Singer-songwriter Ani Mari’s debut album, girlfriend, explores the ambiguities of coming of age in a beautifully precarious world. Across ten warmly combative tracks, her songs fight for grace and connection amidst the anxieties, desires, heartbreaks, and oftentimes wearying joie de vivre of being young in America’s heartland. Her genre-bending sophomore album, The Masquerade, was released on August 28th, 2026, only on Bandcamp. In this new body of work, Ani explores the themes of change, risk, lasting love, and navigating adulthood and musicianship in a world increasingly influenced by AI and algorithms.

Though recently having graduated college, Ani Mari has been performing solo, with her backing band, and with her folk duo, Ani & Kora, across her home state of Michigan and nationally for almost a decade, along the way sharing stages with prominent artists such as James McMurtry, BettySoo, Amelia Day, The Accidentals, Lindsay Lou, and May Erlewine, among many others. Raised in the Northwoods of Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula, Ani’s writing is heavily influenced by the folk, roots, and bluegrass influences she grew up around, but A2Pulp has defined her current temperature as somewhere between Liz Phair, Waxahachee, and Ratboys. However, comparisons ultimately fall short. Compelling, alive, humming, and hungry, her alt-folk songwriting is 100% original, and definitely not to be missed.

girlfriend was produced, recorded, and mixed by Erik Koskinen; The Masquerade was produced by Southeast Michigan producer and folk musician, Chris DuPont.

When not on tour, Ani Mari lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and does sound engineering at the North Star Lounge. Listen to The Masquerade now!