Miko Marks Announces New LP HELL OR HIGH WATER on Redtone Records
The record marks her first studio effort since 2022's FEEL LIKE GOING HOME, exploring resilience and healing.
Miko Marks has announced her forthcoming LP, Hell Or High Water, with the release of its lead single, 'Death Rolls Like Thunder.' Due October 30 via Redtone Records, Hell Or High Water is her first new studio album since her acclaimed 2022 release, Feel Like Going Home.
'Death Rolls Like Thunder' uses the Battle of Little Bighorn, also known as Custer's Last Stand, as its setting, drawing on the historic battle to tell a story about resistance in the face of seemingly inevitable defeat. The song casts the forces of greed, ego, and inhumanity as the devil riding in on a pale horse, his army following. Death and destruction appear before the tables turn and the riders who have come to conquer are defeated.
'The battle is an example from our own history about the power of a people defending their land and their right to remain,' Marks explains. 'It's a reminder of people throughout history who have fought against the undoing of their world. People who have found ways to hold on, to resist, to rebuild. Remembering these stories feels so important today, to remind us that we have that same power.'
That refusal to surrender in the face of uncertainty extends throughout Hell Or High Water. Marks leans further into the blues than ever before on the album, drawing on the gospel, country soul, and rock n' roll traditions that have long shaped her music. Produced by and co-written with longtime collaborator Justin Phipps, the record emerged from a period of enormous personal change; in 2024, Marks' 29-year marriage ended amicably, and shortly afterward, she began her journey with sobriety.
Across the album, she moves through loss, uncertainty, injustice, grief, and personal struggle while holding fiercely to hope, healing, and freedom. 'Hell Or High Water is an album about resilience, healing, freedom, and choosing hope in the face of pain,' Marks explains. 'These songs acknowledge the darkness without surrendering to it. I find comfort in nature, music, community, faith, memory, and the simple moments that bring me back to myself.'
For Marks, leaning further into the blues is less a departure than a deeper exploration of traditions that have been present throughout her life and work. Born and raised in Flint, Michigan, Marks is a granddaughter of the Great Migration whose music has long brought country, gospel, blues, and soul together. 'Blues is a part of who I am,' she says.
'It's woven into my upbringing, my experiences, and my musical journey. Joy is still possible. Freedom is still worth pursuing. Peace is still worth searching for,' Marks continues. 'Even when the road is uncertain, there is power within us - and beyond us - that keeps us moving forward.'
Hell Or High Water is out October 30 via Redtone Records.
Tracklist
Ain't Nobody Gonna Bring Me Down
It's Alright
Ease My Mind
Death Rolls Like Thunder
Sweet Mama's Blues
I've Got A Feeling
Reaper Blues
Hell Or High Water Bound To Roam
Freedom
