Start the Morning with Japanese Breakfast

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]T[/dropcap]he calm and cooling sounds of Japanese Breakfast sprouted from the musical talent of Michelle Zauner as a solo project after previously being involved with two other bands as the lead singer. The singer-songwriter not only creates music, but also has dabbled in writing on the side. CULTURE caught up with Zauner to discuss her current projects and what she thinks about the progression of cannabis legislation in the country.

How did Japanese Breakfast begin and how did you come up with the name?

I think it started around 2013/2014 when I was recording songs every day for the month of June as a little exercise that eventually came out as a lo-fi tape. I grew up watching a lot of anime and there was always a lot of scenes that had Japanese Breakfast. A lot of the songs I started posting to Tumblr, and I’d usually incorporate a gif I’d find from one of those moments because they just brought me back to a soothing, wholesome place.

How would you describe your sound?

Indie/experimental pop, dynamic music with a squeaky weirdo singer.

You performed at Coachella earlier this year, how was that experience?

It was really validating and crazy. I was so nervous for our first show and convinced no one was going to be there, so I was really happy it went well and there was a big crowd that watched us.

“I grew up watching a lot of anime and there was always a lot of scenes that had Japanese Breakfast.”

You recently had an essay published in the New Yorker, could you tell us about that?

It was something I’d been working on for a while. I really hope to finish a book about Korean cooking and grief someday, and that essay was intended to be the first chapter. It’s just about my mom and how Korean cooking became very therapeutic for me after she passed away, a way of connecting with her, and a kind of ode to the grocery store where I go to buy the ingredients.

How do you feel about cannabis legalization so far?

Shammara Lawrence wrote this piece for Teen Vogue that resonated with me. She puts it a lot better than anyway I could manage to write it: “Although people of color have borne the brunt of decades-long discriminatory drug policies, white people have effectively become the face of the nationwide debate about the future of marijuana in America. As many black and brown people across the nation deal with crippling criminal records, limited employment opportunities, the loss of their voting rights, and access to resources like student aid because of drug-related sentences, many white men and women have successfully capitalized on marijuana, the same substance other groups have been historically punished for. For those like myself, whose life and family and friends have been upended by the criminal-justice system, seeing stories about white entrepreneurs and their booming weed businesses dominating the news cycle in recent months is frustrating and painful.”

Do you have anything new you want to announce as far as touring, recording, etc. goes?

We are on our last big tour of the year, all the dates are on our website. We are rolling through Los Angeles soon 10/2 at The Fonda Theatre.

Artist Name: Japanese Breakfast

Genre: Experimental Pop

Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Most Recent Album: Soft Sounds From Another Planet

Website: japanesebreakfast.rocks