Metagirl & the Earth Passengers is a Brooklyn-based rock collective led by Erica Rowell, a songwriter who has been active on the New York City music scene since 2016. Equal parts melodic urgency and lyrical substance, the band's sound layers driving rhythms and interlocking guitars beneath songs that tackle life, love, art, and the occasional brush with quantum physics. Think Buzzcocks meet The Specials — with touches of R.E.M. and Kim Deal.

The Indie Grid called their latest single “Fire It Up” “a track that refuses to surrender to cynicism,” while Savoy Truffle Tunes praised its “genre-blurring genius.” MusikePOOL wrote that the song “burns with the spirit of classic ska-punk,” and Lost In The Manor described it as “urgent with a playful, fun energy.” Metagirl's songs blend blues, jazz, funk, punk, and ska into an eclectic, unmistakably their own sound.

By turns liberating and urgent, Metagirl's songs revel in wordplay, with memorable lines that audiences often quote back. “There'll be another Gary!” and “A glass of whiskey and a shot of beer” have become fan favorites.

A fixture on the New York live circuit, Metagirl & the Earth Passengers has performed at some of the city's most respected independent venues, including The Bitter End, Pete's Candy Store, Pianos, and Shrine, building a reputation for high-energy sets that leave little room for indifference—or for standing still.

Now entering a new chapter, Metagirl & the Earth Passengers is set to release Trying to Chalk the Sun in 2026, produced, engineered, mixed, and mastered by multi-platinum Grammy winner Andros Rodriguez. The collection is led by “I Don't Care,” released April 17, followed by the ska rocker “Fire It Up,” released July 10 and debuting on WFUV 90.7 FM on July 9—both from a project that has spent nearly a decade finding its voice and has clearly found it.