Metagirl & the Earth Passengers hit a real stride with "XO," the third single from their upcoming Trying to Chalk the Sun. Released on November 6, 2026, it follows "Fire It Up" and finds the Brooklyn band, formed in 2016 and led by Erica Rowell, playing fast, scrappy indie rock with a punk bite and a psychobilly edge.
The distorted guitars have a satisfying rasp, and the punchy drums keep the pressure on. Short, clipped chords and ringing distortion give the arrangement enough variety to make that relentless pace exciting. The lead vocal is just as forceful, moving between near-spoken rhythmic lines and sustained melodic singing. There's some grit in the delivery, but the wordless hook is wonderfully catchy, with a thicker vocal sound that makes it stick.
Andros Rodriguez produced, engineered, mixed, and mastered the recording, keeping it tight without smoothing away its abrasive character. The guitars still bite.
The EP takes its title from an Emily Dickinson poem, while "XO" concerns a much more immediate romantic predicament. Rowell explains it plainly.
‘XO’ is about the thrill of almost. Everyone knows that moment when you’re smitten and waiting for the other person to catch up. I wanted to write the song you’d sing in that limbo: fast, a little reckless, and completely sincere.
That impatience comes through in the hurried delivery, and the melodic passages give the frustration a welcome sweetness.
Metagirl & the Earth Passengers have a terrific instinct for making a rough-edged song easy to sing along with.
