Florence and the Machine (stylised as Florence + the Machine) are an English
indie rock
Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...
band that formed in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
in 2007, consisting of lead vocalist
Florence Welch
Florence Leontine Mary Welch (born 28 August 1986) is an English singer, 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 wo ...
, keyboardist
Isabella Summers
Isabella Janet Florentina Summers (born October 31, 1980) is an English musician, songwriter, producer, remixer and composer. She is a founding member of English indie rock band Florence and the Machine.
Biography
Summers lived her first nine ...
, guitarist Rob Ackroyd, harpist Tom Monger, and a collaboration of other musicians. The band's music has received acclaim across the media, especially from the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
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, which played a large part in their rise to prominence by promoting Florence and the Machine as part of ''
BBC Music Introducing
BBC Music ''Introducing'' is BBC Radio's platform supporting unsigned, undiscovered, and under-the-radar UK music talent. It gives artists the opportunity to be played on Local BBC Radio and nationally on BBC Radio 1, 1Xtra, Radio 2, Radio 3, ...
''. At the
2009 Brit Awards
Brit Awards 2009 was the 29th edition of the British Phonographic Industry's annual Brit Awards. The awards ceremony was held at Earls Court in London, and was broadcast live on ITV on 18 February at 8pm (GMT). Duffy became the first female ar ...
they received the
Brit Awards
The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsored ...
"Critics' Choice" award. The band's music is renowned for its dramatic, eccentric production and Welch's powerful vocals.
The band's debut studio album, ''
Lungs
The lungs are the primary organs of the respiratory system in humans and most other animals, including some snails and a small number of fish. In mammals and most other vertebrates, two lungs are located near the backbone on either side of th ...
'', was released on 6 July 2009, and held the number-two position for its first five weeks on the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
. On 17 January 2010, the album reached the top position, after being on the chart for twenty-eight consecutive weeks. As of October 2010, the album had been in the top forty in the United Kingdom for sixty-five consecutive weeks, making it one of the best-selling albums of 2009 and 2010. The group's second studio album, ''
Ceremonials
''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 ...
'', released in October 2011, entered the charts at number one in the UK and number six in the US. The band's third studio album, ''
How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
''How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful'' is the third studio album by English indie rock band Florence and the Machine, released on 29 May 2015 by Island Records. After returning from her year-long hiatus from music, lead vocalist Florence Welch re ...
'', was released on 2 June 2015. It topped the UK charts, and debuted at number one on the US
''Billboard'' 200, their first to do so.
["Florence + the Machine scores third No 1 album in the UK"](_blank)
. ''The Guardian''. Retrieved 27 July 2015 The album reached number one in a total of eight countries and the top ten of twenty. Also in 2015, the band was the headlining act at
Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival (formally Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts and known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts that takes place in Pilton, Somerset, England. In addition to contemp ...
, making Welch the first British female headliner of the 21st century.
Florence and the Machine's sound has been described as a combination of various genres, including
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
and
soul
In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being".
Etymology
The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...
.
''Lungs'' (2009) won the
Brit Award
The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsored ...
for
Best British Album in 2010. Florence and the Machine have been nominated for six
Grammy Awards
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
including
Best New Artist
The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since 1959. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for records released in the previous year. The award was not presented in 1967. The official guidelines are as ...
and
Best Pop Vocal Album
The Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality vocal pop music albums. Awards in several ...
. Additionally, the band performed at the
2010 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2010 MTV Video Music Awards took place on September 12, 2010 at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, honoring the best music videos from the previous year. Chelsea Handler hosted the event, the first woman in sixteen years – since the 1994 MTV ...
and the
2010 Nobel Peace Prize Concert.
History
![Florence and the machine 2007 London](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/Florence_and_the_machine_2007_London.jpg)
2007–2008: Formation
The name of Florence and the Machine is attributed to
Florence Welch
Florence Leontine Mary Welch (born 28 August 1986) is an English singer, 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 wo ...
's teenage collaboration with
Isabella "Machine" Summers. Welch and Summers performed together for a time under the name Florence Robot/Isa Machine. According to Welch, "The name Florence and the Machine 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 realising that name was so long it'd drive me mad."
In addition to Summers (keyboards and backing vocals), the current band members include musicians Robert Ackroyd (guitar and backing vocals), Chris Hayden (drums, percussion and backing vocals), Mark Saunders (bass guitar and backing vocals) and Tom Monger (harp). In the past, Welch has praised her band for understanding her creative process, claiming, "I've worked with most of them for a long time and they know my style, know the way I write, they know what I want."
In 2007, Welch recorded with a band named Ashok, who released an album titled ''Plans'' on the Filthy Lucre/About Records label. This album included the earliest version of her later hit "
Kiss with a Fist
"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 ...
", which at this point was titled "Happy Slap".
2008–2010: ''Lungs''
![Florence Welch](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/Florence_Welch.jpg)
Florence and the Machine released their first album ''
Lungs
The lungs are the primary organs of the respiratory system in humans and most other animals, including some snails and a small number of fish. In mammals and most other vertebrates, two lungs are located near the backbone on either side of th ...
'' in the United Kingdom on 6 July 2009. The album was produced by
James Ford,
Paul Epworth
Paul Richard Epworth (born 25 July 1974) is an English record producer, songwriter, musician, and remixer. He has worked with artists including Adele, Florence and the Machine, Rihanna, and Maxïmo Park, among many others. He is a member o ...
,
Steve Mackey
Stephen Patrick Mackey (born 10 November 1966) is an English musician and record producer best known as the bass guitarist for the alternative rock band Pulp, which he joined in 1989. As a record producer, he has produced songs and albums by M ...
