• News

• All

Oct 10, 2017 By Christopher Roberts Japanese Breakfast

Find It At: {article-find} {name} {/article-find}

Bay Area singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Jay Som (aka Melina Duterte) released her debut full-length album, Everybody Works, back in March via Polyvinyl. It’s an eclectic and confident mix of dream pop and garage rock. Now she has shared a video for “The Bus Song.” Japanese Breakfast (aka Michelle Zauner) directed the video, which features Duterte and friends goofing around the Bay Area, picking up more musicians as they go. Watch it below, followed by Jay Som’s upcoming tour dates.

Japanese Breakfast released her excellent sophomore album, Soft Sounds From Another Planet, back in July via Dead Oceans.

Duterte had this to say about “The Bus Song” video in a press release: “Michelle directing this video was honestly such a dream come true. I’m already honored to call her a friend and past tour mate so watching her in action in another field of work left me awestruck and so inspired. What made the video even more special was filming it in both Oakland and San Francisco with an ensemble cast of friends/non actors. It feels like a time capsule of sorts - a goofy reminiscence and portrayal of the Everybody Works album period.”

Zauner had this to say in a press release about directing the video: “I adore Melina so much, she’s like a little sister to me, my baybee. When she asked if I would direct her next music video I was over the moon.

“I worked on the video with Adam Kolodny, my Director of Photography who has shot all the Japanese Breakfast videos. It was important to me to really try to showcase Melina’s infectious charm and sense of humor. There is something just so lovable about her, it was great to try to capture her in her element, surrounded by her friends. The video feels like a love letter to the bay area.

“It was also important to me to focus on all the dynamic shifts in the song. It has a huge arrangement, all instruments Melina played, and I wanted to make something that really drew attention to that. An ensemble cast, lots of color, captured in a lot of wides and lateral tracking shots really helped us amplify those dynamics and showcase our locations.”

Read our recent Pleased to Meet You interview with Jay Som.

Read our recent interview with Japanese Breakfast on Soft Sounds From Another Planet.

Jay Som Tour Dates:

10/18 - Sacramento, CA @ Harlow’s mce_markernbsp;
10/19 - Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst *
10/20 - San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall $
10/26 - Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge & [SOLD OUT]
10/27 - Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge & [SOLD OUT]
10/28 - Seattle, WA @ The Showbox &
10/30 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge &
10/31 - Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater &
11/02 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue &
11/03 - Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall & [SOLD OUT]
11/04 - Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick &
11/05 - Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups
11/06 - Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop

11/07 - Grinnell, IA @ Grinnell College

02/16 - 02/18 - Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom at Sabertooth

$ w/ Palehound
* w/ Never Young
& w/ Alvvays

Support Under the Radar on Patreon.