May 20, 2025 • 18 mins
Dylan, aka DJ Downtown, spoke with Philly native and frontwoman of the band Japanese Breakfast Michelle Zauner right before her sold-out show at The Met in Philly! They chatted about intentionality as an artist, the collaboration process, production influences, and more. Michelle is also the author of #1 New York Times Bestseller "Crying in H Mart" and the duo talked about her upcoming book.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, it's Dylan aka DJ Downtown, your host of Stripped
Down Unplugged Sunday Mornings here on All one oh four five,
and I'm here with the one and only Michelle Zonor,
front woman and leader of the band Japanese Breakfast and
also author of the book Crying and h Mart. Michelle,
thank you so so much for taking time out of
your busy touring schedule to be here, and for a
little bit of backstory. I've been playing some of your
(00:21):
songs on my show, the covers of Say It Ain't
So and Skinny Love and the acoustic version of Be Sweet,
and during the talk breaks, I've been saying, oh, they're
coming into town for a couple nights for their brand
new album, and I would love to have them in
the studio. So this has been a couple of months
in the making. So thank you so much for making
a dream come true, a birthday wish come true.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Oh my gosh, thank you, Happy birthday.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Thank you. So I want to ask first about the tour.
How is it going right now? You're on the four
Melancholy Brunettes and Sad Women tour.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Yeah, it's been really great. I think particularly our set
design has been really fun to interact with. And I
had a year off to kind of fully realize the
live show and really enjoy touring again. So it's been
really fun.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
That's good. I'm really happy to hear that. And then,
of course being back in Philly, you know when you're
home cities, how does it feel like being back here?
Speaker 2 (01:12):
It's great. You know, I'm discovering a lot of new
restaurants and neighborhood spots. So yeah, it's been fun.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Any favorites that do you want to share with our
local listeners.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Yeah, I just went to Royal Izekaiah, which I think
is probably the best sushi in Philadelphia. And yeah, it
was a really fun dinner with some of my crew
and we got treated to some good stuff.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
Oh wow, I bet. And I'm sure you're going to
know a lot of people in the audience tonight and
tomorrow for your double header.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Yeah, it's a big family affair. Most of our band
is from Philly or at least spend a good chunk
of time here, so it's definitely a big friends and
family show.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
And then you're taking a bit of a break and
then you're going to be starting the international leg of
your tour, correct.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Yeah, so we have I think a week and a
half off and then we head to Australia, New Zealand,
Asia and Europe.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Do you have a favorite spot coming up that you
want to go or any particular place that you would
love to perform at.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
We've never been to New Zealand, so I'm actually really
excited to go there. We saw a friends band of
our visit Hobbiton, which is where you get to see
places where they've filmed some of Lord of the Rings,
and so we're all going on like the Evening Banquet tour.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
And for to that.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Yeah, that'll be a day off. And then of course
we're playing Japan and Korea again, and I have family
and lots of friends that I made there last year,
so I'm excited to be reunited with them in Seoul.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
That's awesome. I can't wait for your international legs. You've
been bringing out a couple of special guests, not only
your opener Ginger Root for some of your songs, but
for I Love You Always Forever Donald Lewis at the
Brooklyn Paramount. Tell me more about that.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Yeah, that was so fun. She's the sweetest parson and
such a brilliant songwriter, and we covered her song at
Coachella and we started dming after that, and I just
asked where she was based and if she would be
interested in joining us, and we were all so giddy.
That song is so good and she sounds so great
and couldn't be a sweeter person. So it was so
(03:21):
fun getting to meet her.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
Yeah, I saw the video of it online. It looked
like a complete blast. I mean, your excitement shine through.
Do you have any other, like, you know, surprise guest
that you would love to bring out on stage?
Speaker 2 (03:34):
Yeah, I mean I think at someday if Jeff Bridges
wants to join us for Men in Bars. You know,
he has a cameo feature on the new album. I
actually never got to meet him because Blake recorded with
him once I was in Korea because of scheduling. So
I'd love to do that with him live. I also
have been really loving the new Cameron Winter album and
(03:56):
I just really want to meet him and do something
with him. And then We're actually doing a special cover
tonight in Philadelphia and I would love to meet the band.