,
Isabella Summers
Isabella Janet Florentina Summers (born October 31, 1980) is an English musician, songwriter, producer, remixer and composer. She is a founding member of English indie rock band Florence and the Machine.
Biography
Summers lived her first nine ...
and Charlie Hugall.
The album was officially launched with a set at the
Rivoli Ballroom
The Rivoli Ballroom is the only intact 1950s ballroom remaining in London, England. It is famed for its original decor and interior fittings, including red velvet, flock wallpaper, chandeliers, glitter balls and oversized Chinese lanterns. The ...
in
Brockley
Brockley is a district and an wards of the United Kingdom, electoral ward of south London, England, in the London Borough of Lewisham south-east of Charing Cross.
History
The name Brockley is derived from "Broca's woodland clearing", a wood ...
, 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.
Following its 25 July 2009 release for download in the United States, the album entered the charts at number seventeen on the ''Billboard''
Heatseekers Albums
Top Heatseekers are "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. The Heatseekers Albums and the Heatseekers Songs charts were introduced by ''Billboard'' in 1991 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new an ...
chart, ultimately peaking at number one. The album was released physically in the US on 20 October by
Universal Republic
Republic Records is a New York City–based American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). It was founded by Avery Lipman and Monte Lipman as an independent label in 1995, and was acquired by UMG in 2000. Republic was initially an ...
.
"
Kiss with a Fist
"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 ...
" was released as the album's
lead single
A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date.
Release s ...
on 9 June 2008. The track was featured on the soundtrack to the films ''
Wild Child'' (2008), ''
Jennifer's Body
''Jennifer's Body'' is a 2009 American horror-comedy film written by Diablo Cody and directed by Karyn Kusama. The film stars Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Johnny Simmons, and Adam Brody. Fox portrays a demonically possessed high school girl ...
'' (2009), and ''
St Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold'' (2009), as well as in the television series ''
90210'', ''
Community
A community is a social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as place, norms, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a country, village, tow ...
'' and ''
Saving Grace''. Follow-up single "
Dog Days Are Over
"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 s ...
", released on 1 December 2008, was recorded with no instruments in a studio the "size of a
loo". The song was used in the American television series ''
Gossip Girl
''Gossip Girl'' is an American teen drama television series based on the novel series of the same name written by Cecily von Ziegesar. The series, developed for television by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, ran on The CW network for six sea ...
'', ''
Covert Affairs
''Covert Affairs'' is an American action drama television series filmed in Toronto, Canada, starring Piper Perabo and Christopher Gorham that premiered on Tuesday, July 13, 2010. On January 6, 2015, USA Network canceled ''Covert Affairs'' after ...
'', in the British television series ''
Skins'', and in the theatrical trailer for the 2010 comedy-drama film ''
Eat Pray Love
''Eat Pray Love'' is a 2010 American biographical romantic drama film starring Julia Roberts as Elizabeth Gilbert, based on Gilbert's 2006 memoir of the same name. Ryan Murphy co-wrote and directed the film, which was released in the United St ...
'', starring
Julia Roberts
Julia Fiona Roberts (born October 28, 1967) is an American actress. Known for her leading roles in films encompassing a variety of genres, she has received multiple accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and thr ...
. "Dog Days Are Over" was also featured in the ''
Glee
Glee means delight, a form of happiness.
Glee may also refer to:
* Glee (music), a type of English choral music
* ''Glee'' (TV series), an American musical comedy-drama TV series, and related media created by Ryan Murphy
* ''Glee'' (Bran Van 30 ...
'' episode "
Special Education
Special education (known as special-needs education, aided education, exceptional education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, special ed., SDC, or SPED) is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates th ...
", where it was covered by
Jenna Ushkowitz
Jenna Noelle Ushkowitz (; born April 28, 1986) (born Min Ji []) is a South Korean-born American actress, singer, producer and podcast host. She is known for her performances in Broadway musicals such as ''The King and I'' and '' Waitress (musical ...
and
Amber Riley
Amber Patrice Riley (born February 15, 1986), sometimes known mononymously as RILEY, is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her portrayal of Mercedes Jones on the Fox comedy-drama series ''Glee'' (2009–2015). For her perform ...
. "
Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)
"Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)" is a song by English indie rock band Florence and the Machine from their debut studio album ''Lungs'' (2009). It was released as the album's third single on 21 June 2009, by Island and Moshi Moshi Records. The s ...
" was released on 22 June 2009 as the third single from the album.
After the release of ''Lungs'', "
Drumming Song
"Drumming Song" is a song by the English indie rock band Florence and the Machine. The song was released on Island Records on 13 September 2009 in the UK as the fourth single from the band's first album ''Lungs''. The song was the band's secon ...
" and a cover of
the Source
''The Source'' is an American hip hop and entertainment website, and a magazine that publishes annually or . It is the world's longest-running rap periodical, being founded as a newsletter in 1988 by Jonathan Shecter. David Mays was the ma ...
and
Candi Staton
Canzetta Maria "Candi" Staton (, ) (born March 13, 1940) is an American singer–songwriter, best known in the United States for her 1970 remake of Tammy Wynette's " Stand by Your Man" and her 1976 disco chart-topper "Young Hearts Run Free". In E ...
's 1986 song "
You've Got the Love
"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 reached number three on the UK ...
" were released as singles.
"
Cosmic Love
"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 ...
