Article Contributed by jbleicher.com
Published on 2026-08-19
GRAMMY-winning guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela have shared “Akatsuki,” a sweeping new single featuring Japanese jazz virtuoso Hiromi, alongside an accompanying video. The track appears on the duo’s forthcoming album, OurHome, due September 18 via ATO Records.
Named for the secret organization of mercenary ninjas in the seminal manga series Naruto, “Akatsuki” reflects Rodrigo y Gabriela's long-standing love of anime and the profound influence Japanese culture has had on their creative relationship with Japan.
The idea emerged while Gabriela Quintero was watching the series during late nights in the studio as the duo worked on early demos in Los Angeles. Drawn to the emotional depth of the Akatsuki storyline and the character Pain, she suggested the title to Rodrigo Sánchez. Months later, after watching the series himself, he agreed it perfectly captured the spirit of the composition.
Expansive, searching, and charged with moody grandeur, the instrumental piece draws from Naruto's exploration of Buddhist cosmology, rebirth, compassion, and the shifting boundaries between hero and villain.
Across the track, Rodrigo Sánchez and Gabriela Quintero weave shadowy guitar lines and tempestuous rhythms around Hiromi’s gorgeously mercurial piano work. The result brings together three musicians whose highly physical approaches to their instruments blur the boundaries between melody, rhythm, and percussion.
“It’s so amazing to watch Hiromi play,” says Sánchez. “She was a child prodigy, but she has this incredible energy and adds a lot of percussive sounds - almost like us, but on piano instead of guitar.”
For Hiromi, the collaboration also carried a special connection to place and the ideas that inspired the composition.
"It was so nice to have them in my home country, and playing the beautiful piece inspired by Japanese manga," says Hiromi. "I hope we can play the piece for the audience one day! Would be so much fun!"
The collaboration also reflects one of the album's central ideas: bringing together artists whose shared admiration for Japanese culture created an unusually organic musical conversation.
The release also arrives alongside the announcement of new January 2027 headline dates across Australia and Japan. Rodrigo y Gabriela will perform in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart, Adelaide, and Perth before returning to Japan for shows in Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka.
The Japanese dates carry particular meaning within the OurHome cycle, bringing the duo back to the country where the album was recorded and where their long-standing connection to Japanese music, art, and culture found its fullest expression.
Tickets for the newly announced dates will be available through a series of pre-sales beginning August 19. Fan club pre-sales for both Australia and Japan begin Wednesday, August 19 at 5pm local time, followed by artist pre-sales on Thursday, August 20 at 9am local time.
General on-sale begins Friday, August 28 at 9am local time in Australia and Saturday, September 12 at 10:00am JST in Japan. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit rodgab.com/tour-dates.
Recorded in Japan and self-produced by Sánchez and Quintero at NK Sound Tokyo, OurHome is the culmination of Rodrigo y Gabriela's decades-long artistic relationship with Japan. After a period of creative frustration and uncertainty, Rodrigo y Gabriela found renewed inspiration in a country they have returned to throughout their two-decade-plus career, rediscovering the expressive acoustic interplay that first defined their sound while forging new creative connections with Japanese musicians and artists.
“We’ve always felt drawn to Japan because of the art and aesthetics and attention to beauty,” says Quintero. “There’s also something about being there that invites you to look inward, to reconnect with who you really are and what gives you meaning.”
In a profound shift from the electric-guitar-heavy sound of 2023’s In Between Thoughts…A New World, OurHome returns to the textural fluidity of acoustic instrumentation, a natural counterpart to the album’s spacious and often strikingly delicate arrangements.
Alongside Hiromi, the album features former Megadeth guitarist Marty Friedman, cellist Hiyori Okuda, and Kyoto-based guitarist and composer Yukihiro Atsumi.
Mixed by five-time GRAMMY winner Dave Sardy, whose credits include The Who, Oasis, and Red Hot Chili Peppers, and mastered by Stephen Marcussen, whose credits include Nirvana, R.E.M., and The Rolling Stones, OurHome draws from manga, mythology, migration, philosophy, nature, and personal transformation while remaining rooted in the kinetic musical dialogue that has defined Rodrigo y Gabriela’s career.
“Akatsuki” follows the release of the album’s title track, “OurHome,” a sublimely tender composition written by Sánchez following the passing of the duo’s beloved studio cat, Pelusa. Her death came after months of creative stagnation and unexpectedly helped unlock the direction of the album.
“Before her passing, we were searching for ideas in a way that felt very pressured and forced,” says Quintero. “Then the day after she died, Rod wrote a song for Pelusa and suddenly everything started to flow. It was like she was telling us, ‘Stop fucking around and just do what you do best’ - which meant playing from our hearts with no agenda.”
