Queens, NY indie-soul duo HOAX arrive this year with their latest single, “more than you know.” It follows a slew of 2019 singles including last November’s release of “unconditional.” These singles are leading up to the band’s long-awaited and much-anticipated debut album b? slated for an August 2020 release.
“more than you know” reveals another coating to HOAX’s versatile soundscape. It’s a wistful, poignant slice of multifaceted alt-pop music. The musical foundations here stretch to an era long ago, but HOAX’s nostalgic sonic inflections remain as relevant as ever. On “more than you know,” lead vocalist Mike Raj sings with a clement lilt as he yearns for something just out of reach. Bassist Frantz N. Cesar adds tender bass lines allowing listeners to find warmth within these cozy melodies as if a blanket was wrapping them up on a brisk evening. The narrative behind “more than you know” is influenced by Raj’s personal upbringing as it explores the contrasts between traditional arranged marriages (what he’s witnessed firsthand) and modern romances via dating apps.
Catching up with HOAX’s frontman Mike Raj via email, he went deeper into the meaning behind the band's new single. “‘more than you know’ is about the unspoken acknowledgements, understandings, and sacrifices in love over the readily observable and easily said aspects. The initial inspiration for the lyrics stemmed from exploring the parallels between my parents’ traditional arranged marriage — where your parents find you a best match — and modern dating app romances — where an algorithm finds you the best match. Growing up on cartoons and shows where marriage is glamorized as the result of passionate love, I was almost embarrassed about my parents' marriage. They obviously had a choice in the matter, but it was based more so on blind trust in their parents’ intuitions.”
HOAX, which formed in 2016 during college at Hofstra University, is the creative partnership between Michael Raj and Frantz N. Cesar. "more than you know" marks their fifth single off the forthcoming debut LP b?, a record that investigates the clash between being vs. doing within a larger and more complex narrative.