" was released on 5 July 2010 as the sixth and final single from ''Lungs'', with a music video having already been shot. The song was featured in several American television shows, including ''
Grey's Anatomy
''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series that premiered on March 27, 2005, on ABC as a mid-season replacement. The series focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings as they develop into se ...
'', ''
The Vampire Diaries
''The Vampire Diaries'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural teen drama television series developed by Kevin Williamson (screenwriter), Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec, based on the The Vampire Diaries (novel series), book series ...
'', ''
V'', ''
Nikita
Nikita may refer to:
* Nikita (given name)
* Nikita, Crimea, a town in Crimea
* Nikita the Tanner, a character in East Slavic folklore
Film and television
*''Little Nikita'', a 1988 film
* ''La Femme Nikita'' (film), also known as ''Nikita'', a 19 ...
'' and ''
So You Think You Can Dance
''So You Think You Can Dance'' is a franchise of reality television shows in which contestants compete in dance. The first series of the franchise, created by '' Idols'' producers Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe, premiered in July 2005 and has ...
''. The band also made a guest appearance on 7 February 2011 episode of ''
Gossip Girl
''Gossip Girl'' is an American teen drama television series based on the novel series of the same name written by Cecily von Ziegesar. The series, developed for television by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, ran on The CW network for six sea ...
'', titled "Panic Roommate", where they performed an acoustic rendition of "Cosmic Love". On 12 May 2010, it was announced that Florence and the Machine would provide a track called "
Heavy in Your Arms
"Heavy in Your Arms" is a song by English indie rock band Florence and the Machine. It was released on 14 November 2010 as the third single from the soundtrack of the 2010 film '' The Twilight Saga: Eclipse''. The track was written by Florence W ...
" for the
soundtrack to ''The Twilight Saga: Eclipse'', the third film of ''
The Twilight Saga''. ''
Eclipse
An eclipse is an astronomical event that occurs when an astronomical object or spacecraft is temporarily obscured, by passing into the shadow of another body or by having another body pass between it and the viewer. This alignment of three ce ...
'' was released in cinemas on 30 June 2010, with "Heavy in Your Arms" playing during the end credits. The music video followed on 7 July 2010. An exclusive remix of "I'm Not Calling You a Liar" is featured in the 2011 video game ''
Dragon Age II
''Dragon Age II'' is a 2011 action role-playing video game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts (EA). It is the second major game in the ''Dragon Age'' series and the successor to '' Dragon Age: Origins'' (2009). Set in the wor ...
'' as "I'm Not Calling You a Liar (Dragon Age II: Varric's Theme)", produced by the game's composer
Inon Zur
Inon Zur ( he, ינון צור, ; born July 4, 1965) is an Israeli-American composer. Originally writing for movies and television, he later moved into composing for video games. He has been described as being "internationally recognized as one ...
.
2011–2013: ''Ceremonials''
![Florence and the Machine](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5e/Florence_and_the_Machine.jpg)
The first demo session occurred in January 2010 with Welch and
Paul Epworth
Paul Richard Epworth (born 25 July 1974) is an English record producer, songwriter, musician, and remixer. He has worked with artists including Adele, Florence and the Machine, Rihanna, and Maxïmo Park, among many others. He is a member o ...
at a small London studio. Numerous producers expressed an interest in working on the album but Welch rejected the offers because she wanted ''Ceremonials'' to be a better version of ''Lungs'' with a "more dark, more heavy, bigger drum sounds, bigger bass, but with more of a whole sound". For the rest of the year work on the album continued only intermittently as the band concentrated on an extensive tour of the US, where ''Lungs'' had become popular. The majority of the writing for the album was done between January and April 2011, with recording taking place in April at
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios (formerly EMI Recording Studios) is a recording studio at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music c ...
. Refinement took place at Epworth's own London studios while Welch recorded vocal tracks in various US studios, during days off from touring. The final recording session took place in July at Epworth's studio.
Epworth co-wrote seven tracks. Several other British writers share credits on the album, including Summers,
Kid Harpoon
Thomas Edward Percy Hull (born 20 April 1982), known professionally as Kid Harpoon, is an English singer, songwriter, musician and record producer.
Career
Already a fixture at local venues in his hometown of Chatham, Kid Harpoon first emerge ...
,
James Ford and composer
Eg White
Francis Anthony "Eg" White (born 22 November 1966) is a British musician, songwriter and producer. He started his career in the cowpunk band Yip Yip Coyote in the 1980s and then formed Brother Beyond with his brother, David White, in the late ...
.
In June 2011, a cover of the
Buddy Holly
Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959), known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer and songwriter who was a central and pioneering figure of mid-1950s rock and roll. He was born to a musical family in Lubbock, Texas ...
song "
Not Fade Away", which Florence and the Machine recorded for the tribute album ''
Rave On Buddy Holly'' tied to Holly's seventy-fifth birthday year, was released and they performed ''Ceremonials'' setup track "
What the Water Gave Me" at the
Greek Theatre
Ancient Greek theatre was a theatrical culture that flourished in ancient Greece from 700 BC. The city-state of Athens, which became a significant cultural, political, and religious place during this period, was its centre, where the theatre was ...
in
Berkeley, California
Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland and Emer ...
. In August 2011, the single "What the Water Gave Me" was released on
iTunes
iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
along with an accompanying video on the band's website and YouTube channel.
The video drew 1.5 million
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
views in two days and the track received play on US alternative radio with strong support from
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
radio station
KROQ
KROQ-FM (106.7 MHz) is a commercial radio station licensed to Pasadena, California, serving Greater Los Angeles. Owned by Audacy, Inc., it broadcasts an alternative rock format known as "The World Famous KROQ" (pronounced "kay-rock").
