Marlon Funaki spoke to Kapoorhouse ahead of the release of his new EP Half Moon.

Earlier this week, Marlon Funaki joined us to discuss his newest EP, Half Moon. His first body of work released with Warner Records, the EP is a meeting point between his musical past and future, combining the forces of funk, psychedelic rock, and intimate songwriting and steeped in the unmistakable Western aesthetics of his hometown. Read ahead to learn about the progression of his sound, what he’s looking forward to as he prepares to embark on his first European tour, his advice for fellow artists, and more.  

Marlon Funaki by Sophie Jones

Kapoorhouse: Where are you calling from today? 

Marlon Funaki: I’m calling from home. Highland, California. Little small town in California. 

KH: Nice. You got anything going on? I know the EP is out in a couple of days, so that’s really exciting. How are you preparing for that? 

MF: We have a show on Saturday that’s kind of like an EP release show, so we have rehearsals coming up in a few days, so those are gonna be all-day kind of rehearsals. But yeah, I’m excited for the show. It’s gonna be cool to perform these live for the first time, work the kinks out before some bigger shows later on this year. That’s how we’re prepping for the release of this mainly. We have some content days and stuff like that, but this show is kind of top of the list. 

KH: Cool, cool. How are you feeling about getting these songs out into the world?

MF: I’m feeling great. I think this was a project that I was really excited for. It was a long time in the making, close to maybe six, seven months. Now that they’re finally being pushed out, I’m super stoked. 

KH: It’s a really great set of songs. I’ve listened to it several times now, and I’ve been going through your discography to prepare to talk to you today, and it’s so interesting how your sound has kind of shifted shade by shade over the years. You’ve got this great balance between elements of soul and psychedelia, but also there’re more ballad-y songs on the EP and this strong emotional core. I’d love to know a little more about your process approaching the EP and why these songs specifically are grouped together. 

MF: I think this was headed toward less of a cohesive-feeling body of work and more toward where I want the next album to head. I wouldn’t wanna say that they’re super tied together in a sense of an overall meaning of a project, but I think they’re more kind of explaining what I want to have my music start feeling like, the next phase of my genres, I guess you could say. I’ve been writing quite a bit of slower, kind of emotional music in the past and I think with summertime coming up it’s time to get a little bit faster. A little bit more moving. 

KH: I definitely see that transition throughout the EP. The first couple songs you’re very cool, and they’ve got a lot of very sleek elements to them. Then you hit the middle song “Wish You Well” which slows it down, and things get almost singer-songwriter-y on “Million Things,” and then the last one, “Time and Place,” sort of encapsulates all of that to a degree, so it’s very cool to see that transition point, and a it’s good touchpoint before the album to see what’s coming up. I am curious, with the two singles that are already out, what’s the process for deciding how to introduce the EP? How do you pick those specific songs?

MF: I think “Let You In” was more of the straggler. It feels a lot different compared to the EP and I wanted to put that one out first because I’d actually been sitting on that song for closer to three years. It was pretty much done, but I was just finding the right time to release it because at the time we were touring pretty heavy and we were touring some older music, and with that song I didn’t feel like people were gonna be like, “Oh, that’s a Marlon song.” I felt like it was gonna be different, so I feel like finding the right time to introduce that to the fans was a big deal. That was a time in my life–and I still am–really, really into 70s afrofunk, soul, and that’s what kind of inspired me to put that song out. “Skin” was more so that faster style of music that I want the album to head toward, so I felt like it was a good balance of both. You had your soul and meaningful lyrics in “Let You In” and then “Skin” is like, “alright let’s move, let’s dance, let’s jump around.”

KH: I like all the variety you’ve got going on. Do you have a song on the EP that has a favorite moment or a lyric that feels the most important to you, having both of those vibes focusing in different directions? What feels like the high point to you?

MF: I think “Time and Place.” There’s a specific part in the middle, I guess you could call it the bridge of the song, where I grab a voice memo that my grandma had sent me, and I put that in there, and I think that’s the highlight of the whole EP. Obviously “Million Things” is the focus track because it’s such a meaningful song that I wrote and it was very vulnerable, but I feel like if I was to pick one part of the whole EP, it would probably be that part in “Time and Place.”

