Kiosk

Kiosk originated as an underground Iranian rock outfit. Lineup adjustments eventually produced its present roster of Arash Sobhani on guitars and vocals, Anoush Khazeni on backing vocals and guitars, Babak Khiavchi on guitars, Ali Kamali on bass, Ardalan Payvar on keyboards, Shahrouz Molaei on drums, and Mardjan K on backing vocals. The group’s signature approach centers on slang-filled, casual, and humorous lyrics, which bandleader Sobhani crafts from everyday occurrences and sociopolitical commentary.

Its debut release, Adam-e Ma'mooli (Ordinary Man), appeared in 2006. Because the members remained scattered until they converged in the United States, the album was tracked, mixed, and mastered across scattered basements and residential studios worldwide. Once the musicians relocated to the U.S., they issued their follow-up, Eshgh-e Sor'at (Amor de la Velocidad) (Love of Speed), in 2007. Both Adam-e Ma'mooli and Eshgh-e Sor'at, issued via Bamahang Productions, rank among the top-selling Iranian titles in the online marketplace to date. The clip for the title track “Eshgh-e Sor'at,” helmed by Ahmad Kiarostami—the son of award-winning Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami—had surpassed a quarter-million views on YouTube by 2007.

While the band’s sound sits within rock and blues, its thematic choices and sharp-witted words also align it with political comedy rock acts. Since settling in the United States, Kiosk has maintained an active touring schedule. The street vernacular woven into its songs reflects language currently spoken in Iran, rendering portions less immediately accessible to listeners who departed years earlier; nevertheless, the music has drawn strong interest from young Iranians across the U.S., including those born abroad.

Kiosk joined a panel titled “Art, Politics, Culture, and the Underground Music Scene in Iran,” organized by The Crown Center for Middle East Studies at Brandeis University and The Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University, where the group represented Iranian underground music.