The stat ...
.
The single "
Shake It Out
"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 ...
" was released over the internet in September 2011, with standard release 11 October. In Australia, the song was playlisted at
Triple J
Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian Radio in Australia, radio station intended to appeal to listeners of alternative music, which began broadcasting in January 1975. The station also places a greate ...
and
Nova
A nova (plural novae or novas) is a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently "new" star (hence the name "nova", which is Latin for "new") that slowly fades over weeks or months. Causes of the dramati ...
radio networks and received strong airplay in Scandinavia, Italy and Canada.
The band's second studio album, ''
Ceremonials
''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 ...
'', was released on the 28 October 2011. It reached number one on the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
and number six on the US
''Billboard'' 200. On 12 January 2012, Florence and the Machine were nominated for two
Brit Awards
The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsored ...
, Best British Female Artist and British Album of the Year, with the
awards ceremony An awards ceremony is a type of ceremony where awards are given out. The ceremony may be arranged by a government organization, a society, a school, a trade association or even a company that specializes in running awards ceremonies. Typically a ma ...
taking place on 21 February 2012 at
the O2 Arena
The O2 Arena, commonly known as the O2 (stylised as The O2 arena), is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the centre of the O2 entertainment complex on the Greenwich Peninsula in southeast London. It opened in its present form in 2007. It has the s ...
, London. On 26 April 2012, the band released "
Breath of Life", a song which was recorded as the official theme song for the film ''
Snow White and the Huntsman
''Snow White and the Huntsman'' is a 2012 American fantasy film based on the German fairy tale "Snow White" compiled by the Brothers Grimm. The directorial debut of Rupert Sanders, it was written by Evan Daugherty, John Lee Hancock and Hossein Am ...
''. On 5 July 2012, a remix of "
Spectrum (Say My Name)
"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 ...
" by Scottish musician
Calvin Harris
Adam Richard Wiles (born 17 January 1984), known professionally as Calvin Harris, is a Scottish DJ, record producer, singer, and songwriter who has released six studio albums.
His debut studio album, ''I Created Disco'', was released in June ...
was released as the fourth single from ''Ceremonials'', becoming the band's first UK number-one hit. Welch expressed excitement about putting new material together for a third studio album after the band finishes touring at the end of September 2012. Welch collaborated for a second time with Harris on the song "
Sweet Nothing
"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 sing ...
", released on 12 October 2012 as a single from Harris's third studio album ''
18 Months
''18 Months'' is the third studio album by Scottish DJ and musician Calvin Harris. It was released on 26 October 2012 by Deconstruction, Fly Eye and Columbia Records. It marked Harris's first album where he does not regularly provide vocals on e ...
'' (2012). The song entered at number one on the UK Singles Chart, becoming their second collaborative number-one single.
In mid-2012, it was announced that Universal Republic Records was going defunct, moving all artists including Florence and the Machine to
Republic Records
Republic Records is a New York City–based American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). It was founded by Avery Lipman and Monte Lipman as an independent label in 1995, and was acquired by UMG in 2000. Republic was initially an ...
making the label itself revived. In late August 2012, Welch told ''
Style
Style is a manner of doing or presenting things and may refer to:
* Architectural style, the features that make a building or structure historically identifiable
* Design, the process of creating something
* Fashion, a prevailing mode of clothing ...
'' magazine that she plans to take a twelve-month hiatus before starting work on the band's next studio album, stating, "There's a big 'take a year off' plan. The record company have put no pressure on me for the next album. They've said I can have as long as I want."
In December 2012, Florence and the Machine were nominated for
Best Pop Vocal Album
The Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality vocal pop music albums. Awards in several ...
for ''Ceremonials'' and
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. According to the 63rd Grammy Awards category rules, "this category ...
for "Shake It Out" at the
54th Annual Grammy Awards
The 54th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 12, 2012, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles being broadcast on CBS honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2010 through September 30, 2011. LL Cool J hosted t ...
. On 4 April 2013, it was announced that Florence and the Machine had written a song for
Baz Luhrmann
Mark Anthony Luhrmann (born 17 September 1962), known professionally as Baz Luhrmann, is an Australian film director, producer, writer and actor. With projects spanning film, television, opera, theatre, music and recording industries, he is re ...
's film rendition of ''
The Great Gatsby
''The Great Gatsby'' is a 1925 novel by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in the Jazz Age on Long Island, near New York City, the novel depicts First-person narrative, first-person narrator Nick Carraway's interactions with mysterious mil ...
'' (2013), titled "
Over the Love", which was released on 17 April 2013 on
SoundCloud
SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform and music sharing website that enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is one of the largest music streaming se ...
.
2014–2016: ''How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful''
![Florence and the Machine (22116118550)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/Florence_and_the_Machine_%2822116118550%29.jpg)
On 4 June 2014, Welch told ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' that the band's third studio album was in the works. In January 2015, a fansite posted a photo showing Florence and the Machine's upcoming album being mixed in a recording studio. On 9 February, the band played all the songs from the new album in full, amongst them "Ship to Wreck", "Caught", "Delilah" and the album's first single, "
What Kind of Man" in a private London show.
The next day, on 10 February, the band released a short music video for the title track of their studio album, ''
How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
''How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful'' is the third studio album by English indie rock band Florence and the Machine, released on 29 May 2015 by Island Records. After returning from her year-long hiatus from music, lead vocalist Florence Welch re ...