I'm debating whether or not I should reveal what the
cover is.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
It's okay, this is going to be aired on Sunday,
so the show's already going to be happening. I'll be
a boat.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Yeah, Oh amazing. Yeah, we're doing an air cover of
Playground Love.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
Oh.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
I think and we I think we crush it. And
I love that band and I would love to work
with the band air. I would love to see them live.
And yeah, I just love them.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Oh, I know you're going to crush it. You crush
every single cover that you do. And you know, is
the process for covering a song? Do you try to
put it in your own light, put your own spin
on it, or do you try to honor what the
artists that originally performed it had to say?
Speaker 2 (04:49):
You know, I think we fall into the trap pretty
often where it's hard to not just honor the song
as it is because there's a that's the reason why
you want to cover it is that it's kind of
is so perfect on its own. So I think it
is a lot easier, honestly, when we take on songs
that have a male vocal, because just by the nature
of the way my boy sounds, it sounds it feels different.
(05:12):
But I'm really lucky that we have such a great
band and such a great musical director in Craig Hendrix
that you know, we can replicate these songs pretty well,
I think as a six piece.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
Yeah, and the band's been around for a while. You
guys have been around since I believe twenty thirteen, so
it's been a bit over ten years. How has the
sound and the vibe and the collaboration between all the members,
how's that change and evolved over time?
Speaker 2 (05:37):
Well, it started as a solo project in twenty thirteen,
and then I think we've had the same lineup of
the core four since twenty seventeen, which is Craig Hendricks,
Devin Craig, and Peter Bradley. And then for the Jubilee
cycle we added Adam Shatz on saxophone and Lauren Baba
on the violin, and they brought in this like whole
(05:58):
new magic. I think that really, you know, I feel
like this lineup is really really special. And yeah, I
think we just all because we've worked together for many years,
we all know our chemistry and what sort of holes
we can fill for each other and what we can combine,
you know, especially when you have a saxophone player and
a violin player, the way that you layer. Those can
(06:20):
make a lot of really interesting sounds, and both of
them are incredible improvisers, and so yeah, I feel like
we have a really great team that works off of
each other.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Do you find that you're able to improvise as a singer,
as a writer, as an artist or do you like
things more structured and planned out?
Speaker 2 (06:36):
I tend to like things a bit more structured and
planned out. So I'm really lucky that I have a
band that's good at improvising and riffing, because I kind
of need a lot of structure in my own world.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
And that was another thing that I wanted to ask.
You seem like a very intentional artist, Like every step
that you make is very planned out and methodical. Do
you feel like, you know, whether if it's acting or
direct acting, or putting little details in your music videos
or the poetry that goes into your writing, do you
find that those kind of hidden meanings do they come
(07:08):
easily to you? Do they not? Do you find that
intentionality difficult at times?
Speaker 2 (07:13):
Oh? No? I mean for me, that's the magic of
getting to helms, be it the helm of this world?
You know, Like I think that that's what I enjoyed
the most about getting to be a musician. Is that
kind of world building, and it feels really endless, the
kind of thoughtful details that you hope that people can discover,
and that's what makes art really special. So that's my
(07:35):
favorite part of all of the work, and it feels
quite easy to me.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
And as far as some of the projects that you've
been part of, I'm really interested in Sable and how
is that different but yet still methodical and intentional from
some of the stuff from the band.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
Yeah, I mean that project it felt so different because
it's the first thing I've kind of not been in
charge of, which was so delightful. You know. I felt
like going into that I got to be just sort
of this golden child like Brown Nosers students. You know.
That was like, I'll be the best little worker for
you guys. So yeah, I loved the opportunity to not
(08:12):
be the director of a project and just contribute to
something that I really believed in. I think that Greg
who was the lead designer and creative director of that project,
I think his artists so special and I really believe
in him as an artist. And he also gave me
so much freedom to really express myself musically. And add
to his world, and you know, so it was a
(08:33):
really easy and wonderful collaboration that I would love to
continue and think that we will have a long kind
of future working side by side. But yeah, it was
fun to do that too, because you know, it's not personal,
it's not about me and my life, and it's about
this world and his characters, and so it was a
real fun exercise to get to write songs that felt
(08:55):
kind of universal but still emotional and had nothing to
do with specific details of my life and felt very
removed for me, but still had to have an intimate feeling.
