Marlon Funaki Announce Half Moon EP With New Song 'Skin'

(WR) Marlon Funaki has shared latest immersive psych-pop dreamscape, "Skin", and announced that he will be releasing his forthcoming Half Moon EP, out March 6th via Warner Records.

The dynamic new single gives Funaki's ever-expanding base the lush feel and sonic unpredictability they've come to expect from the self-made California artist, who freely blends indie rock, psychedelia, and soulful R&B into something completely new and singular.

Funaki is also announcing his spring headlining U.S. Half Moon Tour - kicking off April 14 in Phoenix, Arizona - which will be bookended by a pair of notable festival stops. On March 31, Funaki and his band will perform at the beloved Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival in Okeechobee, Florida. He'll then make his U.K. debut at the indie-centric Great Escape Festival, running May 13-16 in Brighton, England and continues on to his headline UK & Europe tour. Click HERE for ticket/tour information.

"Skin" captures Funaki's live dynamism on tape as the track begins to build with the rhythm section carving out a deep groove amid a swirl of trippy effects and guitar textures. His soothing vocals cut through the analog fuzz, pulling us into an infectious sonic space that he's constructed by recording each instrument himself. Halfway through, everything slows as the song slides into a psychedelic blues, and Funaki invites us to stick around: "Just come and see / That you can be / A friend in me / Just stay and see."

"The song 'Skin' explores the reality of finding oneself. It tells the story of someone who begins to appreciate who they are, flaws and all," explains Funaki. "Rather than encouraging that person to change who they are, the song emphasizes self-acceptance - showing that once someone becomes comfortable in their own skin, they start to recognize the beauty and uniqueness of their character."

It's a fitting sentiment for the independently minded Funaki, who's been steadily growing his audience since he began releasing music six years ago from his hand-built home studio in Redlands, California. His Japanese and Chicano heritage informs his musical and cultural perspective, shaping a sound that reflects deep and disparate influences. He kicked off his current era last month with the velvety "Let You In," which arrived alongside a video capturing Funaki's one-man-band studio approach.

Funaki funded his musical journey by busking on the streets of his hometown. He soon found work at his local Guitar Center and saved up enough money to buy instruments and equipment, mastering multiple self-taught skills along the way. Playing local house parties led to self-promoted warehouse shows that would propel Funaki and his band of friends onto the national club scene - an evolution helped along by the word-of-mouth buzz that followed his self-financed releases: 2020's The Universal Language EP, featuring his first single "Get Out of My Face," followed by his debut album Monterey Village in 2022.

By 2025, Funaki was positioned to win the coveted "Artist on the Rise" slot for the prestigious Luck Reunion Festival held at Willie Nelson's Luck Ranch in Spicewood, Texas. The day after that pivotal set, he dropped his Overdue EP. Before the year was out, he'd toured with country heavyweight Billy Currington and U.K. indie darlings Palace, by then surpassing 1.2 million monthly Spotify listeners. Funaki also sat down with SoundCloud Stories to discuss some key moments in an already dizzying career, and filmed an Audiotree.TV session that brought his enthralling live show to home audiences.

Funaki's been hard at work all the while - stay tuned to see his vision come to life live and on Half Moon EP.

Marlon Funaki Half Moon EP Tracklisting:
1. "Let You In"
2. "Skin"
3. Wish You Well"
4. "Million Things"
5. "Time and Place"

Marlon Funaki Live 2026:
3/21: Okeechobee, FL @ Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival
3/27: Park City, UT @ Peaks & Beats - Canyons Village
4/14: Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
4/15: Tucson, AZ @ 191 Toole
4/16: El Paso, TX @ The Lowbrow Palace
4/18: Fort Worth, TX @ Tulips
4/19: Austin, TX @ Antone's Nightclub
4/21: Tulsa, OK @ The Vanguard
4/22: Fayetteville, AR @ George's Majestic Lounge
4/24: Birmingham, AL @ WorkPlay - Theatre
4/25: Athens, GA @ 40 Watt Club
4/28: Asheville, NC @ Eulogy
4/30: Charleston, SC @ Charleston Pour House
5/01: Wilmington, NC @ Bowstring Burgers & Brewyard
5/02: Norfolk, VA @ The Annex
5/04: Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore Philadelphia - The Foundry
5/14: Brighton, UK @ The Great Escape
5/15: Amsterdam, NL @ London Calling - Paradiso
5/16: Berlin, DE @ Baketown
5/19: Paris, FR @ Supersonic
5/23: Bristol, UK @ Dot to Dot
5/24: Nottingham, UK @ Dot to Dot
5/27: London, UK @ The Lexington

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