'',
which also acted as the official album teaser, directed by
Tabitha Denholm Tabitha Denholm (born 14 January 1975) is a British director of music videos, documentary shorts and commercials. Denholm was a member of DJ duo Queens of Noize and later became art director for Florence and the Machine. Her work has been nominated ...
and Vincent Haycock and shot in Mexico. The single and album were available to pre-order subsequently on all popular online music stores. The music video is just under 3 minutes as compared to the 5 minute album version of the track. On 12 February, the album's lead single "
What Kind of Man" was revealed on Zane Lowe's BBC Radio 1 show, followed by the release of music video later that day on band's
Vevo
Vevo ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized as VEVO until 2013) is an American multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available as an app on selected smart TVs, di ...
channel via YouTube.
The band released a music video of another track called "St. Jude" on 23 March, choreographed by
Ryan Heffington
Ryan Heffington (born June 7, 1973) is an American dancer and choreographer based in Los Angeles. He was nominated for two Grammy Awards for choreographing the music videos for Arcade Fire's "We Exist" (2013) and Sia's "Chandelier" (2014), winning ...
and directed by Vincent Haycock, continuing the narrative from the previous video of "What Kind of Man".
On 8 April the album's second single titled "
Ship to Wreck
"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 St ...
" premiered on
Huw Stephens
Huw Meredydd Stephens (born 25 May 1981) is a Welsh radio and television presenter, currently broadcasting on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 6 Music.
Stephens founded the Sŵn music festival with John Rostron and the yearly s ...
' show on
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
. The accompanying music video was released a week later on 13 April, continuing the storyline of past two videos.
On 19 May, DJ
Annie Mac
Annie Mac (born 18 July 1978), is an Irish DJ, broadcaster and writer. She hosted a variety of shows on BBC Radio 1, including BBC Switch and ''Future Sounds''. She also DJed in various locations, including hosting her AMP (Annie Mac Presents) ...
revealed another new song from the record on her BBC radio show in name "Delilah".
The album was released on 29 May in Germany, 1 June in the UK and 2 June in the US. A deluxe version of the album containing 5 additional tracks was released on 13 May 2015.
The album became their third number one on the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
, and debuted at number one on the US ''
Billboard 200
The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine and is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of art ...
''.
The album earned five nominations in the
58th Annual Grammy Awards
The 58th Annual Grammy Awards was held on February 15, 2016, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The ceremony recognizes the best recordings, compositions and artists of the eligibility year, which was from October 1, 2014, to September 30, 20 ...
The band were confirmed for numerous European festivals in summer 2015 including
Way Out West in Sweden,
Super Bock Super Rock
Super Bock Super Rock is a music festival in Portugal that takes place annually since 1995. It is organized by the Portuguese live entertainment company Música no Coração and is named after its main sponsor, the beer brand Super Bock.
Over th ...
in Portugal and
Rock Werchter
Rock Werchter is an annual music festival held in the village of Werchter, near Leuven, Belgium, since 1976 and is a large sized rock music festival. The 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2012 and 2014 festivals received the Arthur award for ''best festiv ...
in Belgium, among others. In June 2015, it was announced that the band would headline the
Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival (formally Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts and known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts that takes place in Pilton, Somerset, England. In addition to contemp ...
in
Pilton, Somerset
Pilton is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Somerset, England, situated on the A361 road in the Mendip District, Mendip district, 3 miles (5 km) south-west of Shepton Mallet and 6 miles (10 km) east of Gl ...
due to the withdrawal of previous headliners
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters are an American rock band formed in Seattle in 1994. Foo Fighters was initially formed as a one-man project by former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl. Following the success of the eponymous debut album, Grohl (lead vocals, guitar) re ...
, after lead vocalist Dave Grohl fractured his leg on stage in Sweden. Florence and the Machine's Glastonbury set was critically acclaimed by numerous outlets.
["Florence and the Machine pay tribute to Dave Grohl at Glastonbury"](_blank)
. ''Gigwise''. Retrieved 27 July 2015 Welch thanked Grohl for his support following their choice as a replacement and wished him a speedy recovery, before performing a cover of the Foo Fighters' "
Times Like These".
On 7 December 2015, the band received five nominations for the
58th Annual Grammy Awards
The 58th Annual Grammy Awards was held on February 15, 2016, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The ceremony recognizes the best recordings, compositions and artists of the eligibility year, which was from October 1, 2014, to September 30, 20 ...
to be held in 2016.
These nominations included "Ship to Wreck" for
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. According to the 63rd Grammy Awards category rules, "this category ...
, ''How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful'' for
Best Pop Vocal Album
The Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality vocal pop music albums. Awards in several ...
and
Best Recording Package
The Grammy Award for Best Recording Package is one of a series of Grammy Awards presented for the visual look of an album. It is presented to the art director of the winning album, not to the performer(s), unless the performer is also the art dire ...
, and "What Kind of Man" for
Best Rock Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. According to the 54th Grammy Awards description guide it is designed for s ...
and
Best Rock Song
The Grammy Award for Best Rock Song is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality songs in the rock music genre. Honors in several ...
.
In 2016 Florence and the Machine recorded a
classical cover of
Ben E. King
Benjamin Earl King (né Nelson; September 28, 1938 – April 30, 2015) was an American soul and R&B singer and record producer. He is best known as the singer and co-composer of " Stand by Me"—a US Top 10 hit, both in 1961 and later i ...
's 1961 song "
Stand by Me", which was featured as the main theme to the video game ''
Final Fantasy XV
is an action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix. The fifteenth main installment of the ''Final Fantasy'' series, it was released for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in 2016, Microsoft Windows in 2018, and as a launch title ...
