Florence Welch | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Florence Leontine Mary Welch |
Born | Camberwell, London, England | 28 August 1986
Genres | |
Occupations |
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Years active | 2006–present |
Labels | |
Member of | Florence and the Machine |
Website | florenceandthemachine |
Florence Leontine Mary Welch [1] (born 28 August 1986) [2] [3] is an English singer and songwriter. She is the lead vocalist and primary songwriter of the indie rock band Florence and the Machine. The band's debut studio album, Lungs (2009), topped the UK Albums Chart and won the Brit Award for Best British Album. Their next four albums also achieved chart success. In 2018, Welch released a book titled Useless Magic, a collection of lyrics and poems written by her, along with illustrations.
Florence Leontine Mary Welch was born on 28 August 1986 in Camberwell to Nick Russell Welch, an advertising executive [4] and Evelyn Welch (née Samuels), an academic. [5] Through her mother, Welch has both British and American citizenship. [6] She was raised Catholic. [7]
Welch is the niece of satirist Craig Brown [4] via Brown's wife and Welch's aunt, Frances Welch, [8] and granddaughter of Colin Welch, former deputy editor of The Daily Telegraph and former Daily Mail parliamentary sketchwriter. [8] Welch's maternal uncle is actor and filmmaker John Stockwell. [9] She has a younger sister, Grace, who inspired Welch's song by the same name. [10] Welch also has a younger brother named J.J. [11]
During her youth, Welch was encouraged by her Scottish paternal grandmother, Cybil Welch (née Russell), [8] [12] to pursue her performing and singing talents. [13] Welch's deceased grandmothers inspired numerous songs on Florence and the Machine's debut album Lungs (2009). [14] In her youth, Welch also sang at family weddings and funerals. [15] Aged ten, she performed the song of Yum-Yum ("The sun whose rays are all ablaze") from The Mikado by Gilbert and Sullivan at Colin Welch's memorial service. [16]
Welch's parents divorced when she was thirteen, and her mother eventually married their next-door neighbour, Professor Peter Openshaw. [17] As a result of the marriage, Welch has three step-siblings: Maddie, Sam, and John. Through her father, Welch also has a stepbrother named Nick. [11] When Welch was 14, her maternal grandmother, who had bipolar disorder, died from suicide by jumping from her New York apartment. [17] [18] [19]
In Florence and the Machine's 2018 single "Hunger", she opened up for the first time about an eating disorder she had as a teenager. She has also spoken of being a highly imaginative and fearful child. "I learned ways to manage that terror–drink, drugs, controlling food..." [20]
Welch was educated at Thomas's London Day School, Battersea [21] and went on to study at Alleyn's School, South East London, where she did well academically. [1] However, Welch often got in trouble in school for impromptu singing and for singing too loudly in the school's choir. [1] While in middle school, Welch and two of her friends started a witch coven, creating spellbooks and attempting to cast spells on classmates. One such spell was to make one of Welch's classmates fall in love with her by putting his name and a drop of blood in a bottle. "I don't know if it ever worked," Welch would joke in 2015. [22]
Despite an early love of reading and literature, she was diagnosed with dyslexia, owing to problems with spelling, alongside dyspraxia, a developmental coordination disorder that does not affect her reading ability, but caused issues with organization. [23] [24] Music and books gave her a reprieve from what she felt made her different from others. "I used reading as a form of escape. I was shy and sensitive, and so reading gave me a safe space." [25]
After leaving secondary school and "just bumming around Camberwell where I lived, working at a bar and thought that I should start doing something with life", Welch studied illustration at Camberwell College of Arts before dropping out to focus on her music. [1] Initially she had intended to take a year out from her studies to "see where the music would go and then it started going somewhere so [she] never went back". [26]
According to Welch, the band name "Florence + the Machine" had "started off as a private joke that got out of hand. I made music with my friend, who we called Isabella Machine, to which I was Florence Robot. When I was about an hour away from my first gig, I still didn't have a name, so I thought 'Okay, I'll be Florence Robot/Isa Machine', before realizing that name was so long it'd drive me mad". [1] [27] In 2006, Welch's performances with Isabella Summers in small London venues under the joint name Florence Robot/Isa Machine [28] began to attract notice.[ citation needed ]
