Written by Samantha Firmin | July 14, 2025

A week following a successful album release show, the indie rock band Maru Haru took to the stage again—this time at the iconic Austin music venue Antone’s Nightclub. After a rather melancholy weekend of canceled July 4th celebrations and news of the devastating flash floods in Central Texas, I was glad to end it on a high note by watching these talented artists perform. Additionally, the show ended up being for a great cause, with ticket proceeds going towards Kerrville Pets Alive.

Despite living in Austin for the past four years, I had never been to Antone’s prior to this show. Upon entering I was greeted with a pleasant atmosphere of candlelit tables filled with attendees enjoying drinks and making small talk as the first opener for the night, Junerise, began preparing for their set. The stage and drum kit were adorned with LED flower garlands, which I was excited to play around with in photos.

Junerise, or simply June, is an artist originally from Utah who describes their music as “Heartland Dream Pop,” citing personal influences such as Bruce Springsteen and the Cocteau Twins. This was definitely evident in the layered instrumentals of songs such as “Rising Sun” and “Red Canyon Country.” With honest lyricism reflecting past experiences and themes of queerness, self-realization, and vulnerability, Junerise connected with the crowd and achieved their goal of making the space feel like home.

As guests continued to trickle in, Josephine Eve performed an acoustic set featuring both original songs and covers. Her music spanned a variety of genres, with “My Colors Change Overnight” leaning more pop rock and “Red Boots” reflecting her country roots—having grown up on a farm in Kansas City. Towards the end of her set, Eve sang a cover of “Fallin’” by Alicia Keys, which showcased her powerful vocals and elicited a warm response from the crowd.

Kate Heron, the third opener for the night, delivered a truly one-of-a-kind performance. I felt like I was being transported to another world as her siren-like vocals echoed throughout the venue. The ethereal atmosphere was heightened by her five-piece band, which featured harpist Sarah Hall as the evening’s standout instrumentalist.

After three amazing performances, I didn’t think the night could get much better, until headliner Maru Haru stepped into the spotlight. They began their set with none other than the opening track, “Realm of Lies,” from their newly released album Dearly Belated. The energetic and triumphant song sounded like it was plucked straight from an anime OST.

James Tabata, Maru Haru’s leader and vocalist, cheerfully introduced the band and welcomed the crowd before transitioning into the next few songs from the album: “Summer Child” and “The Earth is Alive.” Despite playing with a reduced band for the night, which Tabata explained usually consists of double the instruments, their signature orchestral sound still filled the room with beautiful melodies and conveyed emotions in the way only classical music can.

Following a performance of “Golden,” Tabata gave a special shout out to an audience member who had gifted the band homemade “power bracelets” for the night:

“This is the best, I feel like I can do anything right now with this!”

Much like their album release show, the band also played a special unreleased song and teased that recording sessions and new stuff is in the works. They closed off the night with two lyrically impactful songs, “Still Remember” and “To the Strongest,” which touch on themes of reminiscence and self-compassion.

Maru Haru’s set was short but sweet, and definitely left me longing for more. I believe their unique sound, inviting stage presence, and relatable themes have the power to resonate with a wide audience. I’m excited to see what they do next and how they continue to make space for Asian representation in bands and the indie music scene.

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