Not long ago, alt-pop artist Johnnie Mikel dropped his new single, “I Hope It Hurts,” an appetizer for his forthcoming album, Purgatory, produced by James Michael (Mötley Crüe, Alanis Morissette, Kelly Clarkson). Speaking about the influences on his sound, Mikel says, “My favorite artists and biggest influences are the groundbreaking ones with a message. I love artists that feel like an enigma because they are multi-faceted and always evolving.” Born in Bowling Green, Kentucky, Mikel developed a passion for the art of storytelling and immersed himself in music. According to Mikel, “As a child, I didn’t know many people who had the same interests. I felt very much an artist and an idealist but didn’t know how to claim that identity in the place I was living.” All that changed when his famil...