Photo by Tania Apolinar
Kristina Esfandiari’s journey to actually get her record together literally was lit… and not in a good way, the Hard drive caught on fire. Through paths of determination she has delivered _Loverboy_, an EP of songs of sadness and strengths. Her fire further fueled by loneliness and the exploration of previous traumas. The King Woman vocalist taker her rebelious stance going in between scornful and fragile showing a range that is primal in the most relatable senseWe got ahold of her while on her tour to have her explain her give us a run down on creating her EP.
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**Growing up I’d go to various shows and every single time I’d see someone on a stage something inside of me would be overthrown with desire to be a performer.**
I used to be unbelievably shy but felt compelled regardless. A friend eventually purchased a guitar and gifted it to me saying “you need to be on a stage.”
**What inspired you to become a songwriter or musician? Is there any influence that might surprise?**
My crucial influences: Yves Tumor, Prince, James Brown, Frank Ocean
**Do you remember the first song you wrote?**
I do remember the first song I ever wrote. I wrote it on a broken guitar. It was called ‘Mount Zion’ and was actually quite good.
**Do you consider yourself a diaristic songwriter? How does songwriting fit into the process of healing from trauma?**
Miserable is more diaristic than my other projects. For me it’s just one of many ways to process trauma and really aids in my mental wellbeing. Staying busy is critical for my mental health.
**Your latest EP Loverboy was written during a brief residency in Brooklyn - How has New York influenced your process?**
I actually wrote it on a plane back to NYC. I was supremely lonely during that period of time. I was feeling deeply isolated in Brooklyn and it forced me to dig deeper than usual in my songwriting abilities. It was a grim season of my life.
**You're also the vocalist for King Woman - Is the process for working in a group different from writing on your own? How do you navigate writing about the self in a group setting?**
Working on my own can be boring but it’s easier to get things done when there is only one person involved. I’m not a fan of waiting on other people which is why I do a lot of projects alone and write alone. King Woman is very collaborative but at the end of the day it’s my vision and lyrics. It’s not too difficult to work on songs with a groups of people. We’ve been working together for years so we have a flow.
**Your song “Gasoline” lives on the edge of modern pop - What lead you to explore those aesthetics? Do you see yourself releasing a pop record?**
I write intuitively and that’s naturally what surfaced. I would consider Dog Days to be a pop EP. I love pop. I most certainly see myself releasing many pop records.
**Lastly, Your latest EP “Loverboy” is dropping soon along with a reissue of your first EP “Dog Days” - Is there anything more you can tease?**
My dear friend Mitch Wells of Thou directed a video for ‘Loverboy’ & and I’m elated. It came together beautifully.
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**Miserable, on tour:**
August 2 Los Angeles, CA @ Resident \*
August 3 San Francisco, CA @ Thee Parkside \*
August 4 Oakland, CA @ Eli’s Mile High Club \*
August 5 Sacramento, CA @ Blue Lamp \*
August 6 Chico, CA @ Duffy’s \*
August 7 Portland, OR @ Black Water \*
August 8 Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore \*
August 9 Seattle, WA @ Vera \*
August 10 Reno, NV @ Holland Project \*
September 1 Fresno, CA @ Strummers
\* w/ Death Bells, Fearing
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