By Keehnan Konyha
Mike Hadreas and I met on LiveJournal.com in the late ’90s, when he had a moppish Ian Curtis haircut and an adoring legion of Internet fan daddies. A few years ago, after stints in and out of rehab, Mike left New York and moved back to his mom’s house in suburban Washington where he started recording music under the name Perfume Genius. He would only use his computer and a headset microphone for vocals. He also started making videos, mostly slowed down, melancholy YouTube clips, re-contextualized to suit new soundtracks he created. One day the UK-based label Turnstile came across his MySpace page. They contacted and eventually signed him. The bio on Turnstile’s website reads: ‘Might be dead. Cool Guy.’ I always find interviewing a friend very difficult, so when I messengered Mike I stuck with questions pulled randomly from NME and various Facebook quizzes, with rather confusing results. You can always watch one of his videos or listen to his new song ‘Floating Spit’ instead:

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Keehnan Konyha: Where were you born?
Perfume Genius: Des Moines, Iowa.

How many Diet Cokes have you had?
Two cans and one 20 oz. so far.

What is your biggest influence?
Right now, probably being clean. Anything I had made when I was getting fucked up always ended up sounding like my journal when I was 13, with more crack. That was on a good day. Some people are able to do it, but I am not the one. It is hard to make something honest and real when you just spent two days taking everything out of your bag and immediately putting it back in on repeat.

What is you favorite movie and/or food?
What about food movies?
Million Dollar Baby 2: Sloppy Seconds.
Sophie’s Choice 2: Check Please!
The Net 2: Pig in the City.

How, or do you feel anything for, Lady Gaga?
I guess so? Unclear. She brought blood last time, I liked that.

What is your Meyers-Briggs profile?
INFP (Introversion, iNtuition, Feeling, Perception)

Why were you born?
To decorate the apartment I share with my brother in such a way that his dick dies when he sets foot inside and has to explain the owl collection and kitty wall to girls he brings home.

How long have you known your Dad?
Day one. Give or take a day.