KH: I was gonna ask if it was your grandma because I kind of got that sense about it. Even though I don’t understand Spanish and understand what she’s saying, I can tell that it’s the emotional climax of the EP in a way. That whole song is so cinematic almost, and that really just drives it home. I love that part of the song. Was there a song that you found to be particularly challenging? Was one more difficult to write or record than the others?

MF: “Million Things” was slightly more challenging because it really made me slow down my vocal process. You mentioned it felt like a more singer-songwriter style of song, and I feel like my past songs are faster music where the volume of my vocals is a little louder. With that one I had to really quiet down and work on hitting specific notes and making an emotion out of those vocal chains, so that one was a little trickier recording. It took a few takes, for sure.  

KH: I know songs can be like that. Sometime they take a lot of work out of you, and sometimes it seems like they come out of nowhere, just dropped onto your plate, so it’s interesting to hear which ones are that way and which are the other way. Was there one that was that way where it just came to you super easily and the whole process was streamlined?

MF: I’d probably say “Time and Place.” The whole idea of the song, bass, drums, guitar, vocals, came to me in like 30 minutes. I think I recorded the full demo in maybe two hours. That one really felt like it flowed super, super well. 

KH: That definitely makes me excited for the upcoming record, knowing that that direction is where you’re going. Do you have a lot of songs you’re sitting on right now in preparation for that or are they to come?

MF: I don’t wanna say I have a lot, but I do have quite a few voice memos in my phone of just myself and my acoustic guitar that I’m really excited to start diving into writing the bass tracks and guitar and drum tracks and stuff like that for, but no full songs that I’m fully finished on. 

KH: Gotchu. Well, talking more about your process, I am curious because I think this is your first release post-singing to a big label, right? 

MF: Yeah, “Let You In” and “Skin” were the first singles that we released with Warner. This is the first body of work. 

KH: I know you were doing the independent artist hustle for many years before that, totally DIY, just you making everything. So I’m wondering since signing and having more opportunities for collaboration and extra support, has that changed your process at all? 

MF: Definitely. It’s still a grind in its own ways, but with the help of Warner it’s just been phenomenal, whether that’s stuff I’m not really too niche on, whether that’s the social media side of things or setting up photoshoots and content days which I think is a vital aspect of any musicians career in this day and age now. Without them my social media would be pretty rough, so they help a lot in that aspect and setting up meetings with producers and stuff like that. It’s been a really cool experience to open up the world of new minds in the musical world, implementing ideas or like, “Hey, this would go well there or I feel like this.” It alleviates a lot of weight off of my shoulders and helps me hone back down in on what I feel like I should be doing most, which is creating music. It’s great in that aspect. 

KH: I love to hear that. I could imagine that it would definitely be a relief to have some of that weight taken off your shoulders or some of those tasks removed from your plate, but I can also see an aspect to where it might add a little bit of pressure, or after doing it on your own for so long it might be a strange feeling to kind of relinquish control in some ways, so I’m glad that it’s been helpful for you instead. 

MF: Absolutely, it’s been great. 

KH: You also have your first headline tour coming up. That’s exciting. Congratulations on that. Is there anything in particular you’re looking forward to for that?

MF: Thank you very much. I think driving on the opposite side of the road. I think that’s gonna be pretty cool. I’ve never done that. Cars with steering wheels on the other side are gonna be really interesting. No, no, I’m just kidding. It’s so insane to me that when we first announced these shows, I was very nervous in the sense that I'd never even been to London or Europe in general. It’s cool to see how far that music has traveled, especially with me being from a really small city in California. Seeing these shows across a massive ocean sell out in a day is wild. It’s really cool to see, it’s really interesting to see, and it really just goes to show how powerful social media is now and touring and putting your music out there and putting yourself out there. It’s huge. I’m really just interested to see the way of life out there and how people are. The food, the wine. Just seeing how these venues are and how people react to the music. I’d say if I could put it in a bubble that’s mainly what I’m excited for. 

KH: You said you haven’t been overseas before? This is your first time for everything? 

MF: Yeah, yeah, this is my first time for everything. 

KH: Wow. You have a city you’re most looking forward to?

