Glynne's recent tour.

Ahead of it all, we caught up with the girls to see what the summer holds for them.

What are the origins of Ekkah, what brought the two of you together and inspired you to create music together?

We’ve been friends for 10 years and music has been the background of our friendship from day one.

EKKAH was inspired by our shared love of disco, funk, dancefloor and 80s pop, we wanted to recreate the essence of the 'party bands' as we call them, Earth Wind and Fire, Chic, the Whispers with a mix of 80s Madonna. Artists and bands that make you wanna get up and dance all night!

What are you trying to promote through your music?

PMA has been our mantra from the beginning: Positive Mental Attitude. If you don't have that, it's hard to stay focused.

Female friendship is also a staple part of what we are, there should be more women sticking together, supporting and looking out for one another.

The two songs that make up your double A side were both produced by DâM FunK in L.A, what's the story behind his involvement and what was the recording process like with him overseeing things?

We’re huge fans of DâM’s work so we feel very lucky to have been able to work with him in LA. 

The recording process was a really special one, he's such a character and energy to be in the studio with. We experimented with making our own delays and reverbs in the vocal booth rather than keeping everything in box which was awesome. 

'Space Between Us' is a dedication to David Bowie, what is your connection with him, how did he inspire you as an artist?

On the day of Bowie’s death we woke up in LA, and because of the time difference the UK had heard the news some hours later, we genuinely didn't wanna believe it was true when we were reading all our friends tributes online. We were heading into the studio that day to start a fresh track and there was no doubt he was going to be the main influence for this song. 

The lyrics in 'Space Between Us' are mainly about how Bowie wasn't scared of leaving us, he was always a star man and we have to remember that even though we want him back on earth, we should celebrate what he gave us whilst he was here, and remember him when we look up at the stars. 

I couldn't talk about your summer of festivals without mentioning your Glastonbury appearance, how excited are you to play the festival? 

We're overwhelmed to be back again. Last year was our first year playing Glasto and was a huge for us. This year we play the Pussy Parlour which is an awesome stage. Glastonbury is the best festival hands down!

Will you be checking The Sisterhood, the women only venue? 

100%. Shangri-La is such an amazing section of the festival and to know that Glastonbury as a whole is working towards creating a female friendly environment is sick.

Which other festivals are you most looking forward to, you're big fans of Tramlines right?

Tramlines is one of the best city festivals, we love playing in Sheffield, people seem to go crazy at our shows up there and they have such a sick line up every year.

We're looking forward to seeing Crazy P, George Clinton with Parliament/Funkadelic, Jurassic 5 and more, there's so many great acts.

You're also supporting Take That of all people at Hyde Park, with a summer of primarily indie festivals lined up how nice will it be to indulge in such a guilty pleasure?

It's not a guilty pleasure to like Take That! Apparently their stage show is amazing, so we're definitely looking forward to seeing them. 

BST is up there at the top of our fave festivals list. It’s always a great day out, the crowd is always up for it and everyone working and performing there is always super lovely. Last year we supported Kylie there and she came to chat to us at catering, how amazing is that?

Finally, when can we expect more music, or perhaps an album? 

We’ve been putting an album together and some new tracks that you’ll be able to to hear soon. We've been working hard and can't wait to share it with the world.

Ekkah will play this year's Glastonbury and Tramlines - grab tickets to Tramlines Festival via the box below.

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