Miko Marks – Hell Or High Water
Today, Miko Marks releases “Hell or High Water,” the deeply personal title track from her forthcoming LP Hell Or High Water, due October 30 via Redtone Records.
Drawing from the losses and struggles that have shaped her life, Marks looks to the wisdom she has gained, the people she has loved, and the ancestors she carries with her as sources of strength to keep moving forward.
The song reaches back to Marks’ roots in Flint, Michigan, a city she remembers thriving during her youth but has since watched struggle, with much of her family still there. Her own life has brought profound loss as well, including the deaths of her mother and sister and the end of her 29-year marriage. As grief accumulated, Marks found herself struggling with depression and isolation and trying to escape sadness she could not outrun.
“I lost my way and tried to drown my sadness and grief to no avail,” Marks shares. “Depression kicked in and isolation was becoming a friend. Through support and help, I was able to climb out of a self-imposed misery and find my joy again.”
That journey takes on powerful symbolism throughout “Hell or High Water.” The “stone in my pocket” Marks sings of represents the wisdom and inner strength she carries with her, while the “spirits all around me” are her ancestors and loved ones whose presence reminds her to keep moving forward.
“Perseverance could be my middle name,” Marks explains. “Despite my willingness to give up, I have not. I have a ‘stone in my pocket’ that I carry for wisdom and inner strength. The ‘spirits all around me’ are my ancestors, loved ones, and they encourage me to keep going even when things are not as I believe they should be. I will continue to make it through, and I’ll press on through whatever comes my way.”
“Hell or High Water” follows lead single “Death Rolls Like Thunder,” which 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.
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. 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.
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