Perfume Genius Announces New Zealand Shows w/ Hand Habits

The brains behind winter's Strange Universe extravaganza, Banished Music and Strange News have announced Seattle pop auteur Perfume Genius is returning to Aotearoa in June, for headline dates at Auckland's Powerstation and Wellington's San Fran. The musical nom de plume of Mike Hadreas, Perfume Genius was last in NZ during the pre-pandemic days of 2018, playing a memorable double headline date with Aldous Harding. Hadreas' star has only burned brighter since that last visit — 2020's long player Set My Heart On Fire Immediately launched to rapturous reviews, an end of year list staple that earned a rare '9.0' from Pitchfork, who raved the record "glides between sublime melodies and grimy, guttural dissonance, embracing the joys and burdens of the human body and its innumerable, intangible yearnings".

Performing material from that album, forthcoming new long player Ugly Season and gems across his back catalogue, expect to be blown away by Perfume Genius' live show with band this winter. They'll be joined by special guest LA art-pop songwriter (and recent Angel Olsen collaborator) Hand Habits for both North Island events...

Banished Music & Strange News present

Perfume Genius w/ Hand Habits

Monday 6th June - Powerstation, Auckland
Tuesday 7th June - San Fran, Wellington

Auckland tickets from AAA Ticketing
Wellington tickets from Banished Music

Banished Music presale 9am Friday 22nd April
General tickets on sale Monday 25th April
Sign up to the Banished presale HERE

Experience the video for 'On The Floor', from Perfume Genius' 2020 album Set My Heart On Fire Immediately...

 Watch the clip for Hand Habits' 2021 single 'Aquamarine'...

Press release:

Mike Hadreas and his band bring the electrifying Perfume Genius live show to Aotearoa this winter, performing in Auckland at the Powerstation on June 6 & Wellington at San Fran on June 7.

The bold and tender artistic practice of Perfume Genius embodies fragility and empowerment, love and sexuality, trauma and triumph, with emotional honesty and rock-star swagger.

Returning to New Zealand for the first time since 2018, where he performed two mesmerising festival performances alongside Aldous Harding, Perfume Genius will be sharing songs from Set My Heart On Fire Immediately (Matador Records / Remote Control 2020),his beloved previous four albums, and his upcoming album Ugly Season (out June 17).

Opening for Perfume Genius will be Hand Habits, aka Los Angeles musician Meg Duffy performing songs from their brilliant art-pop album Fun House (Milk! Records / Remote Control 2021) with a full band for the first time in New Zealand.

Set My Heart on Fire Immediately saw Perfume Genius explore themes of queerness, with homages to 80s pop, classic rock, synth-pop, funk, shoegaze and many other genres. Appearing on 2020 end of year lists by TIME Magazine, New York Times, Variety, Entertainment Weekly, Pitchfork, Billboard, The New Yorker, Vogue, NPR, Stereogum and many others, the album was produced by GRAMMY-winning producer Blake Mills and features contributions from musicians Jim Keltner, Pino Palladino, Matt Chamberlin and Rob Moose. It was recorded in Los Angeles, where Perfume Genius settled in 2017 with longtime partner and musical collaborator Alan Wyffels. The album explores and subverts concepts of masculinity and traditional roles, and introduces decidedly American musical influences.

In the wake of Set My Heart On Fire Immediately, Hadreas appeared on JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!, played a global live stream from The Palace Theater in downtown Los Angeles and announced the publication of Immediately, the book companion to the new album featuring iconic portraits of Perfume Genius by celebrated French photographer Camille Vivier. Perfume Genius has also appeared on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert performing ‘Whole Life’ for their #PlayAtHome series and on Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon where he performed ‘On The Floor’ and ‘Jason’.

These shows in Aotearoa will be an incredible opportunity for fans to hear their favourites, as well as get an early live preview of songs from the upcoming record.