And it was also the first album that I completely
produced on my own, and so it was such a
learning experience. I think I became a much stronger composer
and producer in the process. It gave me a lot
(09:17):
of confidence in those things and allowed me to lean
more into string arrangement and beat making, and yeah, I
learned a lot on that project.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
Who are your production influences if you had any, Gosh.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
That's a great question. I mean, I think I'm always
really inspired by Kate Bush and b Orc and they're
kind of like the titans of my inspiration or production world.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
For me.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
I also am really inspired by more homespun production too,
you know, like I think an artist like Mount Eerie
who comes to his records with a really diy approach
or imaging heap or grimes like I think sometimes those
albums are also really inspiring for me because you know,
(10:03):
they feel slightly more attainable than you know, people like
Kay Bush and New York.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
So you have your hands in a lot of different
creative projects, whether it be writing, musicianship, acting, directing, producing.
Now I just found out, do you have a favorite
and are there any more creative outlets that you'd like
to explore.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
I will say I have absolutely no interest in acting.
A lot of times the label just pressures you to
be in the music video because like that's what your
fans want to see, or you know, that's what does
well online. So I hate acting and I have no
interest in acting, and I'm really glad that there are,
you know, for all the things that I'm really interested in,
(10:43):
I also have a really clear vision of what I'm
not interested in it, and that is one of them.
But yeah, I think I'll continue to write and play
music for as long as those industries will have me
and I think someday I'd like to direct, but I
think that that's that's mostly. You know, I've directed my
music videos, but I've never directed something that has a
narrative element to it. And I'd love to write for
(11:04):
the screen and direct something in that world. But yeah,
I think that's it for me.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
Well, speaking of directing, how did you meet Selene's song
and what's the story behind you making a song for
her upcoming film Materialists?
Speaker 2 (11:19):
Yeah, that was that kind of just fell into my lap.
You know, I heard from my managers at a twenty
four and Selene or looking for a song, and you know,
whether or not I wanted to submit something, and you know,
I love to Pass Lives and I really loved Selene Song's.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
Work and to Pass Lives.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
Yeah, of course, like was interested in trying out for it,
and so I watched the screener and loved the movie
and you know, wrote something, had you write something and
turn it around fairly quickly, And was really really lucky
that she loved the song, and yeah, we got to
meet after that, and yeah, I just adore her. I
think she's a brilliant director, brilliant artist. I'm so happy
(11:59):
that I get to know her and be a small
part of her work.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
And speaking of another project that you were in, how
did you get tapped to make the song for the
Marvel TV show Agatha All Along? Oh?
Speaker 2 (12:11):
That happened because I'm friends with Jack Antonov, and yeah,
I think he's such a great guy, and you know,
he was working on that soundtrack and asked if I
was interested in singing on that song. And of course,
you know if Jack Antonov, because you would call you you
run over.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
Yeah. And as far as collaborations your opener Ginger Root,
how did you meet Cameron get him involved at the tour?
What was that like?
Speaker 2 (12:35):
So my friend Jill, who plays in a band called
another Philly band called Great Time, a couple of years ago,
had been like, have you listened to Ginger Root? I
think you'd really like them, And then, you know, I
was busy and I didn't really check them out. And
then a year later my booking agent, Timmy mentioned them
again and was like, they really love you. If you
(12:56):
ever want an opener for a tour, you should check
them out. And so I had remembered that name and
looked into that band and loved the music and also
just loved how creative Cameron is, you know, all of
the music videos and the kind of world that he's built,
and even just like his graphic design. Just he has
such a singular vision and like such an interesting pool
(13:17):
of references. Oh, like, I have to meet this person.
