Michelle Zauner brings her indie rock project to Australia for the first time in eight years.
After adapting her bestselling memoir Crying in H Mart for the screen and writing in South Korea, Zauner has crafted a new album that signals a gothic twist to Japanese Breakfast’s dreamy indie sound. For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women) represents the band’s first proper studio release after a decade of recording in makeshift spaces.
The RISING show at PICA will showcase material from this new era alongside favourites from their back catalogue.
Japanese Breakfast
- Venue: PICA (Port Melbourne Industrial Centre for the Arts)
- Date: Thursday 5 June, 2025
- Tickets here
Check out our gig guide, our arts guide, our festival guide, our live music venue guide and our nightclub guide. Follow us on Instagram here.
The new album follows 2021’s triumphant Jubilee, which saw the band embrace a more upbeat sound with bright horns and joyful synths. In contrast, lead single Orlando in Love from the new record points toward a moodier direction. The ballad, inspired by a Renaissance poem, tells the story of “a foolish man who lives in a Winnebago and gets seduced by a siren.”
This evolution feels natural for an artist who has consistently refused to be pigeonholed. Japanese Breakfast’s sound regularly shifts between dream pop, shoegaze and indie rock, all while maintaining Zauner’s distinct literary sensibility and emotional honesty.
For those unfamiliar with Zauner’s work beyond music, her memoir Crying in H Mart became a New York Times bestseller upon its 2021 release. The book chronicles her experience of losing her mother to cancer and reconnecting with her Korean heritage through food, establishing her as a significant literary voice alongside her musical career.
The Melbourne show represents a rare opportunity for Australian fans, with Japanese Breakfast’s last visit occurring nearly a decade ago. The band’s expanded lineup and more ambitious sound should be perfectly suited to PICA’s industrial atmosphere.
The Japanese Breakfast show is part of RISING’s 2025 program, which runs from June 4-15 across various Melbourne venues. The festival continues to establish itself as one of Australia’s premier arts events, attracting significant international acts alongside showcasing local talent.
Fans of artists like Mitski, Big Thief, and Yo La Tengo should find much to appreciate in Japanese Breakfast’s emotionally rich yet sonically adventurous performance style. Tickets for the show range from $101 to $116, with RISING subscribers getting first access during a presale beginning this Friday at 10am. General ticket sales open on Monday, March 17 at 10am.
For more information, head here.
