The irrepressible force behind powerful doom band King Woman, Kristina Esfandiari has spent the past several years diversifying her talents with numerous projects and guest spots across the darker genres of independent music. From King Woman's crushing 2017 album Created in the Image of Suffering to August's collaboration with Vowws, the singer's refusal to sit still has resulted in a steady output of darkly expressive, hauntingly beautiful music.
Today marks the release of the first video from her other full-time project Miserable, ahead of the Sargent House-backed release of double EP Loverboy / Dog Days. In the video for title track "Loverboy," we see Ensfandiari exact revenge on a man seen pulling the covers off her sleeping body in the opening scene, standing as both overt representation of the constant violation of boundaries in our culture, and a metaphorical symbol of empowerment.
She spoke to Bust about the track, saying, ""I wrote 'Loverboy' as a healing anthem for myself & hopefully other Womxn who have experienced confusion or a sense of inadequacy due to gaslighting & objectification. I don't exist for someone else's pleasure or entertainment and that's essentially what I'm singing in 'Loverboy'. So many of us are made to feel less than human."
Stylistic influences drawn from Giallo horror films like Suspiria make for a gorgeous neon-noir mystery shot between gritty city streets and the baroque stylings of a mysterious residence. The song is deeply touching, a reverb-soaked ballad on self-reflection and finding one's own voice. "There was a time in my life when I felt guilty about the immense amount of internal fury I carried on a daily basis," says Ensfandiari. "I tried to tame it, tried to push it further down. I suppose this release has empowered me to connect with my own anger and frustration. It's caused me to see that my own anger is healthy, absolutely valid and even necessary."
Loverboy / Dog Days is out on Sargent House Records October 26th. Pre-order a copy here, and catch Miserable on a handful of West Coast dates later this year.
10/20 - Los Angeles, CA @ Resident
10/12 - Los Angeles, CA @ Union *
12/13 - San Diego, CA @ Che Café *
* w/ THOU
Track Listing:
1. Loverboy
2. Gasoline
3. Cheap Ring
4. Pain Farm
5. Hotel
6. Fever
7. High
8. Kiss
