Ekkstacy has announced his third studio album, ‘Forever’ – listen to new single ‘Keep My Head Down’ below.
The Vancouver artist and former NME Cover star is due to release the record on May 16 via UnitedMasters (pre-order/pre-save here). It’ll follow on from his self-titled second LP, which arrived early last year.
- READ MORE: NME – The Cover: Ekkstacy survived dark times to become an indie star
He had already previewed the forthcoming ‘Forever’ with the song ‘She Will Be Missed’ back in December.
On the tender, acoustic guitar-based ‘Keep My Head Down’, Ekkstacy brings his vocal and songwriting abilities to the forefront as he ushers in the next phase of his career on album three. He adopts a more reflective and stripped-back style on his latest offering.
According to a press release, the full ‘Forever’ record “adds a new level of poise to his emo and post-punk influences, the first of his albums to be recorded in a studio with a full band”. Ekkstacy wrote ‘Forever’ after a period of touring the world in 2024.
The project will see the musician retain “the signature off-the-wall energy of his discography”, but dig deeper into “emo influences” such as Japandroids and Remo Drive.
“He’s telling similar stories of youthful struggles as he’s done on past albums, this time with a refined perspective focused on overarching themes of the experiences and lessons that lead to newfound maturity,” a description reads.
“With ‘Forever’, Stacy is ascending and refreshed, with a strong command of his sound and utilising all of his artistic strengths to their fullest potential.”
Sharing the official cover artwork on social media, Ekkstacy told fans that ‘Forever’ was his “favourite album” yet.
“I’m trying to write something perfect about it but obviously that’s not my fucking job I’m not a writer,” he continued. “I wrote this record in Vancouver (mostly) and recorded it in LA. First time I’ve written at home since ‘Misery’ and ‘Negative’. It was a beautiful process, it felt natural.
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“Somehow making this album was easy. It was fucking fun. I wanted to make it. I hit what felt like rock bottom 1000 times. But I needed to. This record is about that. It’s something else and it’s special. Love you guys. ‘FOREVER’ coming soon.”
Ekkstacy was recently nominated for Breakthrough Artist Of The Year at the JUNO Awards 2025. Last year, he surpassed 300million streams with his breakout track ‘I Walk This Earth All By Myself’.
During his Cover interview with NME in 2023, Ekkstacy spoke about the frustration he felt when attempting to stick to one genre. “I get bored so fast,” he explained at the time.
“When I box myself into one sound and try and make an album, I just explode and get fucking angry, because I can’t do it. I don’t know how bands make these albums that are 12, 13, 14 tracks long, and they all sound the same, the same tones, the same structures… that would drive me fucking insane.”
He also told NME about his plan to make “four or five really cohesive EPs” in the hope “that one of them sticks”.
Ekkstacy added: “Knowing what you want to do is more than half of the battle. That’s why [2024 record ‘Ekkstacy’] was such a beast at times. As soon as I’d finished this album, I’d figured out so much shit, and I’d been to so many new places. I appreciate that now.”
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