In 2007, Welch recorded with a band named Ashok, who released an album titled Plans on the Filthy Lucre/About Records label. The album included the earliest version of her later hit "Kiss with a Fist", which at this point was titled "Happy Slap". [29]
Florence and the Machine released their debut studio album Lungs in the United Kingdom on 6 July 2009. The album was officially launched with a set at the Rivoli Ballroom in Brockley, south-east London. It peaked at number one in the UK and number two in Ireland. As of 6 August 2009, the album had sold over 100,000 copies in the UK and by 10 August it had been at number two for five consecutive weeks. [30] [31] After its 25 July 2009 release for download in the United States, the album debuted at number seventeen on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart, [32] ultimately peaking at number one. [33] The album was released physically in the US on 20 October by Universal Republic. [34] The album was produced by James Ford, Paul Epworth, Steve Mackey, and Charlie Hugall. [35]
Welch contributed vocals to David Byrne and Fatboy Slim's 2010 album Here Lies Love , an album about Imelda Marcos. [36] As of January 2011, Welch was working with Drake on material slated for his upcoming album. [37]
On 27 February 2011, Welch replaced pregnant Dido and sang her portion of Best Original Song nominee "If I Rise" (from 127 Hours ) with A. R. Rahman at the 83rd Academy Awards. [38] [39]
The band's second studio album, Ceremonials , was released on 31 October 2011. In the album, Florence's "obsession with drowning" is represented through the use of repeated water imagery. [40] It debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and number six on the US Billboard 200. [41] [42] On 12 January 2012, Florence and the Machine were nominated for two Brit Awards, with the awards ceremony taking place on 21 February 2012 at the O2 Arena, London. [43] On 26 April 2012, the band released "Breath of Life", a song which was recorded as the official theme song for the fantasy film Snow White and the Huntsman . [44] [45] On 5 July 2012, a remix of "Spectrum" by Scottish musician Calvin Harris was released as the fourth single from Ceremonials, becoming the band's first UK number-one hit. [46] Welch expressed excitement about putting new material together for a third album once the band finished touring at the end of September 2012. [47] Welch led a tribute to Amy Winehouse by performing Winehouse's song "Back to Black" and the Annie Lennox-classic "Walking on Broken Glass" during the VH1 Divas Celebrates Soul concert held in December 2011. [48] [49] The group performed in Times Square on 31 December 2011 for the 40th annual Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve special. [50]
In October 2012, she was featured on Scottish singer-songwriter and producer Calvin Harris' song "Sweet Nothing", which debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart, marking Welch's second number one. [51] The song was taken from Harris' third studio album 18 Months and is the fifth single from the album. "Sweet Nothing" also peaked at number one in Ireland and number two in Australia and New Zealand. "Sweet Nothing" was certified Platinum in Australia. "Sweet Nothing" received a nomination for Best Dance Recording at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards. [52]
On 29 November 2012 Florence joined the Rolling Stones at the O2 Arena in London to sing "Gimme Shelter". Her performance with Mick Jagger was described as "sexy" and "electrifying."[ citation needed ]
In February 2015, Florence and the Machine announced their third album, How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful , which was released on 1 June 2015. The album reached #1 in many markets including the US, the UK, Australia, and Canada. The record spawned two top 40 UK hits, and earned three Grammy nominations. [53]
During June 2015, Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters broke his leg on stage prior to his band's upcoming Glastonbury Festival headline performance, causing Florence and the Machine to be the headline band. They headlined the festival for the first time on 26 June 2015. [54]
In September 2016, during an interview with Heat Radio, American singer Lady Gaga revealed that she and Florence had recorded a song together. The track, titled "Hey Girl", was later featured on Gaga's fifth album Joanne . [55] Footage of their studio session was featured in Gaga's Netflix documentary Gaga: Five Foot Two (2017).