''. It was premiered during the "Uncovered: Final Fantasy XV" event on 30 March 2016,
and the full version was released on 12 August 2016. Alongside their "Stand by Me" cover, they also composed two original songs for ''Final Fantasy XV'', entitled "I Will Be" and "Too Much Is Never Enough", which were also released on 12 August 2016.
In April 2016, the band released ''The Odyssey'', a short film by Vincent Haycock and Welch which consisted of all music videos shot within the ''How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful'' (2015) era, together with some interconnecting sung and spoken scenes. The premiere took place at London's
Rio Cinema on 20 April 2016, and was followed by an unrecorded Q&A. The online world premiere on 21 April 2016 was delayed to the 24th due to
Prince
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...
's death. The band contributed a song to the 2016
Tim Burton
Timothy Walter Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an American filmmaker and animator. He is known for his gothic fantasy and horror films such as ''Beetlejuice'' (1988), ''Edward Scissorhands'' (1990), ''The Nightmare Before Christmas'' (1993), ...
film ''
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
''Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children'' is a contemporary fantasy debut novel by American author Ransom Riggs. The story is told through a combination of narrative and a mix of vernacular and found photography from the personal archives ...
'' titled "
Wish That You Were Here", released as a single on 25 August 2016.
2017–2021: ''High as Hope''
![Florence and the Machine 12 09 2018 -10 (31767674227)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/Florence_and_the_Machine_12_09_2018_-10_%2831767674227%29.jpg)
Welch confirmed on 27 May 2017 that a new studio album was in the works. On 28 February 2018, the band's drummer, Christopher Hayden, announced that he had left the band. The first single from the album, "
Sky Full of Song", was released on 12 April 2018,
followed by "
Hunger
In politics, humanitarian aid, and the social sciences, hunger is defined as a condition in which a person does not have the physical or financial capability to eat sufficient food to meet basic nutritional needs for a sustained period. In the ...
" in May. Titled ''
High as Hope
''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" w ...
'', the band's fourth studio album was released on 29 June 2018. A third single, "Patricia", was released on 10 August 2018. On 24 January 2019, Florence and the Machine released a new single, "
Moderation
Moderation is the process of eliminating or lessening extremes. It is used to ensure normality throughout the medium on which it is being conducted. Common uses of moderation include:
*Ensuring consistency and accuracy in the marking of stud ...
", which had been previously performed live during the Australian leg of the
High as Hope Tour
The High as Hope Tour was the fourth concert tour by British indie band Florence and the Machine, in support of their fourth studio album, ''High as Hope'' (2018). The tour began on 5 August 2018 in Montreal, Canada and concluded on 22 Septemb ...
. It was accompanied by a B-side, "Haunted House".
On 21 April 2019, Florence and the Machine had a song featured in the ''
Game of Thrones
''Game of Thrones'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for HBO. It is an adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin, the first ...
'' episode "
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
''Tales of Dunk and Egg'' is a series of fantasy novellas by George R. R. Martin, set in the world of his '' A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels. They follow the adventures of "Dunk" (the future Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Ser Duncan the Tall ...
" which was composed by
Ramin Djawadi
Ramin Djawadi (, fa, رامین جوادی; born 19 July 1974) is an Iran, Iranian and Germans, German film score, score composer. He is known for his scores for the 2008 Marvel film ''Iron Man (2008 film), Iron Man'' and the HBO series ''Game o ...
. The song is entitled "
Jenny of Oldstones
"Jenny of Oldstones", alternatively titled "Jenny's Song", is a song appearing in the HBO epic fantasy television series '' Game of Thrones''. It was included in two separate parts in the second episode of the series' eighth season, "A Knight ...
".
On 17 April 2020, Florence and the Machine released the song "Light of Love" in response to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. The band announced that all proceeds from the song, which was originally recorded for ''High as Hope'' (2018), would go to the
Intensive Care Society
The Intensive Care Society is the representative body in the United Kingdom for intensive care professionals and patients and the oldest society for critical care medicine in the world. The Society is dedicated to the delivery of the highest qualit ...
.
2022–present: ''Dance Fever''
In early 2022, Florence and the Machine were confirmed to be headlining a series of summer music festivals, including the Madrid's
Mad Cool
Mad Cool is a music festival held annually in Madrid, Spain, since 2016. It chiefly features pop music, pop, rock music, rock, and indie rock, indie music, as well as various DJs and electronic music performers.
The 2016 and 2017 festivals took pl ...
.
Towards the end of February 2022, fans of the band started to receive letters with a print titled, "King - Chapter 1", as well as a billboard in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
displaying the visual of the work. Speculation indicating that a new single was about to be released were confirmed on 22 February by Welch herself through her
Instagram
Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
account. The single, titled "
King
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
" was digitally released the next day along with its accompanying music video. Soon after, the single "Heaven Is Here" was released on 7 March.
On 9 March 2022, Welch announced ''
Dance Fever
''Dance Fever'' is an American musical variety television series that aired weekly in syndication from January 1979 to September 1987. The series was technically created by Merv Griffin but his agent Murray Schwartz actually conceived the idea of ...
'', the band's fifth studio album in a post to her
Instagram
Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
account also revealing the album cover and pre-order date. She described the album as "a fairytale in 14 songs" in the same post.
The announcement was followed up with the release of the third single "My Love" on 10 March. On 20 April, the fourth single "Free" was released. The album was released on 13 May. It debuted at number one in the UK and number two in Australia.
