Yukimi (and her sunglasses) up the cool factor in KCRW’s Annenberg Performance Studio. Photo by Foster White
Yukimi (and her sunglasses) up the cool factor in KCRW’s Annenberg Performance Studio. Photo by Foster White
Video directed by Kylie Hazzard. Photos by Foster White and Rommel Alcantara

Yukimi: KCRW Live from HQ

Intimate performances, fresh sounds, and candid conversations with a view.

Written by Marion Hodges

Little Dragon frontwoman Yukimi Nagano dropped her debut solo LP For You in March of this year, but we’ve been picking up what she’s been putting down since she shared the album’s first single — “Break Me Down” — in October of 2024. The bold, sophisticated funkiness of that one made it all the way to our Favorite Songs of 2024 list, with Morning Becomes Eclectic Producer Anna Chang offering this: 

“Solo Yukimi Nagano (of Little Dragon) has arrived, and this first taste is nothing short of glorious. Her voice is a special kind of ecstasy, a balm for the soul and analeptic for the mind. Carried by the refrain of "nothing’s gonna break me down," the track is a shot of something we could all use... right about now.”


Photos by by Rommel Alcantara

More: Little Dragon: KCRW Live From HQ

Take those words, multiply them by 13 tracks, and you have the experience of listening to For You in its entirety. Little Dragon fans can rejoice in its electro-groove pulsations, never straying too far afield from the ones that define her day job. Meanwhile, the openness and vulnerability of her lyrics feels fresh and even a bit risky. 




Photos by Foster White

Yukimi co-signs the feeling in conversation with MBE host Novena Carmel, as the two catch up on the heels of Yukimi’s first North American tour as a solo artist. Dial into their full chat via the video below. And click into the video at the top of this page — Yukimi Nagano (vocals), Erik Bodin (music director, drums), André Karlsson (keyboards), Angelica Kvarby (bass), and Mia Garcia (guitar) — share pristine For You cuts from KCRW’s Annenberg Performance Studio, including “Make Me Whole,” “Runaway,” and “Sad Makeup.”

Explore more KCRW Live From sessions




Photos by Foster White


Photo by Rommel Alcantara

Credits:

KCRW Music Director: Alejandro Cohen
Interviewer: Novena Carmel
Director/Director of Photography/ Editor: Kylie Hazzard
Camera operators: Milana Burdette, Rachel Bickert, Kylie Hazzard
KCRW Recording / Mix Engineer: Katie Gilchrest
Assistant Engineers: Hope Brush and Nick Lampone
Executive Producer: Ariana Morgenstern
Senior Producer: Anna Chang
Event Producer: Liv Surnow
Digital Producer: Marion Hodges
Digital Editorial Manager: Andrea Domanick
Social Video Editor: Tohar Zamir
Lighting Design: Jason Groman
Art Director: Evan Solano

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