Daily Inspiration: Meet Ian Hicks

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ian Hicks.

Hi Ian, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was born in Toronto, Canada. I grew up across Detroit, Chicago, and Wisconsin before moving to the Bay Area in 2005. In 2016, I moved to LA, I love it here. So many amazing, ambitious, kind-hearted people to be around; it’s inspiring.

In 2015, I started Eko Zu with two of my good friends. They left the project in 2018, and I’ve been flying solo ever since, although collaborations have been frequent.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The music industry is a tough place. It’s a mental mind — I mean, it’s tough on mental health. There’s a lot of gray area in negotiations and not a lot of money to go around, except for the top of the food chain. Pursuing a professional life in music has to come from a place of love because by all outside and rational perspectives, it’s unfair and unforgiving. It takes a special kind of crazy.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Eko Zu represents our inner duality. Our Eko is our highest calling, the best version of ourself. Our Zu is our survivalism, our lizard brain. Eko Zu is the tension between those two.

My sound specializes in Melodic Bass. There is always a strong with a melodic theme underneath the thumping beats and aggressive sound design. I work with vocalists a lot, and I’ve started singing on my tunes as well. At heart though, I’m a producer. Getting the sounds out of my head and into the real world for others to resonate with is why I’m on this planet. Performing the tunes live is one of the absolute best feelings in the world.

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Taking calculated risks is the only way to make significant moves in the world. Since none of us can predict the future with full certainty, we rely on data and intuition to guide our ascent.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://ekozu.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/ekozumusic
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/ekozumusic
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ekozumusic
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNeucCsTg2vau037wIJZ7xA
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/ekozumusic

Image Credits
First image – @joechungphotography Second – @juansolophoto Third – @joechungphotography