We’ve been listening to their new album For Melancholy Brunettes (And Sad Women) on repeat
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE BY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
If you’re a melancholy brunette or a sad woman, you’re in luck: indie pop band Japanese Breakfast has a new album for you. No, literally. Released today, the band’s fourth studio album, entitled For Melancholy Brunettes (And Sad Women), is a continuation of their distinctive sound.
Sapphics everywhere have turned to the band’s songs since their inception in 2013. Tracks like Everybody Wants To Love You and Be Sweet have spoken directly to LGBTQIA fans.
If you’ve not come across the band but want to experience this new album properly, we’ve got your back. Here is everything you need to know about Japanese Breakfast.
Who are Japanese Breakfast?
The band is fronted by guitarist and songwriter Michelle Zauner, who is openly queer. The rest of the band is made up of her husband and guitarist Peter Bradley, bass player Deven Craige, and drummer and keyboard player Craig Hendrix.
Why’s it called Japanese Breakfast?
Speaking to Teen Vogue, Michelle revealed the unlikely reasoning behind the band’s name. She said: “I think I just wanted something that sounded kind of curious, like something that sounded really American and well-known, like breakfast, and combining it with something that I think American people just associate with something exotic or foreign.”
She continued: “I thought it would make people curious, like ‘What is a Japanese breakfast?’ Japanese Breakfast is quite like beautiful and I really enjoy it. I think I was just looking at pictures of it one day and was just like, ‘Oh, I’ll just release this album under this name.’”
How did the band start?
The band started in 2013 when Michelle was leading an emo group called Little Big League. The first track they put out was a split record with the band Foxing called The Woman That Loves You. The band would later release a compilation album in 2023 called June, helping them to establish their sound.
A year later Michelle had to return home to Oregon to care for her ill mother. During this period, she used songwriting and music to help her cope with the challenging times, and as a result wrote the band’s first album Psychopomp which was released in 2016.
How does the band connect with LGBTQIA themes?
Michelle opened up about being queer when she tweeted that her hit song Everybody Wants To Love You was about a woman. She wrote: “Everybody Wants to Love You was written about my relationship with a woman who has no idea I wrote it for her.” Of course the song about anxiously asking your crush a bunch of questions is sapphic!
While she has been open about sharing this part of her private life, in an interview with Them magazine, Michelle spoke about how she has struggled to own her queer identity. “I’ve spent so much of my life really questioning the validity of my orientation,” she said.
What kind of music do Japanese Breakfast make?
The band has often been described as indie or alternative pop. While their earlier music digs more into lo-fi beats, later albums have learnt more into indie genres. The band also released a video game soundtrack for the game Sable in 2018, which was described as ambient music.
What awards have the band won?
Following the release of their album Jubilee in 2021, the band received a number of nominations for awards in 2022. At the Grammys they were nominated for Best New Artist, won that year by Olivia Roderigo. Their album Jubilee was nominated for Best Alternative Music Album, but they lost out to queer icon St. Vincent.
Does Michelle only play in the band?
No! After writing an essay for The New Yorker about her experiences shopping in a Korean supermarket, Michelle released a memoir in 2021 called Crying In H Mart which quickly became a bestseller. The book is set to be turned into a feature film.
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