MF: I wanna say London. I’m really excited for London. I feel like a lot of my influences and inspirations as far as 90s rock, 90s grunge have been bands or artists from London. I’m really excited to see if any inspiration sparks out there while I’m there. Or not. Just to see the place is gonna be exciting. 

KH: London definitely has a disproportionate amount of good music coming out of it, so that’ll be cool to be in that environment. What are some of those influences you’re referring to?

MF: They’re a–I don’t wanna say newer artist–but a band that we were fortunate enough to tour with called Palace. I wanna say they’re based out of London if I’m not mistaken. Just that style of music and their lyrics and their composition are magnetic. They really hooked me and I would say have quite a bit of inspiration on some of the stuff I’m writing. But there’re mountains of artists out there that are coming out, even still now. If I’m not mistaken, is Olivia Dean from Europe? 

KH: Yes, yes, she’s British I’m pretty sure. 

MF: Like her music is phenomenal. It’s amazing. Not the style of music people would associate my style of music with, but just inspiration as far as like, she’s got some gnarly basslines and vocal runs that are just out of this world. It’s just so good. Europe has a lot of very talented musicians, so hopefully while I’m there I get to run into some of them. 

KH: Absolutely. More influences can only help, even if they’re not totally in line with your sound. It can only be good for you to be exposed to that, so that’s definitely something to look forward to. 

MF: Without a doubt. 

KH: I do remember you mentioning in an interview I looked at that Palace was one of your dream collaborators. Didn’t you actually go on tour with them recently?

MF: Yeah, we did. It was a seven to eight show tour here in the U.S., and I mean…what an experience. I’m happy for them, them being a band from London, and seeing the rooms they’re playing out here is super inspiring. Stepping on those stages in front of anywhere from 2,000 to 5,000 people was just a phenomenal experience. Hearing them live and hearing them during their soundchecks was such an emotional thing. Actually Leo [Wyndham], the lead singer, co-wrote the song “Million Things” with me, so it’s really exciting to put that out into the world, as well. He wrote the second verse’s part as well as some parts of the bridge on that song, so it’s gonna be cool to sing that live and maybe out in London have him come to a show or hear it. It’s gonna be exciting. 

KH: That is exciting. I guess you have to come up with a new dream collaborator now, though. You’ve already gone through the first one. 

MF: I know, I know. My thing was now that that happened I can retire and be cool now. 

KH: You’ve hit the pinnacle. 

MF: Exactly. But they’re just great people. Super cool to work with them. Very easy to work with and very humble musicians. 

KH: Amazing. And you’ve got the U.S. tour coming up, too, very soon, so are you guys hitting any new cities?

MF: Yeah, quite a few. We went on tour with a bigger country artist named Billy Currington, and we ran some of that route last year as an opener, so it’s gonna be cool to see that reflected with some of these headline shows. It’s gonna be from California to the south side of the U.S., and then all the way to the east coast ending in New Jersey, and then from there flying directly to the UK. It’s gonna be interesting. I’m gonna see how tired we are, how much juice we have in us. 

KH: Well, speaking of all that touring, I imagine there’s a lot of downtime on the road, in route places, before soundcheck. Is there anything you do to keep yourself entertained, keep yourself sane on the road? 

MF: I sleep when I can. We’re touring in a Ford Transit van and a trailer with nine dudes, so you can imagine it gets pretty stinky in there. I try to just disconnect by sleeping. I try to not be on my phone as much. I try not to brainrot, but if I have calls or stuff I have to take care of, that's the most phone time I’ll try to be on. With having Jared [Costa], my guitarist–he’s the main driver of the van–him driving from venue to state, city to city, it’s pretty vigorous travel. We’ll get to these venues at 3 or 4, have to load in, soundcheck in 30 minutes, then be on an hour after that. It’s pretty time-consuming, so there’s not too much downtime rather than when you’re literally sitting down in the van and just driving. If I’m not sleeping, I’m trying to write, or I’ll bring my guitar with me and put my headphones in and try to kill time that way. It’s very, very eye-opening to see what the tour life is. It’s not glamorous. It’s obviously super cool jumping into these new cities and meeting all these really cool new people and experiencing a little bit of the city. It’s really, really cool, but tour is definitely work, but it’s awesome.   

