Perfume (band)

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This article is about the British band. For the Japanese pop/techno group, see Perfume (group).

Perfume were a British indie group from Leicester, active between 1993 and 1997.

When Blab Happy split up, singer/guitarist Mick McCarthy and bassist Tony Owen recruited John "Johnny Wadd" Waddington to form Perfume, initially releasing records on their own "Aromasound" label. Their first release was "Yoga" in December 1993. Second single "Young" (which was perfume-scented)^[1] appeared in April 1994. At this point they picked up a third guitarist, Northampton student, Ian Pomfrett, who added a more funky guitar feel to their indie tunes. Third single "Lover" was picked up on by BBC Radio One DJ's Steve Lamacq and Jo Whiley (the latter getting the band in to record a session for her show),^[1] and they toured with Gene, the band's profile rising a a result. The recruitment of bass player Karl Traae, of Leicester's HBM fame and recently returned from a stint in the US with San Diego's Whirl lead to a minor (UK Top 75) hit in January 1996 with the single "Haven't Seen You". That year's success saw them sign to Big Star Records, and to Paul Weller's publishers Notting Hill, who reissued "Lover", to be followed by the debut album One in 1997. Perfume performed at the Glastonbury Festival in 1997. The band split later that year, with a posthumous "best of" compilation Yesterday Rising released in 1998.