In March 2017, Welch appeared in Song to Song directed by Terrence Malick. [56] In May 2017, Welch contributed a song titled "To Be Human" to the Wonder Woman soundtrack. Co-written with Rick Nowels, the song is performed on the film's soundtrack by Sia and Labrinth.
On 12 April 2018, Florence and the Machine released a song titled "Sky Full of Song" and an accompanying music video on YouTube, directed by AG Rojas. The song was released for Record Store Day on 21 April, which supports brick and mortar record stores; a limited edition 7" vinyl was also released. [57] [ non-primary source needed ] Also in 2018 "Hunger" was released. Florence and the Machine's fourth studio album High as Hope was released on 29 June 2018. [58]
On 22 May 2018, Florence Welch performed a duet with Mick Jagger, at London Stadium, during the Rolling Stones' No Filter Tour. They sang "Wild Horses". In July 2018, Welch published her first book Useless Magic: Lyrics and Poetry. The book showcases her lyrics and poetry, alongside corresponding artwork from the time of her first album Lungs to her 2018 release High as Hope. [59]
On 28 April 2021, Welch announced that she would contribute music and lyrics to a musical adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby , with producer Thomas Bartlett co-writing the adaptation's music and book written by Martyna Majok, with Rebecca Frecknall directing. [60] The musical, titled Gatsby: An American Myth , premiered on 5 June 2024 at the American Repertory Theater, [61] directed by Tony Award-winning director Rachel Chavkin.
In January 2022, it was confirmed that the band would be headlining a few summer festivals which lead to many theorizing that Welch's fifth studio album could possibly be released during the first semester of 2022. By the end of February, some selected fans started receiving medieval-styled tarot cards, the cards had the words "King" and "Florence + the Machine – Chapter 1" written on them. On 23 February 2022, Welch released a single, "King", and an accompanying music video, directed by Autumn de Wilde.
On 7 March 2022, the second single was released alongside a music video, also directed by de Wilde, titled "Heaven Is Here". On 9 March 2022, Welch announced through her Instagram page that the band's fifth studio album would be titled Dance Fever and would have 14 songs, in her words "A fairytale in 14 songs".
On 10 March 2022, the third single was released called "My Love" which also featured a music video directed by Autumn de Wilde. The single premiered on BBC Radio 1's morning show "Breakfast with Greg James" where Welch was the special guest and announced the release date of their upcoming album Dance Fever, 13 May 2022.
On 14 October 2022, Dance Fever (Live at Madison Square Garden) was released. The album was recorded over two nights at MSG on 16 and 17 September 2022. [62]
In August and October 2024 respectively, Welch performed "Florida!!!" with Taylor Swift on The Eras Tour's last stop in London and on the tour's stops in Miami. [63]
On 11 September 2024 Florence + the Machine performed with the Jules Buckley Orchestra at Royal Albert Hall for the BBC Proms 2024 Series. [64] The performance was released as the album titled Symphony of Lungs on 25 October 2024.
