This article previously appeared on Audiomack World.

EKKSTACY calls into our interview from Germany during some downtime on tour. He prefers the crowds overseas—they move more to his music. The pop anti-hero released his debut album negative in November 2021, but after that drop, a heavy writer’s block set in. Stacy was worried he’d run out of ideas and creative things to say. “The making shit was fun, but the playing shit was terrible,” he tells Audiomack World. “That’s why my life sucked for a while, but now the making is fun and the playing is more fun.”

In interviews following negative, EKKSTACY remembers being down on himself, talking about quitting music. But a change of scenery, flying out his producer, and buying two guitar pedals—and a healthy dose of screaming about wanting to die—helped Stacy land on the sound for his new album misery, out tomorrow. Inspired by ‘80s goth icons, EKKSTACY cites misery standout “christian death” as the key to unlocking the new, more aggressive tone for this album.

“My producer was in Canada with me, and we were in the garage making songs,” Stacy recalls. “I wanted something heavy, fast, and goth. We made the beat, and that alone blew my mind. We’ve never done anything like that. But then, shit, I had to write to it! I didn’t know what to say. I just started screaming shit. I recorded, without thinking about it. I screamed the hook three times, listened back, and was like, ‘Holy shit!’ That was the first song in that style. I did ‘christian death,’ then ‘i’m so happy,’ and a song not on the album, called ‘hourglass.’”

“christian death” is Stacy’s favorite song he’s ever recorded, and it’s easy to see why. The stacked vocals and the visceral wailing cut deep. There’s such a rush to Stacy screaming, “I just wanna die, I just wanna kill myself” over and over. The pain of his past—psychosis and a suicide attempt at 17—sounds like it could dismember him, but even as he sings, “I hope there’s a pistol in my mouth” you can hear a newfound freedom that eases the tension. misery is EKKSTACY’s best album, and as we talk about making music from the gut he declares: “Everything’s pretty good over here, you know?”

Is there any fear associated with dropping records, or are you just happy to get the music to people?

I was scared to drop “i gave you everything,” because I hadn’t dropped in a long time before I dropped that. I hadn’t dropped since negative in November of last year. On “i gave you everything,” I wrote the lyrics and the guitars. That was the first time I wrote everything for a song. So I was worried, maybe, it would suck. But I love that song! But dude, honestly, if I think something’s crazy, people are going to think it’s crazier because I’m jaded. Even if it takes them a second—they’ll figure it out, you know?

With that in mind, do you think people misunderstand you?

I’m not sure. My songs are blowing up on TikTok. The song “i walk this earth all by myself,” people don’t even know what that song’s about. They put it over the weirdest videos, but it’s cool! People definitely don’t understand a lot of my stuff, but it’s not like the songs have crazy, deep meanings. Just… People use my songs for things I would’ve never imagined, but it’s cool to know it can be anywhere. These songs about wanting to die and doing drugs, and then people put it over their TikTok about buying coffee beans. That’s cool.

How did making misery help you learn more about yourself?

It taught me that I still have a lot of ideas. I was on a really bad writer’s block for a long time. I couldn’t make shit that excited me. All it took was a change of setting and buying a couple of things to spark a whole new sound. All I did was fly out my producer, and we bought two guitar pedals, all of a sudden it’s a whole new energy.

I was worried, for a while, that I couldn’t make music I enjoyed. I was in interviews talking about quitting music. Then I made this album, and it’s like, “Okay, I’m sick!”

It’s just part of being an artist.

I used to not listen to my music at all, but I listen to misery every day. It’s cool to hear it on speakers, but then playing it live…

What’s the best part of the live show?

Playing “christian death” and playing “i just wanna hide my face.” It’s the peak of the show—those are the last two songs. Those songs go crazy. You just feel free when you play those songs. I want my whole set like that.

I’m trying to do some shit where, in the next year, I’m super aggressive and my music is extreme. Obviously wanna have the slow shit, but I want the aggression to take the forefront. I want my shows to be hell; I want people to be scared to go to my shows! Songs like “christian death” will get me there.

You sing about wanting to sleep for 1,000 years. What would be the first thing you do upon waking up?

I’m trying to go outside and see what’s up. All my friends are dead, so that sucks. But… I’m thinking too realistically, but there’s no way the Earth’s even around. But let’s say it is—I’d just wanna go outside. Honestly, I’d rather go back in time as a ghost.