By: Erika Kellerman
Malcolm Kelley and Tony Oller are MKTO. Some may have heard of them. The multi-platinum recording artists have chart-topping singles like “Classic” and politically charged “Thank You.” In 2016, the duo went on hiatus to work on themselves as individuals and to take a much-needed break. Now, they’re back, recharged, and better than ever with their single “How Can I Forget.” Released on September 7, 2018 via BMG, the moody pop track has reached over 19.6 million streams on Spotify.
“We had the song right before our hiatus,” Kelley said. “We switched things behind the scenes label, partner-wise as well, that took some time but it all just fell into place. We really wanted to give something to the people who have been supporting us with streams and even without new music for about 2 years.”
The concept of the song is the same, but the group restructured and cleaned it up a bit before finishing it completely. “How Can I forget” or “HCIF” was a collective writing experience with songwriters Evan Bogart, Emanuel Kiriakou, Lindy Robbins, Dag Lundberg & August Grant.
“It’s so much easier when we have many different perspectives,” Kelley said, “Like having a lady in the room who can come up with things women can relate to or add small details like ‘clove cigarettes’ [from HCIF]. I think it’s dope to have somebody like that can add to the fun that can relate to so many other people.”
“HCIF” is more or less a homage to fans, to those who waited patiently for MKTO to figure themselves out.
“It was a very cool thing to be able to take a perspective of a song and it be able to work from both angles, one being the relationship but also: ‘how can you forget everything we’ve been through with fans’ with all the experience we’ve had and seeing the support still there,” Oller said, “That was the big part of us coming back. Without the fans, I don’t think it would have worked.”
Oller and Kelley have a high regard for what MKTO fans think about their releases. “At the end of the day, we just want to put out music we enjoy to make.” Oller said, “We hope, obviously as any artist would, somebody likes it.”
He added, “We’re pretty happy with just putting out stuff that we enjoy and staying real. You know, we’re just really happy that everyone liked it, including our fans.” Even if critics didn’t like it, MKTO knows that their fans have their back.
The duo is heavily focusing on what they learned in their past to help with their future, especially in music. Their hiatus, in its entirety, was merely a period of growth; this new era of music is simply a continuation of that growth. While they grew, the “Classic” era is not that much different from the “HCIF” era.
So, what are some things MKTO want to accomplish in this new era? Touring is something the duo can’t wait to get back into doing. They’ve been everywhere and seen almost everything, but they’d love to add more places to the list.
“We’re excited for the journey,” Oller said. “When you’ve been away for a while like we have, you’re anxious to get back out there We love touring. That’s the big part of something we’ve always enjoyed seeing and meeting people in person, hugging them and thanking them. At the end of the day, it’s because of them that we get to do this. We love hanging out with them.”
They also will be releasing new material in the future. MKTO will have new releases, but will they have a 2019 follow up to 2016’s “Thank You?” Only time will tell.
“I have a lot of things that I’d love to say,” Oller said. “I hate when people say why do musicians or actors have to get political? I can see that, but we’re all human beings. We can describe it best through music. If everyone wants to use their voice, they should.”