And he happened to be in Japan while I was
in Japan last year, and we met up at a
bar and he told me, you know, I've been a
fan of yours and psychopods like you were such a
big inspiration for me to like express myself creatively. And
he has been to like ten different concerts of bars,
(13:37):
and you know, I had no idea he was such
a fan and so I just really loved him and
it was really great getting to meet him. And yeah,
so we're spending the whole year together touring the US,
and they've been so sweet and the show is so
good and so unique, and they're also charming.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
Yeah. I've been following Ginger Root for a while, so
it's nice to see you two performing together. I'm gonna
be talking with Cameron tomorrow at the met Oh great, Yeah,
I can't wait. I'm super excited. Speaking of another thing
that you guys performed at together, Coachella. Was that your
first time being at Coachella? It was our third time, Okay,
so how is this time different than your past two?
Speaker 2 (14:15):
You know, we were on a bigger stage. We were
on the outdoor stage, which was exciting, and yeah, I
don't know, we had so much fun. It's always really
fun to pay Coachella. You know, we debuted our set design,
which is like a big important part of this tour.
And I also you know, when you're a smaller artist,
like you don't always you're not always prepared for all
(14:36):
of the things. So you know you've been just like
the opportunity to have a giant video wall is it's
kind of lost on you when you are first starting out.
And this time I knew I wanted to work with
actually Greg Kithriotis, who is the designer for Sable on
a lot of the visuals, and yeah, every song got
its own visual elements to project on this huge video
(14:57):
while and I worked really hard on that with Cat
border root ar sort of creative director and lighting designer.
So yeah, we were more interested in We had more
time to put together the visuals for this set more
than any other time. And yeah, the bigger.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
Stage with us are really fun and was recently announced
that you're going to be performing at Austin City Limits. Now,
is this your first time being at acl no?
Speaker 2 (15:18):
I also think that this is our third time.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
I love the festivals, so, you know, it's always really
fun for me. I think that you know, you get
to kind of where like your headlining shows are sort
of your long term relationship. Festivals kind of feel like
flirting and getting to show the kind of shiniest side
of yourself, and especially having four albums under our belt,
we get to kind of show case like the biggest,
most bombastic material and that's really fun.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
And is the preparation process different for something like a
festival or a tour date as opposed to a television
appearance like you're on fallon Kimmel Colbert SNL.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
Yeah, I mean TV always just feels really into emovating
and scary and feels like we need to kind of
reinvent ourselves in some way to be in that format.
So it's always a bit daunting, but obviously such an
amazing opportunity that we want to crush.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
And I'm going to close it out with talking about
your book Crying in h mart I love it. I
brought my copy with me to the studio and I
wanted to ask about your upcoming book. So, how's that
coming along right now?
Speaker 2 (16:25):
Oh, it's coming up slowly. I spent the year in
Korea last year, studying the Korean language. My mom, when
I was younger, was always like, if you lived there
for a year, I think you could just be fluent
in Korean, And so I was kind of curious to
put that to the test. And I felt like it
would be something that a lot of other people would
be curious about. If you lived abroad and fully immerse
yourself in a language. Just how fart can you get,
(16:48):
especially as someone in your thirties, where that kind of
thing stops coming to you as quickly. So, yeah, it
was about documenting that year, and now this year I'm
slowly sort of finding the narrative art, cleaning up the
journals I cap and trying to put it together.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
Did you always plan on making a pseudo sequel or
a follow up to Crying in h Mark.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
I would hate for this to be looked at as
a sequel to Crying in h Mark, but there's certainly
a lot shared in that book. I think that this
book will. I think I always wanted to be a writer,
and to be gifted that opportunity is really special, and
this is just earnestly what I'm the most interested in
(17:29):
pursuing right now. So yeah, I feel really lucky to
have the opportunity. But I do think it will be
quite different. I don't think it will be sort of
as heavy as Crying in h Mart. I really hope
that it's worked as a standalone piece, is a bit
more lighthearted and even funny at times. And yeah, I
think it's something that hopefully stands on its own. But
(17:50):
those who liked Crying in h more, I think, of course, well,
you know, the voice will be the same because it's
my voice, you know.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
Well, I'm very excited and very interested in everything that
you're coming out with, Michelle. Thank you so much for
taking time out of your busy schedule to come on
Strip Down, Unplug Sunday mornings here on Alt one oh
four or five. I can't wait to see what Japanese
Breakfast has next, including tonight and tomorrow's show. Thank you
so much, Thank you so much. All right, see you then,
bye bye.