Welch has been compared to other singers such as Kate Bush, [65] [66] Stevie Nicks, [67] Siouxsie Sioux, [65] [66] PJ Harvey, [65] Shirley Manson, [68] Alison Goldfrapp, [69] Tori Amos, [70] and Björk. [66] When describing Lungs, Welch said, "When I was writing these songs, I used to refer to myself as Florence 'Robot...because I really like what a machine thinks organic instruments really sound like." [37] Welch has a contralto voice. [71] In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked Welch at number 128 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time. [72]
During interviews, Welch has cited singers Grace Slick, Alanis Morissette, Patti Smith, and Stevie Nicks as influences and "heroes." [73] [74] She told Rolling Stone in 2010, "I'm pretty obsessed with [Stevie] Nicks, from her style to her voice. I like watching her on YouTube and her old performances, the way she moves and everything." [75] Florence wrote "Patricia" on the band's 2018 album High as Hope about Smith, whom she describes as her "north star". [76]
She has also listed in her early influences the likes of John Cale, Otis Redding, Siouxsie Sioux, Courtney Love, David Byrne, and Lou Reed. [77] [78] In a review of Ceremonials, Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone described Florence and the Machine's style as "dark, robust and romantic", deeming the ballad "Only If for a Night" as a mix of "classic soul and midnight-on-the-moors English art rock". [65] Welch stated that her lyrics related to Renaissance artists : "We're dealing with all of the same things they did: love and death, time and pain, heaven and hell". [79] Welch has used religious imagery in her music and performances, though she has stated, "I'm not a religious person. Sex, violence, love, death, are the topics that I'm constantly wrestling with, it's all connected back to religion." [80]
Nick Welch, her father, contributed a "rock and roll element to the family mix"; in his twenties, he lived in a West End squat and attended the Squatters' Ball organised by Heathcote Williams where the 101ers played regularly. [81] A self-confessed "frustrated performer", if Nick, as he put it, "nudged Flo in any way, it's only been to listen to the Ramones rather than Green Day." [81] Evelyn, Welch's mother, had an equally strong, yet completely different influence on her daughter. A visit to one of her mother's renaissance lectures left teenage Florence deeply impressed. She explained, "I aspire to something like that, but with music. I hope that my music has some of the big themes—sex, death, love, violence—that will still be part of the human story in 200 years' time." [81]
Welch is known for her distinctive clothing style, often performing concerts wearing light Gucci dresses, barefoot and without jewellery. [82] Vogue described her style as Bohemian and called her "the queen of Bohemian style." [83]
Discussing her fashion style Welch said, "For the stage, it's The Lady of Shalott meets Ophelia... mixed with scary gothic bat lady. But in real life I'm kind of prim." [84] Welch often mixes artistic influences both in her fashion style and music, with a strong nod towards the style of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. [85] 2011 saw Gucci dressing her for her summer tour and a performance at the Chanel runway show at Paris Fashion Week. [86] Welch describes 1970s American drag queen troupe the Cockettes and French chanson singer Françoise Hardy as fashion mentors. [87]
Welch has also named Fleetwood Mac member Stevie Nicks as being a musical, fashion and general influence. [88] Welch can sometimes be seen in concert paying homage to Nicks' famous billowing stage dress. [89]
Welch has spoken about being a "fantasist" as a child, "[I was] constantly reading books, thinking, "I'm not a mermaid. I can't breathe underwater. I can't fly." One of the saddest and most heartbreaking things is that I remember really wanting to be able to magically change my appearance." [90] She said that this impacted her image and sound. [91] Her style and mannerisms have led fans and the media comparing her to a witch, [92] [93] a mermaid, [94] [95] and a fairy. [96] [97] [ non-primary source needed ]
Welch considers herself an introvert and is passionate about reading and literature. She has held many events with her fan-run book club, Between Two Books. "It's a huge generalization to say that all readers are introverts; I'm sure there's a lot of extroverted bookworms out there, but, for me, it's nice to know people of similar inclinations can actually come together in a social way and talk about something that is inherently solitary." [98]
