LIVE REVIEW: EKKAH

EKKAH
TOTAL REFRESHMENT CENTRE
20TH NOVEMBER 2014

A room filled with pink helium balloons and psychedelic projections, EKKAH brought to life their infectiously dancy tunes through a blend of funk, disco and 90’s RnB…it’s hard not to warm to this fresh and exciting duo. Rebecca Wilson (vocals, guitar) and Rebekah Pennington (Keys and Sax) originally from Birmingham, formed the band a year ago bonding over a “love of music and hatred of maths” and have been playing music together since they first met.

Tonights gig is all about their brand new EP “Last Chance to Dance”, though manage to throw in an 80’s cover of Patrice Rushen’s “Forget-me-nots” into the mix. Rebecca cites the band’s main influences as Prince, Chic, B-52’s, but also more contemporary artists like Pharrell and Daft Punk. The resulting sound is a blend of super-charged electro beats, funky keys and melodious vocals punctuated with raucous sax.


Having just supported Clean Bandits vocalist Jess Glynne, and with their debut EP Last Chance to Dance out, momentum is gaining rapidly for EKKAH.

We caught up with Rebecca Wilson to find out more…

Total Refreshment Centre was an interesting venue for the launch, where’s the strangest place you’ve ever played a gig?

RW: Probably in a hair salon or maybe in the basement of an Italian restaurant, everyone was still eating their pasta whilst we were sound- checking!

What was it like supporting Jess Glynne?

RW: It was great, she’s such a babe! It was our first proper support and was really fun!

Does the band have any pre-show rituals?

RW: We both have our own rituals, mainly dancing, singing really loud and a lot of glitter and hairspray.

Do you have any style idols?

RW: Madonna had some great style moments and Goldie Hawn back in the 80’s completely smashed it.

Which artists are on your iPod currently?

RW: FKA Twigs, Pharrell, Flying Lotus, Julio Bashmore, SebastiAn, Wolf Alice, The Internet.

Is there an album in the pipeline?

RW: Definitely aiming for that, we constantly write new music and it would incredible to be able to intertwine all of our songs as one body of work!


You’ve been spending a lot of time in London recently, do you have any favourite local haunts?

RW: There’s this little Irish pub called Auld Shelleigh that have an awesome folk band on at the weekends, or for food Mangal 1 in Dalston is so tasty!

EKKAH’s debut EP Last Chance to Dance on Year One records is out now

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