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Emotional band Journal christened new venue The Rosetta Room with a noisy set

The band got loud at the new place to see shows in the East Valley.
Image: Phoenix band Journal plays The Rosetta Room in Mesa on June 11, 2025.
Phoenix band Journal plays The Rosetta Room in Mesa on June 11, 2025. Mike Bengoechea

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I attend a lot of shows around the Valley and always talk to fans about what they’re listening to, and who I should see. The name Journal has been brought up more than a few times. Rolie (security at Nile Theater), who sees more shows in a month than most of us see in a year, told me I should make a point to see this band. He was passionate in his delivery of that opinion. I took him up on it.

Journal has a growing fanbase in the Valley, playing to sold-out crowds in boxing gyms, house parties and the Nile Underground. On Wednesday, they kicked off their West Coast tour with “...and its Name was Epyon.” The band is hoping to release their first full-length album in late 2025 and will make that their focus when they return from traveling around to play their noise-oriented rock.

Jack Grant (guitar, vocals) and Love Marovich (bass, vocals) of Journal have been jamming together since high school; the band members are now in their early 20s. It gave them real time and dedication to honing their sound. The music they have put together keeps them from being easy to lock into any specific hardcore sub-genre.

They play a mix of grunge, post hardcore, and screamo. The noise that comes out of Love is to be seen as much as they are heard. Love is tiny in stature, but that voice is powerful. She showed the crowd last night how that works: One minute she’s snarling and growling, but then the occasional smile comes through, and you know she’s having fun.

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Phoenix band Journal brought the noise to The Rosetta Room in Mesa on June 11, 2025.
Mike Bengoechea
I asked Love where the power comes from, and she didn’t really want to go into much detail, saying, “The songs will tell you”. With titles like “You’re going to need 2 guns to shoot me down, bud” and “Coming to blows,” it sounds like music is the outlet she needed.

For a 3-piece band, they really hold it together with drummer Zander Morrison telling me jokingly that he’s the “brains of the operation.” Guitarist Grant said he “just plays what he feels, and everything seems to come together”. Add in the dynamic Love, and you have the makings of a full sonic explosion. The band is a creative outlet for them, and watching how into Journal the crowd was, you can see how this group resonates and connects with the people that come to see them.

It felt like a great union, with the bands that played for the opening of a new place to see live music. Everything felt welcoming. There’s no barricade at Nile-run shows, and the crowd is right in the band’s face, as was I. Heads were banging up and down, and a pit formed just a few feet from the stage. By all appearances, the crowd was hanging on every note.

In my conversations with the band, I had to ask them about their salsa choice, red or green, as the options. It’s my signature question, and I thought it might be a fun way to break up any pre-show tension. Laughter broke out, and Jack and Zander discussed it back and forth. Love had left the room prior, so she didn’t get to weigh in on the matter. Zander gave the final word, referring to Jack, “He’s the brains, and it’s gotta be green.”

Here are a few more photos from the show:

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Phoenix band Journal plays The Rosetta Room in Mesa on June 11, 2025.
Mike Bengoechea
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Journal at Mesa's The Rosetta Room.
Mike Bengoechea
click to enlarge
Phoenix band Journal plays The Rosetta Room in Mesa on June 11, 2025.
Mike Bengoechea