Although many of her songs contain Christian themes and elements, Welch has said she is an agnostic and does not follow any particular religion. [7] [99] "I went to Catholic school, and the first songs I remember liking were hymns. I find it's nice to mix the mundane and the magical, the irrelevant with the huge themes. Sex, love, death, marriage, guilt—mix that with seeing a huge sky or going for a walk or turning the page of a book. Living is dealing with the everyday and the notion that you're going to die." [99]
In 2022, Welch was awarded and accepted an honorary fellowship from University of the Arts London. [100] [101]
Welch has been open about her struggles with anxiety and depression, as well as with alcohol. Though she has been sober since 2014, [19] many of her songs reflect these issues. [102] In 2019, she discussed her panic attacks in an interview with Sinéad Burke. She explained, "My hands go tingly, my lips go tingly. I sort of think that it's very serious and I'm about to die and I have to lie on the floor and breathe...I know I'm having a panic attack, really. But I also really want someone to take me to hospital." [103] Welch has also openly spoken of her struggles with anorexia nervosa, with her 2018 song "Hunger" detailing her experiences. In a 2022 interview with The Independent , Welch stated that while she considered herself recovered from the condition, "anorexic thinking" still formed a part of her everyday life. [104]
In 2015, Welch broke her foot after leaping off the stage at the Coachella Festival. [105] She revealed that she used to drink alcohol before every performance, telling Billboard: "I'm quite shy, really—that's probably why I used to drink a lot. But I don't any more. When I finally took time off to make this new record, I had time to strengthen. And when I was coming back into the fray, I really didn't want to lose that. I thought I could go dive-bomb back into it, but look what happened. I dived into it and literally broke myself." [15]
On 28 August 2023, Welch posted a statement to her personal Instagram account. [106] It included an apology for the cancellation of the band's 25 August and 26 August performances in Zurich and Paris: "I'm so sorry that I had to cancel the last couple of shows. My feet are fine, I had to have emergency surgery for reasons I don't really feel strong enough to go into yet, but it saved my life." [107]
Welch was in an on-and-off relationship with literary editor Stuart Hammond. Their first breakup came in 2009; they got back together but permanently split in 2011. [108] [109] Welch was devastated following the split, but she and Hammond remain friends. [110] [109] In 2012, she began dating actor James Nesbitt. [111] [112] They broke up around 2014. [113] Around that time, Welch started dating guitarist Felix White; the relationship lasted until 2018. [113] [114] [112] As of 2022, she lives in South London with her boyfriend, who has remained anonymous. [115] [19]
In 2016, Welch voiced her support for Remain during the United Kingdom's EU Membership referendum. [116] Welch is also a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and regularly waves the rainbow flag at her concerts, particularly during her song "Spectrum (Say My Name)". [117] [118]
In 2018, she tweeted her support for the removal of the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland. [119] The removal passed and legalised abortion access within the country.
During her 2019 North American tour, Welch expressed her support for women's rights during concerts in Las Vegas, Nevada, Chicago, Raleigh, North Carolina and Columbia, Maryland. She encouraged her audience to donate to the ACLU instead of buying concert merchandise. [120] [ non-primary source needed ]
In March 2022, Welch expressed her support for Ukraine during the Russo-Ukrainian War. The Florence and the Machine video for "Heaven Is Here" was filmed in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. On Twitter, Welch wrote: "Two of the dancers in this video are currently sheltering. To my brave and beautiful sisters Maryne and Anastasiia. I love you. I wish I could put my arms around you. Strength." She also shared an article about ways to help Ukraine. [121] [122] In September 2022, it was announced that proceeds from a Florence and the Machine zine would be donated to the charitable foundation Future for Ukraine. [123] [124] The zine features photographs taken in November 2021 in Kyiv while shooting music videos for Dance Fever . [124] [125]
Single | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||||
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UK [126] | AUS [127] | AUT [128] | CAN [129] | GER [130] | IRE [131] | NZ [132] | NOR [133] | SWI [134] | US [135] | ||||