Hey, it's Dylan aka DJ Downtown, your host of Stripped
Down Unplugged Sunday Mornings here on All one oh four five,
and I'm here with the one and only Michelle Zonor,
front woman and leader of the band Japanese Breakfast and
also author of the book Crying and h Mart. Michelle,
thank you so so much for taking time out of
your busy touring schedule to be here, and for a
little bit of backstory. I've been playing some of your
(00:21):
songs on my show, the covers of Say It Ain't
So and Skinny Love and the acoustic version of Be Sweet,
and during the talk breaks, I've been saying, oh, they're
coming into town for a couple nights for their brand
new album, and I would love to have them in
the studio. So this has been a couple of months
in the making. So thank you so much for making
a dream come true, a birthday wish come true.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Oh my gosh, thank you, Happy birthday.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Thank you. So I want to ask first about the tour.
How is it going right now? You're on the four
Melancholy Brunettes and Sad Women tour.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Yeah, it's been really great. I think particularly our set
design has been really fun to interact with. And I
had a year off to kind of fully realize the
live show and really enjoy touring again. So it's been
really fun.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
That's good. I'm really happy to hear that. And then,
of course being back in Philly, you know when you're
home cities, how does it feel like being back here?
Speaker 2 (01:12):
It's great. You know, I'm discovering a lot of new
restaurants and neighborhood spots. So yeah, it's been fun.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Any favorites that do you want to share with our
local listeners.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Yeah, I just went to Royal Izekaiah, which I think
is probably the best sushi in Philadelphia. And yeah, it
was a really fun dinner with some of my crew
and we got treated to some good stuff.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
Oh wow, I bet. And I'm sure you're going to
know a lot of people in the audience tonight and
tomorrow for your double header.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Yeah, it's a big family affair. Most of our band
is from Philly or at least spend a good chunk
of time here, so it's definitely a big friends and
family show.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
And then you're taking a bit of a break and
then you're going to be starting the international leg of
your tour, correct.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Yeah, so we have I think a week and a
half off and then we head to Australia, New Zealand,
Asia and Europe.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Do you have a favorite spot coming up that you
want to go or any particular place that you would
love to perform at.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
We've never been to New Zealand, so I'm actually really
excited to go there. We saw a friends band of
our visit Hobbiton, which is where you get to see
places where they've filmed some of Lord of the Rings,
and so we're all going on like the Evening Banquet tour.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
And for to that.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Yeah, that'll be a day off. And then of course
we're playing Japan and Korea again, and I have family
and lots of friends that I made there last year,
so I'm excited to be reunited with them in Seoul.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
That's awesome. I can't wait for your international legs. You've
been bringing out a couple of special guests, not only
your opener Ginger Root for some of your songs, but
for I Love You Always Forever Donald Lewis at the
Brooklyn Paramount. Tell me more about that.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Yeah, that was so fun. She's the sweetest parson and
such a brilliant songwriter, and we covered her song at
Coachella and we started dming after that, and I just
asked where she was based and if she would be
interested in joining us, and we were all so giddy.
That song is so good and she sounds so great
and couldn't be a sweeter person. So it was so
(03:21):
fun getting to meet her.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
Yeah, I saw the video of it online. It looked
like a complete blast. I mean, your excitement shine through.
Do you have any other, like, you know, surprise guest
that you would love to bring out on stage?
Speaker 2 (03:34):
Yeah, I mean I think at someday if Jeff Bridges
wants to join us for Men in Bars. You know,
he has a cameo feature on the new album. I
actually never got to meet him because Blake recorded with
him once I was in Korea because of scheduling. So
I'd love to do that with him live. I also
have been really loving the new Cameron Winter album and
(03:56):
I just really want to meet him and do something
with him. And then We're actually doing a special cover
tonight in Philadelphia and I would love to meet the band.
