Michelle Zauner is never recognized in H Mart

Despite writing an entire book on H Mart, Michelle Zauner remains largely indifferent when shopping in the chain from Asian supermarkets (which is very frequently). "They definitely don't care," she says over the phone. "It's humiliating." Although the musician and writer, who performs as Japanese Breakfast, can shop in relative peace, total darkness can be fleeting. Since releasing Crying in H Mart, a memoir that explores her complicated relationship with her late mother, in April 2021, the Zauner star has catapulted: she is currently on tour with Florence + the Machine and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, building his name on the festival circuit and working on a film adaptation of his bestseller.

Naturally, a brand partnership followed, this time with The North Face. For Zauner, who hails from the Pacific Northwest, the endorsement was fitting. "The North Face was basically a uniform where I grew up," she says of the Oregon Coast, which she describes as "very windy and wet and gray and cold." Many of us look fondly at our beloved North Face fleeces from college; Zauner is no different. "It was a very coveted item," she admits. For the outerwear brand's Fall 2022 campaign, "It's More Than a Jacket," Zauner tapped into his inner artist to re-record Brandi Carlile's hit song "The Story." Here, she discusses the merits of cozy fleeces, Korean sheet masks, and her TikTok algorithm.

What was it like recording a Brandi Carlile song? Does your approach to songwriting change when you do a cover?

I really like it when people put a different spin on a song, and when I have time to think about it, that's which I like to try and do. When we picked up this cover, it was very intimidating, because it's a real belt, and a style that I don't do very often, so it was a fun challenge. Our main goal was to have really well done sparse elements. I knew I wanted to have a really nice string arrangement, a really good vocal pickup, and a really nice acoustic guitar, and then build on a song that already has the perfect chorus. Every time I write, I always look for that... part of what makes this song such an iconic ballad is that there's a real crest to the chorus. I tried to find a new way to present this.

What's in your wardrobe rotation on tour?

I love fleece. I've never really been a fleece guy until recently, but I'm really looking forward to living in this white North Face fleece jacket and matching pants when we go to Europe, because I'm always really cold there -low - we always fall/winter tours. There is definitely a "me performer" and, outside of performance, I generally dress like a stagehand. But after the pandemic, I started to be a little more extra with my style, because as a performer you have the opportunity to be. I started wearing more tailored looks and started embracing color that way once we got out of quarantine, which I never did before.

Zauner performs as Japanese Breakfast at Saint Andrew's Hall in Detroit on August 4, 2021.

Scott Legato//Getty Images Korean culture is definitely having a moment. Were there any style or beauty lessons your mother passed on to you?