"Sweet Nothing" (Calvin Harris featuring Florence Welch) | 2012 | 1 | 2 | 29 | 15 | 19 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 36 | 10 | 18 Months | |
"Wild Season" (Banks & Steelz featuring Florence Welch) | 2017 | — [A] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Anything But Words |
Title | Year | Album |
---|---|---|
"Riverside" (Kid Harpoon and Florence Welch (backing vocals)) | 2008 | The Second EP |
"She's No Sense" (The Big Pink and Florence Welch (backing vocals)) | 2009 | Dominos |
"Here Lies Love" (David Byrne and Fatboy Slim featuring Florence Welch) | 2010 | Here Lies Love |
"My Baby Just Cares for Me" (from The Hootenanny 2009) (Jools Holland and Florence Welch) | 2012 | The Golden Age Of Song |
"I Come Apart" (ASAP Rocky featuring Florence Welch) | 2013 | Long. Live. ASAP |
"Neon Citied Sea" (Felix White featuring Florence Welch (background vocals)) | Cosmo | |
"Yalla" (Felix White featuring Florence Welch (background vocals)) | ||
"Swarm" (Felix White featuring Florence Welch (background vocals)) | ||
"Midnight" (Felix White featuring Florence Welch) | ||
"The Other Side" (Emile Haynie featuring Florence Welch (backing vocals)) | 2015 | We Fall |
"When in Disgrace with Fortune and Men's Eyes (Sonnet 29)" (Rufus Wainwright featuring Florence Welch and Ben de Vries) | 2016 | Take All My Loves: 9 Shakespeare Sonnets |
"Hey Girl" (Lady Gaga featuring Florence Welch) | Joanne | |
"Wild Horses" (Live) (The Rolling Stones featuring Florence Welch) | 2019 | Honk (deluxe edition) |
Year | Artist | Album | Song | Co-written with |
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2016 | Rihanna | Anti | "Goodnight Gotham" | Robyn Fenty, Paul Epworth |
2017 | Sia | Wonder Woman OST | "To Be Human" feat. Labrinth | Richard Nowels Jr. |
2020 | CamelPhat | Dark Matter | "Easier" feat. Lowes | David Whelan, Michael Di Scala, Justin Parker |
2024 | Taylor Swift | The Tortured Poets Department | "Florida!!!" feat. Florence and the Machine | Taylor Swift |
This section of a biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification .(May 2018) |
Year | Category | Category | Nominated work | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2009 | Brit Awards | Critics Choice Award [143] | Florence Welch | Won |
2010 | NME Awards | Best Dressed | Florence Welch | Nominated |
2011 | Virgin Media Music Awards | Best Live Act | Nominated | |
Shameless Publicity Seeker | Nominated | |||
2012 | MP3 Music Awards | The HDT Award | "Sweet Nothing" (featuring Calvin Harris) | Nominated |
2013 | British Fashion Awards | Best British Style | Florence Welch | Nominated |
NME Awards | Dancefloor Anthem [144] | "Sweet Nothing" (featuring Calvin Harris) | Won | |
MTV Video Music Awards Japan | Best Collaboration | Nominated | ||
MTV Video Music Awards | Best Editing | Nominated | ||
Billboard Music Awards | Top EDM Song | Nominated | ||
2014 | Grammy Awards | Best Dance Recording [145] | Nominated | |
iHeartRadio Music Awards | EDM Song of the Year | Nominated | ||
World Music Awards | World's Best Song | Nominated | ||
World's Best Video | Nominated | |||
World's Best Female Artist | Florence Welch | Nominated | ||
World's Best Live Act | Nominated | |||
2016 | Grammy Awards | Best Rock Song [146] | "What Kind of Man" | Nominated |
Silver Clef Awards | Best Female [147] | Florence Welch | Won | |
2017 | Ivor Novello Awards | International Achievement [148] | Won | |
2018 | Mercury Prize | Album of the Year [149] | High As Hope | Nominated |
2023 | Ivor Novello Awards | Songwriter of the Year [150] | Florence Welch | Nominated |
"You Got the Love" is a song by British songwriting team the Source featuring American singer-songwriter Candi Staton. Originally released in 1986, the song was remixed and re-released in 1991, 1997, and 2006. It has reached number three on the UK Singles Chart, number two on the UK Dance Singles Chart and number one on the UK Club Chart.
Florence and the Machine are an English indie rock band formed in London in 2007 by lead vocalist Florence Welch, keyboardist Isabella Summers, guitarist Rob Ackroyd, drummer Christopher Lloyd Hayden & harpist Tom Monger. The BBC played a large part in their rise to prominence by promoting Florence and the Machine as part of BBC Music Introducing. At the 2009 Brit Awards, they received the Brit Awards "Critics' Choice" award.
"Kiss with a Fist" is the debut single by indie rock band Florence and the Machine, taken from their debut studio album Lungs (2009). The single was released through Moshi Moshi Records on 9 June 2008 in the UK and was then released four months later on 6 October 2008 through IAMSOUND Records in the US. The B-side to "Kiss with a Fist" is a cover version of the Cold War Kids song "Hospital Beds".