I'm debating whether or not I should reveal what the
cover is.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
It's okay, this is going to be aired on Sunday,
so the show's already going to be happening. I'll be
a boat.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Yeah, Oh amazing. Yeah, we're doing an air cover of
Playground Love.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
Oh.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
I think and we I think we crush it. And
I love that band and I would love to work
with the band air. I would love to see them live.
And yeah, I just love them.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Oh, I know you're going to crush it. You crush
every single cover that you do. And you know, is
the process for covering a song? Do you try to
put it in your own light, put your own spin
on it, or do you try to honor what the
artists that originally performed it had to say?
Speaker 2 (04:49):
You know, I think we fall into the trap pretty
often where it's hard to not just honor the song
as it is because there's a that's the reason why
you want to cover it is that it's kind of
is so perfect on its own. So I think it
is a lot easier, honestly, when we take on songs
that have a male vocal, because just by the nature
of the way my boy sounds, it sounds it feels different.
(05:12):
But I'm really lucky that we have such a great
band and such a great musical director in Craig Hendrix
that you know, we can replicate these songs pretty well,
I think as a six piece.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
Yeah, and the band's been around for a while. You
guys have been around since I believe twenty thirteen, so
it's been a bit over ten years. How has the
sound and the vibe and the collaboration between all the members,
how's that change and evolved over time?
Speaker 2 (05:37):
Well, it started as a solo project in twenty thirteen,
and then I think we've had the same lineup of
the core four since twenty seventeen, which is Craig Hendricks,
Devin Craig, and Peter Bradley. And then for the Jubilee
cycle we added Adam Shatz on saxophone and Lauren Baba
on the violin, and they brought in this like whole
(05:58):
new magic. I think that really, you know, I feel
like this lineup is really really special. And yeah, I
think we just all because we've worked together for many years,
we all know our chemistry and what sort of holes
we can fill for each other and what we can combine,
you know, especially when you have a saxophone player and
a violin player, the way that you layer. Those can
(06:20):
make a lot of really interesting sounds, and both of
them are incredible improvisers, and so yeah, I feel like
we have a really great team that works off of
each other.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Do you find that you're able to improvise as a singer,
as a writer, as an artist or do you like
things more structured and planned out?
Speaker 2 (06:36):
I tend to like things a bit more structured and
planned out. So I'm really lucky that I have a
band that's good at improvising and riffing, because I kind
of need a lot of structure in my own world.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
And that was another thing that I wanted to ask.
You seem like a very intentional artist, Like every step
that you make is very planned out and methodical. Do
you feel like, you know, whether if it's acting or
direct acting, or putting little details in your music videos
or the poetry that goes into your writing, do you
find that those kind of hidden meanings do they come
(07:08):
easily to you? Do they not? Do you find that
intentionality difficult at times?
Speaker 2 (07:13):
Oh? No? I mean for me, that's the magic of
getting to helms, be it the helm of this world?
You know, Like I think that that's what I enjoyed
the most about getting to be a musician. Is that
kind of world building, and it feels really endless, the
kind of thoughtful details that you hope that people can discover,
and that's what makes art really special. So that's my
(07:35):
favorite part of all of the work, and it feels
quite easy to me.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
And as far as some of the projects that you've
been part of, I'm really interested in Sable and how
is that different but yet still methodical and intentional from
some of the stuff from the band.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
Yeah, I mean that project it felt so different because
it's the first thing I've kind of not been in
charge of, which was so delightful. You know. I felt
like going into that I got to be just sort
of this golden child like Brown Nosers students. You know.
That was like, I'll be the best little worker for
you guys. So yeah, I loved the opportunity to not
(08:12):
be the director of a project and just contribute to
something that I really believed in. I think that Greg
who was the lead designer and creative director of that project,
I think his artists so special and I really believe
in him as an artist. And he also gave me
so much freedom to really express myself musically. And add
to his world, and you know, so it was a
(08:33):
really easy and wonderful collaboration that I would love to
continue and think that we will have a long kind
of future working side by side. But yeah, it was
fun to do that too, because you know, it's not personal,
it's not about me and my life, and it's about
this world and his characters, and so it was a
real fun exercise to get to write songs that felt
(08:55):
kind of universal but still emotional and had nothing to
do with specific details of my life and felt very
removed for me, but still had to have an intimate feeling.