In 2022 drummer Loren Humphrey left the band. On 16 March 2022 Sam Doyle (Drummer from
the Maccabees) was confirmed as joining the band on tour for this era. However, Humphrey rejoined the band in summer of 2022.
Performances
![FATM ABC](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/FATM_ABC.jpg)
Florence and the Machine started off by playing a handful of gigs in and around London. In May 2008, they supported
MGMT
MGMT () is an American indie rock band formed in 2002 in Middletown, Connecticut. It was founded by multi-instrumentalists Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser. Alongside VanWyngarden and Goldwasser, MGMT's live lineup currently consists of ...
on tour in Europe. The
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...
played a large part in Florence and the Machine's rise to prominence by promoting her as part of ''
BBC Introducing
BBC Music ''Introducing'' is BBC Radio's platform supporting unsigned, undiscovered, and under-the-radar UK music talent. It gives artists the opportunity to be played on Local BBC Radio and nationally on BBC Radio 1, 1Xtra, Radio 2, Radio 3, 6 ...
''. This led to them playing music festivals in 2008, including
Glastonbury
Glastonbury (, ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonbury ...
,
Reading and Leeds
The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend. The Reading Fest ...
and
Bestival
Bestival was a four-day music festival held in the south of England. It had been held annually in the late summer since 2004 at Robin Hill on the Isle of Wight. In 2017 the festival relocated to the Lulworth Estate in Dorset. The event was organ ...
. Florence and the Machine were also part of the
Shockwaves NME Awards Tour 2009 in January and February.
The group has supported the UK
Teenage Cancer Trust
Teenage Cancer Trust is a cancer care and support charity in the UK that exists to improve the cancer experience of young people aged 13–24. Founded in 1990, the charity's key service is providing specialist teenage units in NHS hospitals. It ...
, performing at a concert for the charity at London's
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...
in March 2009. Florence and the Machine supported
Blur for their 26 June comeback performance at the
Manchester Arena
Manchester Arena, currently referred to as the AO Arena for sponsorship reasons, is an indoor arena in Manchester, England, immediately north of the Manchester city centre, city centre and partly above Manchester Victoria station in air rights s ...
. They played at the
Lovebox Festival
Lovebox is a three-day music festival. In 2018 the event moved to Gunnersbury Park, London. The move came after Tower Hamlets turned down its application to continue in Victoria Park and Lambeth residents objected to its move to Brockwell Park. ...
on 18 and 19 July. In July 2009, the group supported
Duran Duran
Duran Duran () are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer and bassist Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor (bass guitarist), John Taylor. With the addition of drummer Roger ...
.
During summer 2009, Florence and the Machine performed at a number of major festivals in the UK and Ireland, including the
Glastonbury Festival 2009
The 2009 Glastonbury Festival/Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts was held from 24 to 29 June 2009.
Tickets
Registration
In a similar way to previous festivals, tickets for the 2009 event required pre-registration (of a ph ...
, Reading and Leeds 2009,
Electric Picnic 2009
Electric Picnic 2009 was the sixth edition of the Electric Picnic festival to take place. The three-day event took place on the weekend of Friday 4 September, Saturday 5 September and Sunday 6 September at Stradbally Hall in Stradbally, County ...
and
T in the Park 2009
T in the Park 2009 was the sixteenth T in the Park festival to take place since 1994. It took place on the weekend of Friday 10 July – Sunday 12 July, at Balado, in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. Kings of Leon, Snow Patrol, Blur and The Kill ...
.
Florence and the Machine played at Australia's
Splendour in the Grass
Splendour in the Grass (commonly referred to as Splendour) is an annual Australian music festival held at the North Byron Parklands in Yelgun, New South Wales. Since its inauguration, the festival has also been held in various locations near B ...
music festival in July 2010. The group drew one of the biggest crowds of the three-day festival. They performed in the natural open-air amphitheatre, which had to be closed off by security due to safety concerns as an unprecedented number of festival-goers rushed to see the performance. It is estimated that 28,000 people of the 33,000 people who attended the festival crammed in to see Florence and the Machine. The amphitheatre was reopened shortly after the start, once the safety concerns were allayed. In October 2009, the band's equipment and instruments were caught in a trailer fire during their European tour, forcing the band to use rented instruments to complete their remaining shows. Welch stated, "You could hear the
harp
The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has a number of individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orche ...
's strings ping in the fire. Strange sound. We recorded it and I want to use it in a song."
On 27 October 2009, Florence and the Machine played their first official New York City gig at the
Bowery Ballroom
The Bowery Ballroom is a New York City live-music venue located at 6 Delancey Street in the neighborhood of Bowery in Manhattan. The Bowery Ballroom holds something of a cult status among musicians as well as audiences. ''Rolling Stone'' magazi ...
, and performed "Kiss with a Fist" on the ''
Late Show with David Letterman
The ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the The Late Show (franchise), ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by ...
''. On 5 November, the band performed "Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)" on ''
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. The nightly hour-long show debuted on January 26, 2003, at Hollywood Masonic Temple in Hollywood, Los ...
''.
After the success of ''Lungs'' (2009) topping the UK Albums Chart in January 2010, seven months after the album was released, Florence and the Machine announced an eleven-date UK and Ireland tour called The Cosmic Love Tour in May 2010.
Florence and the Machine performed at
Oxegen 2010
Oxegen 2010 was the seventh Oxegen festival to take place since 2004. It took place on the weekend of Friday 9 July, Saturday, 10 July and Sunday, 11 July at Punchestown Racecourse near Naas in County Kildare, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Eminem ...