"Dog Days Are Over" is a song by English indie rock band Florence and the Machine from their debut album Lungs (2009). It was originally scheduled for release on 24 November 2008 through Moshi Moshi Records in the UK as the album's second single, but was later pushed back for release on 1 December 2008. A day later on 2 December 2008 the single was released in download and seven-inch vinyl format through IAMSOUND Records in the US. The B-side to the single is a cover of "You Got the Love" by The Source featuring Candi Staton which later was confirmed as a track on their debut album and the band's fifth single. The single reached the top 30 in Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Lungs is the debut studio album by English indie rock band Florence and the Machine, released on 3 July 2009 by Island Records. After working on various projects, Florence Welch formed a band which included Robert Ackroyd, Chris Hayden, Mark Saunders, Tom Monger, and former collaborator Isabella Summers. The album features production from James Ford, Paul Epworth, Stephen Mackey, Eg White and Charlie Hugall, with additional production by band member Isabella Summers. The album has been reissued several times: an expanded version titled Between Two Lungs (2010), a digital EP subtitled The B-Sides (2011), and a Tenth Anniversary Edition (2019).
"Cosmic Love" is a song by English indie rock band Florence and the Machine from their debut studio album Lungs (2009). The song was written by the band's lead singer Florence Welch and keyboardist Isabella Summers, and produced by Paul Epworth, with additional production from Summers.
English indie rock band Florence and the Machine have released five studio albums, three live albums, four compilation albums, six extended plays, 25 singles, four promotional singles and 29 music videos.
"What the Water Gave Me" is a song by English indie rock band Florence and the Machine from their second studio album, Ceremonials (2011). The song was written by lead singer Florence Welch and Francis "Eg" White, and produced by Paul Epworth. It was released on 23 August 2011 as the first promotional single from Ceremonials. After the band performed the song in Berkeley, California, on 12 June 2011, the studio version premiered on Florence and the Machine's official website. Welch decided to name the song "What the Water Gave Me" after seeing the 1938 Frida Kahlo painting of the same name. During an interview, she confirmed that the song was inspired by English writer Virginia Woolf.
Ceremonials is the second studio album by English indie rock band Florence and the Machine. It was released on 28 October 2011 by Island Records. The band started working on the album in 2010 and finished it in 2011. The standard edition of the album was entirely produced by Paul Epworth, who also worked prominently on the band's debut album Lungs (2009).
"Shake It Out" is a song by English indie rock band Florence and the Machine, released as the first official single from their second studio album, Ceremonials (2011). It was written by Florence Welch and Paul Epworth, while production was handled by Epworth. The song was digitally released in Australia on 14 September 2011, and it was available in the United States on 19 October. It had its radio debut on XFM on 14 September 2011 in the United Kingdom. Welch revealed that the song was written within an hour and according to her it talked about shaking the regrets and the things that were haunting her.
"No Light, No Light" is a song by English indie rock band Florence and the Machine from their second studio album, Ceremonials (2011). The song was written by band members Florence Welch and Isabella Summers while the production was handled by Paul Epworth. Island Records released the song as the second single from the album on 16 January 2012. The song was the first one written for the album in the band's tour bus in Amsterdam. Lyrically, in the song, Welch expresses frustration about the state of her fragile relationship and further tries to keep it together. "No Light, No Light" received positive reviews by music critics who generally praised Welch's vocals and the drum-led instrumentation. It was also placed on several critics' year-end lists of best singles. The song peaked at number 50 on the UK Singles Chart, the Irish Singles Chart and number 39 on the US Billboard Alternative Songs chart.
"Spectrum" is a song by English indie rock band Florence and the Machine from their second studio album Ceremonials (2011). It was written by lead singer Florence Welch and Paul Epworth with production being handled by Epworth. The band premiered the song during a concert at Brooklyn's Creators Project on 15 October 2011, prior to the release of the album. The album version of "Spectrum" is a downtempo orchestral pop, dance-pop and disco song. The accompanying music video for the song premiered on 30 May 2012. It was directed by David LaChapelle and John Byrne.
