New Jersey is buzzing with excitement in anticipation of the annual Maplewoodstock Music and Arts Festival on July 12-13, 2025. The two-day festival will feature over 20 bands including headliners Couch and Ozomatli, as well as many artists and local food and beverage vendors.
Among the talent on display is simmerr, a Brooklyn-based seven-piece band that combines jazz and soul influences with a more modern indie-pop feel for an “addictive sound.” At its core, simmerr is a manifestation of the bond between two best friends, bandleaders James Acre (vocals, keys) and Jairo Campo (vocals, guitar). They lead simmerr with their lighthearted and joyful onstage presence, but dead-set musicality.
Acre, originally from Berkeley Heights and Campo, originally from North Plainfield, have spent the past few years together developing the simmerr show in the NYC club scene (Mercury Lounge, Nublu). Notably, last year they kicked off “simmerr summer” and the release of their single, “Parallel,” playing for a crowd of thousands in the heart of Times Square at the TSQ Live stage. Acre shared that it was “surreal to play the songs we wrote in my Brooklyn apartment in Times Square,” but to bring their music “to our New Jersey community, will be an emotional homecoming for us,” shared Campo.
simmerr are excited to share their unique blend of classic soul, catchy indie rock melodies, and Latin rhythms with the Maplewoodstock audience. “We can’t wait to share who we are, connect with the crowd, and just put a smile on their face,” the pair agreed. simmerr is set to take the stage at 6 PM on Sunday, opening for Los Angeles-based musical powerhouse, Ozomatli. “It’s a bit of a full circle moment for us, having grown up in the area and been fans of some of the other bands for years,” Acre remarked.
As New Jersey celebrates Maplewoodstock 2025, this year’s festival is set to offer a mouth-watering offering of live music, local artists and diverse food options. simmerr is among those sets not to be missed as they warm up the crowd for headliner Ozomatli!
