Kevin Bronson on January 24th, 2017

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When San Diego native Kera Armendariz began releasing music as Kera & the Lesbians in 2011, she called it “bipolar folk.” It’s become evident since then that there are more than two forces at work on Armendariz’s planet, which spins wildly and gleefully from folk to rock to soul to pop to “gypsy-punk” (another oft-used descriptor for her). Kera & the Lesbians’ output hasn’t been what one might expect, mainly because the frontwoman has been an in-demand side player for other artists, but Armendariz and collaborator Michael Delaney mustered a self-titled full-length album a year ago, although it was released without much fanfare.

Now comes the torchy “I’m Late,” produced by Jon Joseph Polluck and featuring folk trio the Wild Reeds on backup vocals and Aaron Sterling on percussion. It’s one of several singles the band plans to release this year. File this one under: Cabaret tropicale for a wordless Lynchian breakup scene. “This song came almost effortlessly,” Armendariz says. “I remember writing it as she was swimming in the pool, watching her and realizing how lucky I was at that moment. Lucky to know someone who believed, challenged and brought out the best in me in the nine years of knowing her. I realized long ago that not all relationships last. Coming and going in waves, that all you can really do is appreciate the time spent in one another’s lives. It will always be heartbreaking no matter how much time passes losing someone you deeply care about. I wrote it for you, for me, for us.”

||| Stream: “I’m Late”

||| Live: Kera & the Lesbians play the Valentine’s Day installment of the Reggie Watts & Karen residency at the Satellite on Feb. 14. Tickets. They also open for Hurray for the Riff Raff on March 13 at the Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever. Tickets go on sale Friday.