Perfume Genius Covers Neil Young

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Mike Hadreas and Blake Mills (photo: Lori Paulson) (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
Mike Hadreas and Alan Wyffals (photo: Lori Paulson) (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)

“No Shape” is Mike Hadreas’ fourth album as Perfume Genius and perhaps his most critically-acclaimed.

And for good reason.

While his first three albums showed he was fearless in exposing his personal life and exploring themes of addiction, depression and sexuality, on his latest, he took the music itself to new and magical places.

He recruited producer Blake Mills to help expand his sound and the results are captivating.

Blake is based in LA and popped into the studio to play guitar during the band’s MBE live set — just one of many special things about the morning. (Mike’s partner in love and art — Alan Wyffals — also played alongside him as he always does)

Mike prowled around the studio with confidence, playing mostly new songs before sitting solo at the piano for the encore — a rendition of Neil Young’s “Helpless”. Find it just past the 34-minute mark here and/or below.

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p.s. Artist Clifford Bailey stopped by the studio to capture the scene in a few sketches! Check it out below.