Japanese Breakfast: 2025

This  FUV Live session is also available as a podcast, "FUV Live Sessions." We're elevating WFUV's long history of live sessions and interviews via a podcast that you can find on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Amazon Podcasts. New episodes drop every Monday.

Where do you pick up after you've released an acclaimed album in tandem with a New York Times bestselling memoir? Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast had a dizzying year in 2021 when both Jubilee, her band's third album, and her debut memoir, Crying in H Mart, altered her life in an astonishing way.

In my "FUV Live" conversation with Zauner, she said that it was all kind of overwhelming at first, but she overcame her anxiety through music. That led to Japanese Breakfast's fourth album, this year's gently observant For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women), produced by Blake Mills.

For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women) is a darker affair, but also more magical and alluring. Zauner faces her sadness head on and turns it into strength and melody. It's a complex and fulfilling record.

Zauner, joined by her bandmate and husband Peter Bradley, brought an acoustic set to Studio A and performed three songs from the new album: "Orlando in Love," "Leda," and "Magic Mountain."

[Recorded 5/21/25; Engineered by Jim O'Hara with Erin Merriman, James Higgins, and Sage Rochetti. Produced by Meghan Suma. Videographers: Therese Burgo,  Adithi Vimalanathan, Olivia Iannaccone and Nikki Phillips.]