KH: Shoutout Jared for handling most of the driving.

MF: Shout. Out. Jared. Yeah, seriously.

KH: Your band, you guys have been together for a while now, right? Didn’t you meet as coworkers mostly, back in the day?

MF: Yeah, Jared’s been a good buddy of mine since high school. We met actually, funny enough, in band class. Johnny [Gaytan] is a friend of Reggie [Ordonez]. Johnny’s my bassist, Reggie’s my drummer. Reggie was my co-worker at Guitar Center for a few years. One of the most talented drummers you’ll ever meet in your life, and I asked him if he wanted to start drumming with me, and he was down. The rest is history after that.  

KH: I’m sure it’s very helpful to have that tight relationship. Makes things run a little smoother on the road, I’m sure. Being very familiar with each other. 

MF: Absolutely. It’s cool. I always call it just a month-long, two-month long vacation with friends. I’m really lucky enough to know everyone and be familiar with all the crew.

KH: It definitely shows on stage. I saw you guys in Atlanta last year, and you can just sense that the energy between all you guys is so wholesome.  

MF: Yeah, it’s super fun. That show was really fun. That show was super, super fun. 

KH: Yes, it was. I don’t know if you’re familiar with the Atlanta custom. I don’t know if you remember the “ATL hoe” chant that you got from the audience. 

MF: I do remember that!

KH: That’s like a warm welcome from the Atlanta people. 

MF: I definitely felt welcomed. The people out there were just awesome. We got food before soundcheck and one of the gentlemen there knew us at the restaurant and bought us drinks and took care of us, so that’s when I knew the show was gonna be great, and the people were gonna be awesome, and the city was gonna be super dope. I felt very welcomed from the jump. 

KH: I think part of it, too, is just your fanbase. You’ve got very dedicated people behind you. It was a great vibe from everyone in the room. 

MF: Oh, yeah. For sure. 

KH: Hopefully more of the same of that coming to you for the rest of your touring. Speaking of fans, do you have a most memorable fan interaction?

MF: Yeah, definitely. It was in San Antonio, Texas. Two gentlemen by the names of Bryce and Connor. I’m actually really good friends with them now. They had been following us for quite a bit of time, and Bryce gifted me a cowboy hat that I wore for a couple tours. Just really, really cool guys. I actually flew Bryce out to California to play some golf for like three, four days. I hope he had a great time. I had a great time hanging out with him and the band. That’s probably one of the more dedicated fans. I know there are so many dedicated fans out there, but that was a really cool experience.  

KH: Man, that’s like a fan’s dream, to get flown out for golf. Made his year, I’m sure. 

MF: It was awesome. Super cool guy. We still keep in touch. He’s just dedicated, you know? He’s flown out himself to multiple shows from Texas to different states. That goes a long way, especially for the artist. 

KH: That’s great. I think we’ll end on this one. A lot of our readers, the Kapoorhouse audience, are musicians and creatives themselves, so I’m wondering what’s one piece of advice that you’d give all those people out there pursuing music or other creative goals?

MF: I think one of the biggest things that’s helped me is–well two things. One is just staying consistent whether the results aren’t there or you feel like it’s getting nowhere. There were times where I’d perform in front of an audience of five or post something and it got four likes. I feel like people can be really unmotivated by that, but those five people are eventually gonna start spreading what they saw to more people and more people, and it’s like a butterfly effect. It’s also really important that what an artist or a creative is making is more for the love of the art rather than the love of the exposure and the fans. That was one thing that I really focused on, is making music because I like to make that style of music or I like to make music in general. I never thought I’d be performing in front of 20,000 people in my life. Obviously, it’s really, really awesome, but I started making music for myself and the love of it, the love of the art. I think that’s one of the biggest things that I could say for any other musician or creative, whether that’s art, photography, painting. Do it because you love it. Don’t do it for clout. I still make music for myself. I’ll perform in front of people on the side of the street. That’s just what I love to do. I love making music, and I’m very, very fortunate to be doing it for a living. 

‘Half Moon’ was released Mar. 13, 2026 via Warner Records