Marine Kimono is an acoustic trio from Austin, Texas featuring guitar, accordion, flute, drums, and multi-part harmony vocals, with special guests on euphonium, hurdy-gurdy, violin, and other instruments. The group plays original songs influenced by traditional folk, psychedelia, post-punk, and minimal music. Formed in 2015, the band has released two albums and played over one hundred shows with various rock, folk, and experimental artists. Marine Kimono's music has been described as “evocative” (The Austin Chronicle) “neofolk-tinged baroque folk paeans to nature and grace.” (Texas Dungeon Synth)
In 2016, the trio recorded “Save Me Nowhere” for Divided We Fall II, a North American heathen folk compilation released on the German label FolkWorld. The group also collaborated on “Bloody Green” for glam punk band Inverse Medusa's posthumous eponymous album. Marine Kimono's 2019 debut Chimera begins with the nostalgic “Sebastopol” and ends with the lovelorn “Chimera.” 2021's Sorrel Horses opens with a medieval procession on “Silly Hat” and closes with the strident “Shallow Breathless.”
In spite of playing at the Carousel Lounge, Far Out Lounge, and Sahara Lounge, this combo is no lounge act. The band put in repeat appearances at the Butterfly Bar at the Vortex Theater, the Sekrit Theater, Tiny Minotaur, Wake the Dead (San Marcos), and Wild Bunch Brewing (Red Rock). The group also played showcases such as Capital Zen, Hypnotize Psych Night, and Survive the Burning Times, special events like Pagan Pride and World Dracula Day, concerts at Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and benefits for ADAPT and NAMI.
The band has projected original experimental animation at shows, and in 2016 invited local animators to screen a special selection of their work at Hotel Vegas, along with She Sir, Raquel Bell, Marine Kimono, and Molybden. In 2017, the group hosted DIY fashion show Winter Garden at the Austin School of Film, and in 2020 the band organized a series of online variety shows featuring performances, animation, and music videos. In 2024, the group composed the score for Rabbits, a post-apocalyptic play that premiered at the Vortex Theatre, recording improvised sessions on de-tuned guitar, toy piano, and medieval tambourines. Marine Kimono's third album will be released in the spring of 2025.
For booking, please e-mail marine dot kimono at gmail dot com. You can download music from bandcamp, watch videos on youtube, and find out about upcoming shows on facebook and instagram.