Ese’ & Zain is a production project founded by Hot Nerds drummer/singer Nathan Joyner, formerly of now-defunct All Leather and Some Girls, along with his girlfriend and bandmate Alia Jyawook (Hot Nerds, Vaginals, Bitter Sober, Ana/, Kata). His former All Leather/Some Girls bandmate Justin Pearson (ReTox) occasionally guests.
Joyner and Pearson also play together in the band Leg Lifters, and they toured Europe in 2011 with the reunited 1990s screamo band Swing Kids, renamed Blue Note, with Joyner sitting in for the late Eric Allen, who died in 1998.
In early 2012, Ese’ & Zain landed a bimonthly residency in Mexico, playing Yourevolution Bar in Tijuana beginning February 25. Then, in September 2012, Joyner was walking home from work when he was hit by a car while crossing Washington Street at Cleveland in Hillcrest. Suffering life-threatening injuries, including a serious head wound, several local benefits were staged to help him raise money during his lengthy recovery.