"Never Let Me Go" is a song by English indie rock band Florence and the Machine from their second studio album, Ceremonials (2011). The song was written by Florence Welch and Paul Epworth while production was handled by Epworth. Island Records released the song as the third single from the album on 30 March 2012. The band first premiered the song during one of their concerts before the release of the album on 15 October 2011. A Clams Casino remix of the song was placed on the 12" white vinyl single which was available for pre-order on 22 March 2012.
MTV Unplugged is the second live album by English indie rock band Florence and the Machine, released on 6 April 2012 by Island Records. It was filmed on 15 December 2011 in New York City's oldest synagogue building, the Angel Orensanz Center, as part of the MTV Unplugged series, with the band being backed by a ten-person choir. The album contains acoustic performances of eleven songs, nine from the band's two studio albums, Lungs (2009) and Ceremonials (2011) alongside a cover of "Jackson" with Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme and "Try a Little Tenderness". Upon its release, MTV Unplugged received mixed to positive reviews by music critics.
"Sweet Nothing" is a song by Scottish DJ Calvin Harris from his third studio album, 18 Months (2012). It features vocals from Florence and the Machine singer Florence Welch. Harris previously worked with the band in a remix of their single, "Spectrum" (2012). While recording 18 Months, Harris expressed interest in working with Welch. He mentioned that it was not easy and he had to chase her, due to schedule conflicts. Welch accepted his invitation and the two recorded "Sweet Nothing". The track premiered on The Chris Moyles Show on BBC Radio 1 on 28 August 2012 and was later released as the fifth single from the album on 12 October 2012.
How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful is the third studio album by the English indie rock band Florence and the Machine, released on 29 May 2015 by Island Records. After her year-long break from music, the lead vocalist, Florence Welch, returned to configure the album, recording material that dealt with personal conflicts and struggles. In comparison to the band's two previous studio albums, it is much more refined and stripped-down instrumentally, and incorporates a mixture of musical influences such as folk, blues and gospel.
"Ship to Wreck" is a song by English indie rock band Florence and the Machine from their third studio album, How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful (2015). It was released on 9 April 2015 as the album's second single. The track premiered on Huw Stephens' show on BBC Radio 1 on 8 April 2015 and the accompanying music video was released on 13 April, following the narrative of band's previous two videos of "What Kind of Man" and "St. Jude". The video was filmed in frontwoman Florence Welch's London house.
High as Hope is the fourth studio album by English indie rock band Florence and the Machine. It was released on 29 June 2018, by Republic and Virgin EMI Records. It was preceded by the singles "Sky Full of Song" and "Hunger". "Patricia" was released as the third and final single on 10 August 2018.
"Hunger" is a song by English indie rock band Florence and the Machine from their fourth studio album, High as Hope (2018). It was written by Florence Welch, Emile Haynie, Thomas Bartlett and Tobias Jesso Jr., and produced by Welch and Haynie. The song was released on 3 May 2018 as the second single of the album. An uptempo alternative pop and soul song, "Hunger" was inspired by the singer's teenage struggles with eating disorder and alcoholism.
"King" is a song by English indie rock band Florence and the Machine from their fifth studio album, Dance Fever (2022). It was released on 23 February 2022 by Polydor Records. The song was written and produced by Florence Welch and Jack Antonoff. A pop rock ballad with a strong bassline, the song discusses Welch's conflict in choosing between her career and starting a family as well as gender expectations for women in society.
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(help)Welch's voice has been compared to Tori Amos' pretty much since she came onto the scene
Florence is glad that her tracks lyrics echo her childhood ideals. "I kind of had these fantasies of Atlantis and of mermaids, and this idea that underwater, that's where everything must be," she told the Sun Sentinel. "I was a slightly uncomfortable child and to be underwater was to be graceful and to be submerged in something that was neither good nor bad. It just kind of takes you under, away from something."
Florence Welch has big cosmic witch energy. Astrology, astronomy, and celestial yearnings all bleed into her repertoire.