Genre is of little worry for LA-based artist King Isis, having dipped into everything from grunge and alt-rock to alt-pop and R&B. Their latest single and video, “MONKI,” falls into the former category, dropping just ahead of their now ongoing supporting slot for singer Mehro on their first tour, with an LA stop at El Rey on March 21.
The Oakland native comes from a long line of musicians, which includes Omega King, a prominent Black opera singer and King’s great-great-grandmother. Omega King is also where they draw their stage name, a nod to their background, and aim to similarly trailblaze in the modern day.
However, through and through, their music is shaped by an ever-developing exploration of identity, which was established on their previous EP scales and will continue on their follow-up, shed, also on March 21. Without losing sight of their upbringing in Oakland, Isis is looking to the future with shed and getting rid of the scales from the past, settling into an alt-rock ambush inspired by real-life experiences on “MONKI.”
Alternating between moments of relative alt-pop calm and unrelenting rock bursts, Isis sings candidly over a 90s grunge-inspired guitar riff born out of a rough period for Isis. The reverberated vocals and instruments are pristine in production, inadvertently fueling cathartic explosions during the rapturous chorus. But it’s the delivery of the message at the center of “MONKI” which exemplifies what makes Isis different.
ARTISTS YOU SHOULD KNOW
BEST NEW MUSIC
According to Isis, “MONKI” came out of a traumatic time attending church with their mother, saying, “There was a time in my childhood when I’d join her at her Bible study and hear people equate being gay with mental illness. It damaged me and made it hard to accept myself.” Given the difficult subject matter, some might think shed will be made up of other explorations into the past.
But both shed and scales before it took inspiration from Borderlands/La Frontera, a semi-autobiographical essay by Gloria E. Anzaldúa that prominently uses serpents as a metaphor for identity and a positive symbol for change. True to the book’s dissection and blueprint for an improved sense of self, “MONKI” was a necessary step for Isis to take as a person and artist.
“‘MONKI’ is a song written in a space of rejection, pushing back against narratives and ideologies that were placed upon me to confine,” they said. “I wrote ‘MONKI’ as a sonic representation of taking up space as my full authentic self.”
Words: David Sosa
“MONKI” by King Isis is out on streaming services. For more on their upcoming EP and tour dates, including an LA date at El Rey on March 21, follow them on Instagram, TikTok, and Bandcamp.
King Isis Tour Dates
2/22 – Chicago, IL – Subterranean
2/24 – Philadelphia, PA – MilkBoy
2/25 – Cambridge, MA – The Middle East Upstairs
2/28 – Brooklyn, NY – Baby’s All Right
3/2 – Washington, DC – Songbyrd Music House and Record Cafe
3/4 – Nashville, TN – The End
3/5 – Atlanta, GA – Vinyl
3/7 – Houston, TX – House of Blues Bronze Peacock
3/9 – Dallas, TX – Dada
3/12 – Denver, CO – Moon Room
3/14 – Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court
3/17 – Seattle, WA -The Crocodile – Madame Lou’s
3/18 – Portland, OR – Holocene
3/20 – San Francisco, CA – Cafe Du Nord
3/21 – Los Angeles, CA – El Rey
3/24 – San Diego, CA – House of Blues Voodoo Room
3/25 – Phoenix, AZ – The Rebel Lounge
This post may contain affiliate links. Ads and affiliate links are how independent blogs like Grimy Goods can operate. Thank you for supporting our work and being a part of our music community.