And it was also the first album that I completely
produced on my own, and so it was such a
learning experience. I think I became a much stronger composer
and producer in the process. It gave me a lot
(09:17):
of confidence in those things and allowed me to lean
more into string arrangement and beat making, and yeah, I
learned a lot on that project.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
Who are your production influences if you had any, Gosh.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
That's a great question. I mean, I think I'm always
really inspired by Kate Bush and b Orc and they're
kind of like the titans of my inspiration or production world.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
For me.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
I also am really inspired by more homespun production too,
you know, like I think an artist like Mount Eerie
who comes to his records with a really diy approach
or imaging heap or grimes like I think sometimes those
albums are also really inspiring for me because you know,
(10:03):
they feel slightly more attainable than you know, people like
Kay Bush and New York.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
So you have your hands in a lot of different
creative projects, whether it be writing, musicianship, acting, directing, producing.
Now I just found out, do you have a favorite
and are there any more creative outlets that you'd like
to explore.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
I will say I have absolutely no interest in acting.
A lot of times the label just pressures you to
be in the music video because like that's what your
fans want to see, or you know, that's what does
well online. So I hate acting and I have no
interest in acting, and I'm really glad that there are,
you know, for all the things that I'm really interested in,
(10:43):
I also have a really clear vision of what I'm
not interested in it, and that is one of them.
But yeah, I think I'll continue to write and play
music for as long as those industries will have me
and I think someday I'd like to direct, but I
think that that's that's mostly. You know, I've directed my
music videos, but I've never directed something that has a
narrative element to it. And I'd love to write for
(11:04):
the screen and direct something in that world. But yeah,
I think that's it for me.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
Well, speaking of directing, how did you meet Selene's song
and what's the story behind you making a song for
her upcoming film Materialists?
Speaker 2 (11:19):
Yeah, that was that kind of just fell into my lap.
You know, I heard from my managers at a twenty
four and Selene or looking for a song, and you know,
whether or not I wanted to submit something, and you know,
I love to Pass Lives and I really loved Selene Song's.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
Work and to Pass Lives.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
Yeah, of course, like was interested in trying out for it,
and so I watched the screener and loved the movie
and you know, wrote something, had you write something and
turn it around fairly quickly, And was really really lucky
that she loved the song, and yeah, we got to
meet after that, and yeah, I just adore her. I
think she's a brilliant director, brilliant artist. I'm so happy
(11:59):
that I get to know her and be a small
part of her work.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
And speaking of another project that you were in, how
did you get tapped to make the song for the
Marvel TV show Agatha All Along? Oh?
Speaker 2 (12:11):
That happened because I'm friends with Jack Antonov, and yeah,
I think he's such a great guy, and you know,
he was working on that soundtrack and asked if I
was interested in singing on that song. And of course,
you know if Jack Antonov, because you would call you you
run over.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
Yeah. And as far as collaborations your opener Ginger Root,
how did you meet Cameron get him involved at the tour?
What was that like?
Speaker 2 (12:35):
So my friend Jill, who plays in a band called
another Philly band called Great Time, a couple of years ago,
had been like, have you listened to Ginger Root? I
think you'd really like them, And then, you know, I
was busy and I didn't really check them out. And
then a year later my booking agent, Timmy mentioned them
again and was like, they really love you. If you
(12:56):
ever want an opener for a tour, you should check
them out. And so I had remembered that name and
looked into that band and loved the music and also
just loved how creative Cameron is, you know, all of
the music videos and the kind of world that he's built,
and even just like his graphic design. Just he has
such a singular vision and like such an interesting pool
(13:17):
of references. Oh, like, I have to meet this person.
