What's "The Story," Japanese Breakfast?

Listen to Michelle Zauner and co. cover a Brandi Carlile classic

Photo courtesy of the North Face

BY Megan LaPierrePublished Oct 4, 2022

What if a jacket was more than a jacket? As a chill enters the air, that's the premise of the North Face's latest ad campaign — and they've recruited Japanese Breakfast to soundtrack the warmth they're trying to sell, commissioning the artist to record a downy, delightfully twee cover of Brandi Carlile's "The Story."

"It was a joy to take on the iconic ballad 'The Story,'" the band's Michelle Zauner — who's fresh off of a busy festival season that included playing the Saturday Night Live finale — said in a statement. "I think the song captures the depths of human tenacity and the spirit of the journey so well. We wanted to keep our rendition sparse and acoustic. A beautiful string arrangement written by Craig Hendrix and performed by our violinist, Molly Germer, and Quartet 121 soars in to sweep you up to the mountains."

"The Story" is the title track from Carlile's 2007 sophomore album. It stands out as a quintessential representation of her vulnerable, unvarnished music, and has gotten the cover treatment from many artists over the years (including but not limited to Dolly Parton).

Zippers up! Listen to JBrekkie's evocative take on the sky-scraping track below.


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