The title OurHome emerged later during a walk through Melbourne following a Japan and Australia tour. As Rodrigo and Gabriela discussed the meaning of belonging, they passed a public housing tower bearing a large sign that read “OUR HOME.” A photograph Sánchez took in that moment ultimately became the album cover.
“At the end of the tour we were walking around Melbourne and talking about the idea of home,” says Quintero. “It’s easy to get caught up in trying to please others so that you’ll feel like you belong, but to us home means finding peace within yourself instead of seeking external approval. As we were walking we passed by a public housing tower, and there was a huge sign out front saying ‘OUR HOME.’ It felt like a message from the universe, telling us we were on the right path.”
“Akatsuki” is one of several songs on OurHome inspired by Japanese storytelling. The album's first single, “Monster,” grew from Rodrigo y Gabriela's fascination with Naoki Urasawa's landmark psychological thriller of the same name. The darkly cinematic composition arrived alongside an official video created by Urasawa after he learned the duo had written a song inspired by his work.
One of Japan’s most celebrated manga artists, Urasawa is the acclaimed creator of Monster, 20th Century Boys, Pluto, and Master Keaton, with over 140 million copies of his work sold worldwide.
“Monster is such a deep, philosophical story - it’s about a psychopathic killer, but it’s so uplifting and leaves you with a real sense of hope,” says Quintero. “We’d written that track without knowing that Urasawa was a fan of ours, and now he’s making the video for us.”
Together, “Akatsuki,” “Monster,” and the title track reveal the range of the dreamlike world Rodrigo y Gabriela have created on OurHome: an album populated by rogue monsters, celestial birds, stardust, ancient philosophy, and the idea that peace can be found wherever we learn to reconnect with ourselves.
“Japan is a magical place for us, and every time we go there we love it more,” says Sánchez. “But we also realize the way we feel there isn’t only because of Japan itself - it’s a state of being we could really access anywhere.”
As they prepare to bring OurHome to audiences around the world, Rodrigo y Gabriela hope the album offers listeners a similar sense of grounding amid the chaos of modern life.
“Every day we face so many challenges, whether it’s economic crisis or ecological crisis or political crisis, so we need to protect what makes us feel safe and connected to our true essence,” says Quintero. “We made this album to celebrate what helps us to find that home within ourselves, and we hope it inspires everyone to figure out what home means to them. It’s a very powerful thing, because nobody can ever take it away from you.”
Rodrigo y Gabriela will celebrate the release of OurHome with an extensive North American headline tour beginning September 30 in Dallas. The run includes appearances at Austin City Limits, Washington, D.C.’s The Anthem, New York’s Bowery Ballroom, San Francisco’s Castro Theatre, Seattle’s Moore Theatre, and major dates throughout the U.S. and Canada.
The duo will continue the tour across Australia and Japan in January 2027, followed by headline dates throughout Ireland, the U.K., and Europe in the spring.
OurHome arrives September 18 via ATO Records and is available now for pre-order and pre-save.
OurHome Tracklist
1. OurHome
2. Somos Como Tú
3. Akatsuki (feat. Hiromi)
4. Flying Underground
5. Quicksand
6. Monster
7. Astrum In Corpore
8. Is In Your Pocket
9. MADitation
10. Hinomaru Twins
11. Simurgh (feat. Marty Friedman)
Fall 2026 North American Tour Dates
Wednesday, September 30 - House Of Blues - Dallas, TX
Thursday, October 1 - Aztec Theatre - San Antonio, TX
Friday, October 2 - House Of Blues - Houston, TX
Saturday, October 3 - Austin City Limits (ACL) - Austin, TX
Tuesday, October 6 - Poliforum Siqueiros - Ciudad de México, MEX
Wednesday, October 7 - Poliforum Siqueiros - Ciudad de México, MEX
Friday, October 9 - Emo’s Austin - Austin, TX (Official 2026 ACL Nights)