And he happened to be in Japan while I was
in Japan last year, and we met up at a
bar and he told me, you know, I've been a
fan of yours and psychopods like you were such a
big inspiration for me to like express myself creatively. And
he has been to like ten different concerts of bars,
(13:37):
and you know, I had no idea he was such
a fan and so I just really loved him and
it was really great getting to meet him. And yeah,
so we're spending the whole year together touring the US,
and they've been so sweet and the show is so
good and so unique, and they're also charming.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
Yeah. I've been following Ginger Root for a while, so
it's nice to see you two performing together. I'm gonna
be talking with Cameron tomorrow at the met Oh great, Yeah,
I can't wait. I'm super excited. Speaking of another thing
that you guys performed at together, Coachella. Was that your
first time being at Coachella? It was our third time, Okay,
so how is this time different than your past two?
Speaker 2 (14:15):
You know, we were on a bigger stage. We were
on the outdoor stage, which was exciting, and yeah, I
don't know, we had so much fun. It's always really
fun to pay Coachella. You know, we debuted our set design,
which is like a big important part of this tour.
And I also you know, when you're a smaller artist,
like you don't always you're not always prepared for all
(14:36):
of the things. So you know you've been just like
the opportunity to have a giant video wall is it's
kind of lost on you when you are first starting out.
And this time I knew I wanted to work with
actually Greg Kithriotis, who is the designer for Sable on
a lot of the visuals, and yeah, every song got
its own visual elements to project on this huge video
(14:57):
while and I worked really hard on that with Cat
border root ar sort of creative director and lighting designer.
So yeah, we were more interested in We had more
time to put together the visuals for this set more
than any other time. And yeah, the bigger.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
Stage with us are really fun and was recently announced
that you're going to be performing at Austin City Limits. Now,
is this your first time being at acl no?
Speaker 2 (15:18):
I also think that this is our third time.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
I love the festivals, so, you know, it's always really
fun for me. I think that you know, you get
to kind of where like your headlining shows are sort
of your long term relationship. Festivals kind of feel like
flirting and getting to show the kind of shiniest side
of yourself, and especially having four albums under our belt,
we get to kind of show case like the biggest,
most bombastic material and that's really fun.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
And is the preparation process different for something like a
festival or a tour date as opposed to a television
appearance like you're on fallon Kimmel Colbert SNL.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
Yeah, I mean TV always just feels really into emovating
and scary and feels like we need to kind of
reinvent ourselves in some way to be in that format.
So it's always a bit daunting, but obviously such an
amazing opportunity that we want to crush.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
And I'm going to close it out with talking about
your book Crying in h mart I love it. I
brought my copy with me to the studio and I
wanted to ask about your upcoming book. So, how's that
coming along right now?
Speaker 2 (16:25):
Oh, it's coming up slowly. I spent the year in
Korea last year, studying the Korean language. My mom, when
I was younger, was always like, if you lived there
for a year, I think you could just be fluent
in Korean, And so I was kind of curious to
put that to the test. And I felt like it
would be something that a lot of other people would
be curious about. If you lived abroad and fully immerse
yourself in a language. Just how fart can you get,
(16:48):
especially as someone in your thirties, where that kind of
thing stops coming to you as quickly. So, yeah, it
was about documenting that year, and now this year I'm
slowly sort of finding the narrative art, cleaning up the
journals I cap and trying to put it together.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
Did you always plan on making a pseudo sequel or
a follow up to Crying in h Mark.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
I would hate for this to be looked at as
a sequel to Crying in h Mark, but there's certainly
a lot shared in that book. I think that this
book will. I think I always wanted to be a writer,
and to be gifted that opportunity is really special, and
this is just earnestly what I'm the most interested in
(17:29):
pursuing right now. So yeah, I feel really lucky to
have the opportunity. But I do think it will be
quite different. I don't think it will be sort of
as heavy as Crying in h Mart. I really hope
that it's worked as a standalone piece, is a bit
more lighthearted and even funny at times. And yeah, I
think it's something that hopefully stands on its own. But
(17:50):
those who liked Crying in h more, I think, of course, well,
you know, the voice will be the same because it's
my voice, you know.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
Well, I'm very excited and very interested in everything that
you're coming out with, Michelle. Thank you so much for
taking time out of your busy schedule to come on
Strip Down, Unplug Sunday mornings here on Alt one oh
four or five. I can't wait to see what Japanese
Breakfast has next, including tonight and tomorrow's show. Thank you
so much, Thank you so much. All right, see you then,
bye bye.
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