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Mar 31, 2021 By Caleb Campbell Photography by Sarah Clare Simone

Brooklyn-based musician and writer Kira Metcalf has shared her newest single, “Hoax,” premiering early with Under the Radar. Kira has spent years in the New York DIY scene, writing “vivid emotional narratives with haunting melodies and delicate grit.” Her last releases came in 2019 with her single, “Cheap Kind” as well as You and #MeToo, a zine exploring issues of sexism in creative communities.

Metcalf’s newest release, “Hoax,” has been in the making for years, but only coalesced into its current strident form recently. Though the track first began as a break-up song, it has since shifted context, now read as an empowering anthem against abuse, gaslighting, and repressive capitalist systems. The full band format bolsters Metcalf’s subject matter brilliantly, with Tim Hutcheson (lead guitar), Gabriel Herter (bass), and Daniel Sadowski (drums) all lending a resounding sense of presence to Metcalf’s voice. She soars over top of the explosive instrumental, riding above a galloping guitar riff and a thundering rhythm section. Metcalf herself is also instantly captivating, vividly capturing her inner turmoil in a warning of the hoaxes and false narratives perpetuated by both individuals and systems.

Metcalf says of the track, “I wrote ‘Hoax’ about 8 years ago after a pretty terrible breakup. I wanted to channel all that pain and anger into something fun and empowering. ‘Hoax’ is really about finding your power after someone or something continuously and methodically tries to put you down.” Listen to the song a day early below.