Indie’s favorite hapa just dropped a fresh single.
While on a trip to Bali, Indonesia Japanese Breakfast aka Michelle Zauner was struck with inspiration. Zauner, who has expressed interest in exploring a more electronic sound in the past, set about recording “Essentially” at the W Hotels Sound Suite in Bali armed with a new Native Instruments Maschine. The song channels a gentle synth sound that, despite its upbeat tempo and volume, doesn’t overpower Zauner’s melodious vocals and haunting lyrics.
“I was originally going to record a different song, but decided to write something on the fly once I arrived in Bali,” said Zauner. “I like the challenge of writing and arranging quickly and intuitively sometimes. It was a very idyllic place to work in. I usually record in cold studios so Bali was a pretty glamorous change.”
“Essentially” marks Japanese Breakfast’s first release since her groundbreaking 2017 album “Soft Sounds from Another Planet.” In addition to her success in the musical realm, Zauner recently announced that she would be adapting her essay, “Crying in H-Mart,” into a memoir.
For more information on Zauner or tickets, check out her website here.
Catch JBrekkie at one of their upcoming tour dates:
May
May 1 – Morrison, Red Rocks Amphitheatre
May 2 – Norfolk, The NorVa
May 3 – Asheville, The Grey Eagle
May 4 – Atlanta, Shaky Knees Music Festival
May 5 – Carrboro, Cat’ Cradle
May 6 – Charlottesville, The Southern Café and Music Hall
May 10 – Acrosanti, FORM Festival
May 11 – Acrosanti, FORM Festival
May 12 – Acrosanti, FORM Festival
May 13 – Singapore, Singapore, Esplanade Annexe Studio
May 15 – Kota Jakarta Selatan, Indonesia, Rossi Musik
May 16 – Khet Khlong Toei, Thailand, Rockademy Thailand
May 18 – Manila, Philippines, Summer Noise
May 22 – Shibuya-ku, Japan, www x
May 24 – Taipei, Taiwan, The Wall
May 27 – Seoul, South Korea, Hongdae Muv Hall
June
June 19 – Calgary, Canada, Sled Island
June 21 – San Francisco, Clusterfest
June 22 – San Francisco, Clusterfest
June 23 – San Francisco, Clusterfest
June 24 – New York, SummerStage
July
July 26 – Camden, XPoNoential Fest
August
Aug. 2 – Chicago, Lollapalooza – Grant Park
Aug. 8 – Barcelona, Spain, The Boaty Weekender
Aug. 9 – Barcelona, Spain, The Boaty Weekender
Aug. 10 – Barcelona, Spain, The Boaty Weekender
Aug. 11 – Barcelona, Spain, The Boaty Weekender
Aug. 12 – Barcelona, Spain, The Boaty Weekender
Aug. 23 – Portland, Crystal Ballroom
Aug. 24 – Port Townsend, THING
Aug. 25 – Port Townsend, THING