Saturday, October 10 - Austin City Limits (ACL) - Austin, TX
Tuesday, October 13 - The Eastern - Atlanta, GA
Wednesday, October 14 - Bilheimer Capitol Theatre - Clearwater, FL
Friday, October 16 - Greenfield Lake Amphitheater - Wilmington, NC
Saturday, October 17 - The Underground - Charlotte, NC
Sunday, October 18 - The Caverns - Pelham, TN
Tuesday, October 20 - The Anthem - Washington, DC
Wednesday, October 21 - Count Basie Center for the Arts - Red Bank, NJ
Thursday, October 22 - Sherman Theater - Stroudsburg, PA
Saturday, October 24 - Lynn Auditorium - Lynn, MA
Sunday, October 25 - College Street Music Hall - New Haven, CT
Monday, October 26 - Academy of Music Theatre - Northampton, MA
Tuesday, October 27 - Bowery Ballroom - New York, NY
Thursday, October 29 - The Fillmore - Detroit, MI
Friday, October 30 - Rivers Casino - Des Plaines, IL
Sunday, November 1 - The Sylvee - Madison, WI
Tuesday, November 3 - The Fitzgerald Theater - St. Paul, MN
Friday, November 6 - Boulder Theater - Boulder, CO
Saturday, November 7 - The Lensic - Santa Fe, NM
Sunday, November 8 - Rialto Theatre - Tucson, AZ
Tuesday, November 10 - Humphreys Concerts by the Bay - San Diego, CA
Wednesday, November 11 - Pappy & Harriet’s - Pioneertown, CA
Thursday, November 12 - Libbey Bowl - Ojai, CA
Saturday, November 14 - San Jose Civic - San Jose, CA
Sunday, November 15 - The Castro - San Francisco, CA
Tuesday, November 17 - Crystal Ballroom - Portland, OR
Thursday, November 19 - The Moore Theatre - Seattle, WA
Friday, November 20 - Vogue Theatre - Vancouver, BC, Canada
2027 Australia Tour Dates [NEWLY ANNOUNCED]
Wednesday, January 13 - Fortitude Music Hall - Brisbane, AU
Thursday, January 14 - Enmore Theatre - Sydney, AU
Friday, January 15 - Palais Theatre - Melbourne, AU
Sunday, January 17 - Odeon Theatre - Hobart, AU
Tuesday, January 19 - The Gov - Adelaide, AU
Thursday, January 21 - The Regal Theatre - Perth, AU
2027 Japan Tour Dates [NEWLY ANNOUNCED]
Monday, January 25 - Zepp DiverCity - Tokyo, JP
Tuesday, January 26 - CLUB QUATTRO - Nagoya, JP
Wednesday, January 27 - BIGCAT - Osaka, JP
Spring 2027 European/UK Tour Dates
Monday, March 15 - Vicar Street - Dublin, IE
Tuesday, March 16 - Mandela Hall - Belfast, UK
Wednesday, March 17 - O2 Academy - Glasgow, UK
Friday, March 19 - Albert Hall - Manchester, UK
Saturday, March 20 - Town Hall - Birmingham, UK
Sunday, March 21 - O2 Shepherds Bush Empire - London, UK
Tuesday, March 23 - Salle Pleyel - Paris, FR
Thursday, March 25 - Aéronef - Lille, FR
Friday, March 26 - 106 - Rouen, FR
Saturday, March 27 - Stereolux - Nantes, FR
Monday, March 29 - MEM2 - Rennes, FR
Wednesday, March 31 - Le Bikini - Toulouse, FR
Thursday, April 1 - Silo - Marseille, FR
Saturday, April 3 - Paloma - Nimes, FR
Sunday, April 4 - Belle Electrique - Grenoble, FR [SOLD OUT]
Monday, April 5 - Le Radiant - Lyon, FR
Wednesday, April 7 - La Vapeur - Dijon, FR
Thursday, April 8 - L’Autre Canal - Nancy, FR
Friday, April 9 - La Cartonnerie - Reims, FR
Sunday, April 11 - La Laiterie - Strasbourg, FR
Tuesday, April 13 - Ancienne Belgique - Brussels, BE
Wednesday, April 14 - Paradiso - Amsterdam, NL
Friday, April 16 - Die Kantine - Cologne, DE
Saturday, April 17 - Mojo - Hamburg, DE
Sunday, April 18 - Columbia Theater - Berlin, DE
Tuesday, April 20 - Progresja - Warsaw, PL
Wednesday, April 21 - Zaklęte Rewiry - Wroclaw, PL
Friday, April 23 - Globe - Vienna, AT
Saturday, April 24 - Palac Akropolis - Prague, CZ
Sunday, April 25 - Technikum - Munich, DE
Tuesday, April 27 - Auditorium Parco della Musica - Rome, IT
Wednesday, April 28 - Circolo Magnolia - Milan, IT
Thursday, April 29 - Docks - Lausanne, CH
Saturday, May 1 - Cheltenham Jazz Fest - Cheltenham, UK
Monday, May 3 - Cosmopolite - Oslo, NO
Tuesday, May 4 - Pumpehuset - Copenhagen, DK
Wednesday, May 5 - Nalen - Stockholm, SE
Friday, May 7 - La (2) d’Apolo - Barcelona, ES
Saturday, May 8 - Sala Copérnico - Madrid, ES
Tuesday, May 11 - Cineteatro Capitólio - Lisbon, PT
Wednesday, May 12 - Casa da Música - Porto, PT
