Episode 459
with Michelle Zauner, Laci Mosley, and Kishi Bashi
Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello get nostalgic about childhood foods; comedian and podcaster Laci Mosley (A Black Lady Sketch Show, Scam Goddess) lends her expertise to real-life "sketchy" situations; musician Michelle Zauner, a.k.a. Japanese Breakfast, discusses her memoir Crying in H Mart, in which she reconnects with her late mother and their Korean heritage through a love of food; and multi-instrumentalist Kishi Bashi performs "Wait for Springtime" from his new EP Emigrant.
Michelle Zauner
Singer & Author
Michelle Zauner is best known as a singer and guitarist who creates dreamy, shoegaze-inspired indie pop under the name Japanese Breakfast. She has won acclaim from major music outlets around the world for her albums Psychopomp (2016) and Soft Sounds from Another Planet (2017). Zauner’s viral essay in the New Yorker led to her memoir, Crying in H Mart, recently released by Knopf. The book is described as powerful and unflinching, and follows Zauner’s experience of growing up Korean American, losing her mother, and forging her own identity. Zauner lives in Brooklyn with her husband, Japanese Breakfast guitarist Peter Bradley. Website • Twitter
Laci Mosley
Actor & Comedian
Laci Mosley is an actress, comedian, writer, and singer from Dallas, Texas. She is part of the Los Angeles-based improv ensemble Leroy, as well as the improv duo @2LiveCrewImprov. Mosley is best known for hosting the podcast Scam Goddess, which is dedicated to fraud and those who practice it. As the Scam Goddess, Mosley keeps listeners up to date on current rackets, digs deep into the latest scams, and breaks down historic hoodwinks alongside guest comedians, including Ron Funches, Nicole Byer, and Conan O’Brien. Mosley is featured on the second season of A Black Lady Sketch Show, an HBO comedy series performed by a core cast of Black women. Listen • Twitter
Kishi Bashi
Musical Group
Kishi Bashi is the pseudonym of singer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter Kaoru Ishibashi. He is a founding member of the New York electronic rock outfit Jupiter One and, as a renowned violinist, has recorded and toured internationally with artists including Regina Spektor, Sondre Lerche, and the indie rock band Of Montreal. In 2012, Bashi released his debut album 151a to immediate critical acclaim, and his fourth and most recent album, Omoiyari, was released in 2019. He is currently co-directing a feature length documentary of the same name about the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. Over the last year, he has arranged and recorded a companion to Omoiyari called Emigrant EP, which serves as a continuation of the album and a time capsule of life in 2020. Emigrant EP was released digitally in April 2021, with physical copies available starting May 21st. Listen • Twitter
