KALLAI (pronounced ‘call-eye’) is gearing up to drop a big earthquake with their new single “The Wave” on July 25th. As the first taste of their debut LP “We Are Forever” (out this fall via Little Cloud Records), this track is a heavy storm of shoegaze, alternative edge, and straight-up anarchy.
Drawing inspiration from historian Susan Stryker’s badass essay on embracing monstrosity, this track turns the anger of the oppressed into a wall of sound. Cate Hukle’s vocals are out of this world – haunting yet fierce as hell, slicing through like a ghost with a vendetta. Her voice tangles with David Gross’s towering guitar riffs, creating a swirling mess that hits harder than Portland rain on steroids. And let’s not get started on the rhythm section – these guys aren’t keeping time, they’re obliterating it. Daniel Henderson’s drums come at you like a runaway train, while Brian Wilcher’s bass lurks beneath, ready to shock you like a downed power line.
Production-wise, this thing slams. Recorded partly at Revolver Studios with psych-rock guru Collin Hegna and partly at the band’s own Synthetikit Studio, “The Wave” balances pro polish and DIY grit. The shoegaze foundations are there—swirling guitars, dreamscape textures—but KALLAI injects it with alt-rock muscle and electronic tension. You can hear the promise of the album’s expanded palette lurking in the shadows: strings, piano, and synthetic twists ready to explode on the full LP.
“The Wave” is a battle cry. It’s about turning society’s rejection into fuel, embracing the “monster” within to tear down and rebuild. The track builds from brooding verses into a chorus that feels like cracking the sky open—guitars swelling into squalls, Hukle’s voice soaring above the chaos. It’s KALLAI screaming “screw you” to a world that tried to shut them down.
“The Wave” hits streaming July 25th. Debut LP We Are Forever follows this fall. Cover art by firecolor artist Maya Deane, photographed by Thorn Hawthorne. See how good KALLAI is — play this track NOW.