Miko Marks - OurVinyl Sessions EP (2023) Hi-Res

After living what seems to be multiple lives over, Miko Marks has finally come into the life she was born to live. Her life as a Black woman in country and roots music is only a small part of the story. As she readies her latest album, Feel like Going Home, for release (October 14, 2022 via Redtone Records), it’s beyond time to dig deeper.

Miko was born in Flint, Michigan by a single mother who raised her to fight for equal rights for all. Her mother would protest on a local level in their town and would travel to Detroit for larger demonstrations. This impacted Miko greatly as she grew and was pivotal in Miko finding her own voice. Her mother would spend nights working 3rd shift at the automotive factory, while Miko’s grandmother would watch over her, helping raise her for most of her young life. For Miko, the women in her life were of utmost importance to her and their hopes and dreams for her were cautiously optimistic while being pragmatic due to the barriers they faced in their own lifetime.

After over a decade-long hiatus, with no grand vision of success, Miko recorded a few songs with some bandmates (Justin Phipps & Steve Wyreman). That collection of songs became “Our Country” & it was released on Justin’s small non-profit record label, Redtone Records. They enlisted the help of Brooklyn Basement Records to take it to market. Due to the success of “Our Country” they put out an EP of covers 6 months later called “Race Records” which shined a light on the arbitrary divisions forced upon artists and audiences in the early days of music marketing in the 1940s. Her unique sound deftly blends country, blues, southern rock and even gospel to create a sound and experience that has literally brought every audience to its feet. This new sound along with her warm and soulful spirit catapulted her into a community of change..