Japanese Breakfast

Japanese Breakfast is the project of Michelle Zauner, a Korean-American musician, singer, and writer based in the United States. She first gained wider attention with her 2016 debut album Psychopomp, a hazy, lo-fi indie pop record written in the wake of her mother's death, a loss she later explored at length in her acclaimed memoir Crying in H Mart. The follow-up, Soft Sounds from Another Planet (2017), expanded her sound with shoegaze textures and science-fiction imagery, while touring alongside artists like Mitski and Porches helped raise her profile within the American indie scene.

Her third album, Jubilee (2021), marked a turn toward lush, maximalist pop arrangements with horns and strings, earning Grammy nominations and broad critical acclaim. Songs such as «Be Sweet», «Paprika», and «Kokomo, IN» showcased a more polished, orchestral sensibility than her earlier lo-fi work, while still carrying her signature blend of longing, grief, and wonder.

Zauner has cited Pacific Northwest indie acts like Elliott Smith, Death Cab for Cutie, and Built to Spill as key influences. Her band has included drummer Craig Hendrix, bassist Deven Craige, and guitarist Peter Bradley, her partner. Beyond music, she has become a notable literary voice through her memoir and food writing, making Japanese Breakfast one of the more distinctive crossover artists in contemporary indie music.