Endearments - "Empress"

Brooklyn songwriter Kevin Marksson emerged from a bit of a musical hiatus earlier this year with a new musical identity and a fresh take on the dream pop sound that he meticulously developed with prior projects like Saint Marilyn. Following the dissolution of that band, his initial releases as Endearments attempted to wrangle with the associated heartache and listlessness, while also allowing room to heal and grow. With these themes serving as the thematic springboard of previous Song of the Week “Left Side” and it’s follow up “Anica,” Marksson finds himself delving deeper into the harrowing abyss of these feelings on his latest effort, “Empress,” the second single from his forthcoming EP, Father of Wands. “Empress” is a twinkling pool of synths and emotion, with a flow and rhythm that ebbs and flows at first, but steadily builds to a more buoyant climax, where the wallowing uncertainty of Marksson’s words transforms into a powerful realization. This pierces through in the final refrain: “I know that you could never hold that above me. Because, my love, you've been living in a fantasy.”

Stream the track below!

You can pre-order Father of Wands on limited edition cassette via Bandcamp. “Empress” and the rest of the Endearments catalog is also available on Spotify Keep up with the band by following them on Instagram and liking them on Facebook.

Photo by Rita Iovine