{"id":8055,"date":"2015-11-22T20:41:50","date_gmt":"2015-11-23T01:41:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/posturemag.com\/online\/?p=8055"},"modified":"2016-11-11T14:53:20","modified_gmt":"2016-11-11T19:53:20","slug":"perfume-genius-on-his-childhood-caitlyn-jenner-and-coven-of-witches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/posturemag.com\/online\/perfume-genius-on-his-childhood-caitlyn-jenner-and-coven-of-witches\/","title":{"rendered":"Perfume Genius on his Childhood, Caitlyn Jenner, and Coven of Witches"},"content":{"rendered":"

A passionate Perfume Genius<\/a> fan had the opportunity to meet the solo music artist\u00a0Mike Hadreas after his performance at the Monk Club in Rome this summer. The author’s thoughtful questions cover everything from Hadreas’ scent preference to specific lyrics in select songs.
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I met Perfume Genius before his Roman gig in June. The venue had a very nice garden where we sat to talk about his artistic path, his influences and more. He\u2019d painted his nails in red, as usual. Once his skinny fingers grabbed the electronic cigarette from his bag, he laid on a beach chair and kindly answered my questions. Enjoy the reading.<\/p>\n

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The very first thing I want to know is which is your favorite perfume or smell and which one do you dislike the most?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I like the smell of leather but I like it in women\u2019s perfume, like with something floral on top. I like rosemary too. I really don\u2019t like the smell of the anus.<\/p>\n

You stated you\u2019re quite a perfectionist when you have to choose the words of your lyrics; what is the key word of the album \u201cToo Bright\u201d?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know if it’s the key word but the word I say the most often is \u201cbody.” I really didn\u2019t realize how often that word came up until after I\u2019d heard the whole album.<\/p>\n

How would you describe yourself in three words?
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Oh shit! Hum, I guess UNSTABLE, COMPASSIONATE and PSYCHIC.<\/p>\n

What do you mean saying \u201cwe buried a meal for mama\u201d in \u201cLongpig<\/a>\u201d?<\/strong><\/p>\n

That song is like a story, it\u2019s not from my life or something I lived. I had this idea of a future where men aren\u2019t needed anymore, to procreate or anything else, so men would be just used as fertilizer to feed a big tree. I was imagining a village of women with guards all around and stuff and this big tree in the middle of the city.<\/p>\n

Is the song \u201cI\u2019m a Mother<\/a>\u201d deriving from an impossible need of motherhood or what?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I guess so. My boyfriend wants to have children. I\u2019d never really taught about it before but now we\u2019ve been together long enough, and I\u2019m old enough, to consider that. I just taught about how mean it is that we can\u2019t have a child together in the usual way. I mean we could have children but it\u2019s a little more difficult. I actually thought about it a lot, wondering if I need him or if I don\u2019t need anyone and should have a baby on my own. It\u2019s almost sci-fi, like other stories I tell.<\/p>\n

Is the relationship with your mother something you take inspiration from?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes, very much.<\/p>\n

What’s the relationship like?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019d say positive. Like every kid, growing up we fought a lot. Both of us had problems but we supported each other, even if we weren\u2019t always good at it. I live with her now, with my boyfriend too. You know, we\u2019re traveling a lot and we don\u2019t want to pay rent. It\u2019s good to be with her and see her as an adult, as a person, not just as a parent anymore.<\/p>\n

What was your favorite Halloween costume when you were a kid?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I was a clown once but usually I liked gross stuff, like open wounds on my face. I wasn\u2019t ever really an actual character. One time I tried to make fake vomit on my shirt, I did it with vinegar and mustard and other things but it was just disgusting and it smelled really horrible.<\/p>\n

Imagine you\u2019re back in your teenage years, coming back from school, listening to \u201cToo Bright<\/a>\u201d in your headphones, how do you think you would react?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I hope it would make me feel like the music I used to listen growing up: less lonely. I mean less lonely in specific ways, like specifically about my sexuality and my feelings on how I looked and seemed and come across to people. Growing up I felt very lonely. I didn\u2019t feel like I had much power at the time. I haven\u2019t solved all those problems but this doesn\u2019t mean my work can\u2019t be powerful. You can have a lot of weakness and power in equal measure I think.<\/p>\n

Do you think it\u2019s important to speak about Caitlyn Jenner\u2019s Coming Out or should we all not give a fuck?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to have visible people talking about things, but this doesn\u2019t mean we still don\u2019t have complications. There\u2019s a new load of atrocity and problems that are going on that are not mentioned when people talk about Caitlyn Jenner. It\u2019s hard when there are so few people to represent you because you want them to be everything, you want them to represent everyone, to say everything perfectly.<\/p>\n

Recently the Italian Government has approved an amendment that requires the teaching of gender equality in any school, to enforce prevention against any form of discrimination. The president of the Italian Episcopal Conference firmly opposed to it. Is there anything you want to tell him?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t understand why he opposes to that. That\u2019s very bizarre, kinda shocking. It doesn\u2019t make any sense \u2013 he laughs.<\/p>\n

You often cover Madonna, do you feel represented by her?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know, I guess more when I was younger, when my sexuality was secret to me and I listened to her being so open and unapologetic about it. That was sort of badass and powerful to me. I think that\u2019s why a lot of gay men identify with her, because she\u2019s really doing this, she\u2019s like a power we don\u2019t feel we have or maybe because she expresses something that was a shame for us growing up.<\/p>\n

A few days ago she\u2019s released the video of \u201cBitch I\u2019m Madonna\u201d featuring Nicky Minaj, Katy Perry, Rita Ora, Miley Cirus and Beyonc\u00e9. This is apparently a thing after Taylor Swift\u2019s \u201cBad Blood\u201d. Which artists would you like to host in your next video?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019d like to have like a coven of witches celebrities, captained by Patty Smith (only if she could be okay with the idea, I would never want to force her).<\/p>\n

That\u2019s very kind of you. Which song are you currently obsessed with?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m listening to “Bitch Better Have My Money” by Rihanna a lot. I really want someone to owe me money, so that I could sing that song. I really identify with the song but nobody really owes me money. In these days I\u2019m also listening a lot to \u201cI Believe In You<\/a>\u201d by Talk Talk, it\u2019s very beautiful.<\/p>\n

Do you already have material to record a new album?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t have time, I thought about it but on tour we don\u2019t have days off and I need a full day in solitude at least. I write music on the piano, it\u2019s kinda hard for me to write on the road and we\u2019ve been going so much. I prefer to be by myself, in a lonely place. I\u2019m very dramatic and I need to be able to work on myself until a fever or whatever.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s inspiring you at the moment? In which direction would you like to go in the next project?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been listening to a lot of Bulgarian women choirs, Cocteau Twins and Dead Can Dance, a lot of wordless-vocal things, almost kinda choral. I\u2019ve always wanted to make music like that, using a bunch or a lot of my voices in unison or with other people\u2019s voices. I\u2019d like to experiment more vocal melodies.<\/p>\n

Which is the song in \u201cToo Bright\u201d that you enjoy the most to play live?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I like playing Fool because there\u2019s a part in the middle that I didn\u2019t think I was able to do every night because the voice gets really high, but somehow I\u2019m able to do it and I\u2019m always proud of myself. It\u2019s like in those nightmares when you want to scream but nothing comes out, that\u2019s what I always think is going to happen. I also enjoy playing a cover \u201cBody\u2019s in Trouble<\/a>\u201d by Mary Margaret O\u2019Hara; I made it sound like my newer song.<\/p>\n