Hoax (stylized as HOAX) is an American indie pop band originating in Long Island, New York. The band is led by Michael P. Raj (vocals) and Frantz N. Cesar (bass).

History

Michael P. Raj, of Indian descent, and Frantz N. Cesar, of Haitian and Puerto Rican descent, met while studying at

Hofstra University Hofstra University is a private university in Hempstead, New York. It is Long Island's largest private university. Hofstra originated in 1935 as an extension of New York University (NYU) under the name Nassau College – Hofstra Memorial of Ne ...

in 2015. The two bonded and began creating music together in Raj's basement apartment in Long Island, New York. Cesar recruited his friends Jacob and Kevin Lopez to play drums and guitar, respectively. Paul Brower was then recruited as second guitarist. Songwriting and arrangements are primarily handled by Raj and Cesar. Hoax released their debut single "Beach House" in July 2016. Their second single "Indian Summer" was released in September 2016 and peaked at #41 on Spotify's UK Viral Top 50 Chart. On June 16, 2017, Hoax released their first EP, ''The Truth and Other Lies.'' On September 29, 2017, the band released their second EP ''words that end with wh(y)''. On August 31, 2018, Hoax released "Moon Moon Baby" which peaked at #150 on the

iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...

Alternative Charts in France. The band released "Grow" on September 28, 2018, which Earmilk compared to

Bee Gees The Bee Gees were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio were especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in the disco music era in ...

and praised for having "a vintage feel while still maintaining to stay current." Brower and the Lopez brothers then left the band. Raj and Cesar continued as a duo and announced the full-length album ''b?'', that has been released in 2020.

Musical style and influences

Hoax is primarily labeled as a pop rock band but has been described as "empathy pop" and "the sound of beautiful sadness." Their musical style has been described as embodying a "strong sensibility for humanity and ... using their music to showcase and inspire empathy and kindness to others." Raj has cited Frank Ocean, Kendrick Lamar, Kanye West, The Doors, and Arctic Monkeys as inspiration, and that his greatest influences come from the writing of Ernest Hemingway and

T.S. Eliot Thomas Stearns Eliot (26 September 18884 January 1965) was a poet, essayist, publisher, playwright, literary critic and editor.Bush, Ronald. "T. S. Eliot's Life and Career", in John A Garraty and Mark C. Carnes (eds), ''American National B ...

. He has also cited

Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Spie ...

, Christopher Nolan, and

David Fincher David Andrew Leo Fincher (born August 28, 1962) is an American film director. His films, mostly psychological thrillers and biographical dramas, have received 40 nominations at the Academy Awards, including three for him as Best Director. Fin ...

as inspirations, stating that their "cinematic visions really impacted my perspective on the importance of storytelling."

Discography

Singles

* "Beach House" (2016) * "Indian Summer" (2016) * "Pretty" (2017) * "Barely" (2017) * "Moon Moon Baby" (2018) * "Grow" (2018) * "Unamerican Dream" (2019) * "Could" (2019) * “Someday” (2023) * “Clouds” (2023) * “Into the Blackhole” (2023)

EPs

*''The Truth and Other Lies'' (2017) *''words that end with wh(y)'' (2017) *''b? sides'' (2019)

Albums

*''b?'' (2020)

References

External links

* {{Authority control 2016 establishments in New York (state) Musical groups established in 2016 Musical groups from Long Island Hofstra University alumni Indie rock musical groups from New York (state) Indie pop groups from New York (state)