California psych-pop shapeshifter Marlon Funaki shares his immersive new single “Skin” and announces the forthcoming ‘Half Moon’ EP, out March 6 via Warner Records. Blending indie rock, psychedelia, and soulful R&B, Funaki continues to build a sound that feels fluid and unmistakably his own. “Skin” follows last month’s velvety “Let You In,” setting the stage for a five-track release that captures his restless creative energy.
Built from instruments he recorded himself, “Skin” channels his live dynamism into a studio setting. The groove deepens as layers of guitar textures swirl, then the song slips into a psychedelic blues passage midway through. “The song ‘Skin’ explores the reality of finding oneself,” Funaki explains. “Rather than encouraging that person to change who they are, the song emphasizes self-acceptance.”
Raised in Redlands, California, Funaki funded his early recordings by busking and working at Guitar Center, building a home studio piece by piece. His Japanese and Chicano heritage informs a wide musical lens that stretches from 2020’s The Universal Language EP to 2022’s Monterey Village. By 2025, he earned the “Artist on the Rise” slot at Luck Reunion Festival and toured with Billy Currington and Palace, surpassing 1.2 million monthly listeners.
The ‘Half Moon’ EP tracklisting is as follows:
- “Let You In”
- “Skin”
- “Wish You Well”
- “Million Things”
- “Time and Place”
Funaki’s 2026 live dates include:
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