A biography for Michelle Zaunerhasn’t been written yet.
“There's this thing where Asian parents force you to play an instrument at an early age, but god forbid you like it and want to pursue it professionally! But, as a kid, I never did choir, and didn't sing.”
“Then, in high school, I had a kind of mental breakdown; I didn't want to go to school anymore. It felt pointless. It was around the same time that I became really interested in music.”
“I think something I explore a little bit in my music is how there's this majestic, natural beauty in the Pacific Northwest, but also this kind of underlying eeriness.”
“I finished the rough draft of 'Crying in H Mart' in July of 2020. My editor had it for five to six months, so I was free from it for a little while. I decided to take that time to start working on a new album.”
“I used to shower every day, but I've been trying to shower less frequently for my hair health.”
“One thing that was pretty eye-opening to me was that red pepper came from the New World in the 15th or 16th century. So these things that we think of as inherently Korean actually have an even longer history than that.”
“But I still definitely go to H Mart probably like once or twice a week to get my groceries. It's a very special place to me.”
“I just miss the heartbeat of the band and crew. Watching everyone have their individualized tasks, and it all coming together to accomplish something huge every single night. Of course, seeing the kids and having songs that you wrote some back to you and yeah, just getting to do it all.”
“I was always interested in being a writer. Yet, at the time, it somehow seemed more unfeasible to be a writer than a musician.”
“I just have to live my life knowing that there could be a good chance that I might die in middle age.”
“I never thought I would be able to play in Seoul, the city where my mother was raised and I was born, and I was able to perform for my aunt.”
“I had this idea of writing a sci-fi musical about a woman who falls in love with a robot and realizes it's a love that can't be, and enlists in the Mars One project.”
“I knew that I wanted my third album to be the most drama and the strongest foot forward - every muscle flexing and using all the tools that you have in the toolbox.”
“I've never felt so physically and emotionally and mentally drained than I have on our shoots.”
“Food in general is really important for any diaspora, and it's really important for Korean people. This was a connection my mom and I could always have together that made her feel like I was more hers.”
“When you're looking back at your ancestral history or the cultural context of your identity, it's natural to search for that in the food.”
“I feel like it's a really natural part of writing: You lose perspective, and you have to let it go sometimes in order to come back to it and see that it's pretty alright.”
“Persimmons are pretty present in a lot of Asian cultures, as gifts that you give to people.”
“I felt like I could never write nonfiction, because I would have to spend so many pages explaining my ethnic background, and that wasn't really the story that I ever was interested in telling.”
“I struggle to learn a Dolly Parton cover with three key changes, but boy does it make me happy. I dare you to listen to 'Here You Come Again' without smiling.”