Ship to Wreck

Last updated
"Ship to Wreck"
Florence and the Machine - Ship to Wreck.png
Single by Florence and the Machine
from the album How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
Released9 April 2015 (2015-04-09)
Studio The Pool (London)
Genre
Length3:54
Label Island
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Florence and the Machine singles chronology
"What Kind of Man"
(2015)
"Ship to Wreck"
(2015)
"Queen of Peace"
(2015)
Music video
"Ship to Wreck" on YouTube

"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. [1] [2]

Contents

"Ship to Wreck" was met with critical acclaim, with critics praising Welch's vocals, as well as the song's production. The song received nominations for Best Rock Video at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards.

Composition

"Ship to Wreck" is a folk rock, [3] pop rock, [4] and soft rock [5] song that carries an "upbeat, bouncy sound", in contrast to the lyrics, which speak of self-destructive behaviour. [6] The song almost did not make the cut for How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful, as producer Markus Dravs had disallowed Welch to write more songs about water, a recurring theme in the band's previous album, Ceremonials (2011), but she managed to include it. [7] In a press release, Welch explained the meaning behind the song, saying: "I was thinking about my own self destructive side, and how you can make something only to tear it down, enjoy/destroy, create/devastate etc. When you're in that whirlwind, you often end up breaking the thing you love the most." [8]

Critical reception

Jason Lipshutz of Billboard included "Ship to Wreck" on its "Top 10 Songs of 2015 (So Far)" list in June 2015, stating, "Florence Welch may have reached a new peak with third album How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful—she's certainly never been more effective as a live performer, and 'Ship To Wreck' demonstrates that she's still growing as a pop songwriter. Everything comes together for Florence + The Machine on their latest single, as Welch's voice coils around the slender arrangement and squeezes hard on the chorus." [9] Rolling Stone ranked "Ship to Wreck" at number 26 on its list of the "50 Best Songs of 2015". [10] The song also reached number 40 on the annual Triple J Hottest 100 for 2015. [11]

Commercial performance

As of July 2018, "Ship to Wreck" had shifted 279,000 units in the United Kingdom, including 17 million streams, and counting. [12]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful . [13]

Recording

Personnel

Florence and the Machine

Additional personnel

  • Markus Dravs – production, glockenspiel
  • Kid Harpoon – production, drums, percussion, bass, electric guitar, CP70 synth
  • Robin Baynton – engineering
  • Jonathan Sagis – engineering assistance
  • Iain Berryman – engineering assistance
  • Leo Abrahams – acoustic guitar
  • James Hallawell – Hammond organ
  • Janelle Martin – backing vocals
  • Nim Miller – backing vocals
  • Baby N'Sola – backing vocals
  • Mark "Spike" Stent – mixing
  • Geoff Swan – mixing assistance
  • Ted Jensen – mastering

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for "Ship to Wreck"
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [34] Platinum70,000
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [35] Gold30,000
United Kingdom (BPI) [36] Gold400,000
United States (RIAA) [37] Gold500,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Ship to Wreck"
RegionDateFormatLabelRef.
Canada9 April 2015 Digital download Island [38]
United States [39]
19 May 2015 Alternative radio Republic [40]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florence and the Machine</span> English indie rock band

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 band has comprised a number of other musicians. The band's music has received acclaim across the media, especially from the BBC, which 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. The band's music features dramatic, eccentric production and Welch's powerful vocals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florence Welch</span> English singer and songwriter (born 1986)

Florence Leontine Mary Welch 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dog Days Are Over</span> 2008 single by Florence and the Machine

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<i>Lungs</i> (album) 2009 studio album by Florence and the Machine

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).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florence and the Machine discography</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">What the Water Gave Me (song)</span> 2011 promotional single by Florence and the Machine

"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.

<i>Ceremonials</i> 2011 studio album by Florence and the Machine

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).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spectrum (Say My Name)</span> 2012 song by Florence and the Machine

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<i>How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful</i> 2015 studio album by Florence and the Machine

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">What Kind of Man (Florence and the Machine song)</span> 2015 single by Florence and the Machine

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen of Peace (song)</span> 2015 single by Florence and the Machine

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