KRISTINA ESFANDIARI RELEASES DOUBLE-EP AS MISERABLE The King Woman singer kneels at the altar of pop and grunge with Loverboy / Dog Days, which is available today from Sargent House.
“In between scornful and fragile showing a range that is primal in the most relatable sense…” -Flaunt
“You can hear the vulnerability in her inflictions as she commands the attention of her audience through her ownership of self.” -BUST
“…chars the surface right at your feet through her version of a rumbling indie rocker carved from scathing recollections of love requited and torn apart, emotions still burning raw to the touch.” – Recommended Listen
Kristina Esfandiari continues to blaze forth as one of alternative music’s most prolific forces— a journey that only grows fiercer with the release of her double-EP Loverboy / Dog Days todayvia Sargent House. Released under the moniker Miserable, Esfandiari leans on the pillars of shoegaze, alternapop, and grunge to conjure a spectral haze of mood and melody. Loverboy / Dog Days is streaming everywhere today (listen now on Bandcamp or Spotify).
Esfandiari has teased the full capacity of Miserable with the gloriously forlorn “Gasoline” and the guitar-driven jounce of “Loverboy.” The eight songs unleashed today run the gamut of self-possession, brutal yearning, and spiritual brutalism—all piloted by Esfandiari’s wispy, smoldering vocals. Recorded in differing states of her personal and artistic evolution, the Dog Days / Loverboy duo serves as a riveting cross-section of an artist who has only grown bolder with time.
Loverboy was carved from scribbled melodies and hardscrabble song sketches during a time of geographical and emotional flux. Plagued by destruction (the first iteration of Loverboy went down in flames—quite literally—thanks to a malfunctioned hard drive), the reimagining of these tracks are infused with a grit and seediness that would have never surfaced otherwise. Dog Days is a much wilier beast—it was borne from a weeklong bender in Brooklyn, fueled by Esfandiari’s desire to attack her craft from a more “upbeat” slant. And indeed, there is comfort to be found in the shimmering dream pop of Dog Days, which was remastered for Sargent House by Heba Kadry (Björk, Beach House).
Miserable will be taking their songs from the studio to the stage for select dates this winter —shows are listed below. Order a copy of Loverboy / Dog Days here.
Miserable, Loverboy / Dog Days Track Listing:
1. Loverboy
2. Gasoline
3. Cheap Ring
4. Pain Farm
5. Hotel
6. Fever
7. High
8. Kiss
Miserable — On Tour:
November 15 Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon *Record Release Party*
December 12 Los Angeles, CA @ Union ^
December 13 San Diego, CA @ Che Café ^
^ w/ THOU
Top photo by Tania Apolinar.