,
T in the Park 2010
T in the Park 2010 was a British music festival that took place in Balado, Scotland, from 8–11 July 2010. It was the seventeenth event to take place. The festival was headlined by Kasabian, Muse and Eminem. Tickets for the event sold out on ...
, the
Isle of Wight Festival 2010
The Isle of Wight Festival 2010 was the ninth revived Isle of Wight Festival to be held at Seaclose Park in Newport on the Isle of Wight. The event ran from 11 until 13 June 2010. Tickets were released on Friday 4 December 2009.
The 2010 event ...
,
Roskilde Festival 2010
The Roskilde Festival is a Danish music festival held annually south of Roskilde. It is one of the largest music festivals in Europe and the largest in the Nordic countries. It was created in 1971 by two high school students and a promoter. In ...
,
V Festival 2010, and the
San Miguel Primavera Sound 2010. In March 2010, it was that confirmed that the band's first headlining festival would be
Latitude 2010, having been booked the previous September before achieving mainstream success.
The Cosmic Love Tour kicked off at
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
's
Olympia Theatre on 2 May 2010 where the group performed a new song called "Strangeness and Charm"
and ended at London's
Hammersmith Apollo
The Hammersmith Apollo, currently called the Eventim Apollo for sponsorship reasons, and formerly known as the Hammersmith Odeon, is a live entertainment performance venue, originally built as a cinema called the Gaumont Palace. Located in Ham ...
on 15 May 2010. On 25 June, the group played the
Glastonbury Festival 2010
The 2010 Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts took place in Pilton, Somerset, England in June 2010.
The festival was headlined by Gorillaz, Muse, and Stevie Wonder. U2 were initially announced as headliners, but withdrew on 2 ...
, where they performed "Strangeness and Charm" and a cover of
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band, formed in London in 1967. Fleetwood Mac were founded by guitarist Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Jeremy Spencer, before bassist John McVie joined the line-up for their epony ...
's "
The Chain
"The Chain" is a song by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on their 1977 album '' Rumours''. It is the only song from the album with writing credits for all five members ( Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, Christine McVie, John ...
" during their ten-song set.
Their performance drew one of the biggest crowds of the day and one of the biggest in the Other Stage's history.
Florence and the Machine opened for
U2 on the North American leg of their
U2 360° Tour
The U2 360° Tour was a worldwide concert tour by rock band U2. Staged in support of the group's 2009 album ''No Line on the Horizon'', the tour visited stadiums from 2009 through 2011. The concerts featured the band playing "in the round" ...
in June and July 2011.
International appearances: Solo and as a group
In an interview with ''
New York Post
The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com.
It was established ...
''s PopWrap, Welch revealed that in the weeks and months prior to her performance of 12 September at the
2010 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2010 MTV Video Music Awards took place on September 12, 2010 at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, honoring the best music videos from the previous year. Chelsea Handler hosted the event, the first woman in sixteen years – since the 1994 MTV ...
, she was so nervous she lost sleep and cried. In addition, she struggled during the pre-show rehearsal with a move that required her to stand up on a rotating platform.
It was described as "both ethereal and downright joyous".
After the performance, ''Lungs'' (2009) rose to number two on the
iTunes
iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
albums chart and "Dog Days Are Over" rose to number nine on the iTunes singles chart.
In addition, Florence and the Machine became the number-one search on
Google
Google LLC () is an American multinational technology company focusing on search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and consumer electronics. ...
and received 1,700 tweets per minute on
Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
.
Florence and the Machine performed "Dog Days Are Over" on ''
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' (often shortened to ''Ellen'' or ''The Ellen Show'') is an American daytime television variety comedy talk show that was created and hosted by its namesake Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it was prod ...
'' on 15 October 2010. On 20 November 2010, the band performed "Dog Days Are Over" and "You've Got the Love" on ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...
''. They performed an online-only concert at New York City's
Ed Sullivan Theater
The Ed Sullivan Theater (originally Hammerstein's Theatre; later the Manhattan Theatre, Billy Rose's Music Hall, CBS Radio Playhouse No. 3, and CBS Studio 50) is a theater at 1697–1699 Broadway, between 53rd and 54th Streets, in the Theater ...
on 16 December 2010 as part of the ''
Live on Letterman
''Live on Letterman'' was an online concert series webcast by CBS and Vevo. The concerts were filmed live in the Ed Sullivan Theater, the home of '' Late Show with David Letterman'', and streamed on the CBS website. Despite the title, these conce ...
'' concert series. Welch and a number of other female singers opened the
53rd Annual Grammy Awards
The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 13, 2011, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. They were broadcast on CBS with a rating of 26.6 million viewers. Barbra Streisand was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year two nights prio ...
on 13 February 2011 with a tribute to an ailing
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...
. On 27 February 2011, Welch replaced pregnant
Dido
Dido ( ; , ), also known as Elissa ( , ), was the legendary founder and first queen of the Phoenician city-state of Carthage (located in modern Tunisia), in 814 BC.
In most accounts, she was the queen of the Phoenician city-state of Tyre (t ...
and sang her portion of
Best Original Song
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
nominee "
If I Rise
"If I Rise" is a song performed by A. R. Rahman and Dido, composed by A. R. Rahman, with lyrics by Dido and Rollo Armstrong. The song featured as the main theme for the Danny Boyle film ''127 Hours''.
The song won numerous awards including Broa ...
" (from ''
127 Hours
''127 Hours'' is a 2010 biographical psychological survival drama film co-written, produced and directed by Danny Boyle. The film stars James Franco, Kate Mara, Amber Tamblyn and Clémence Poésy. In the film, canyoneer Aron Ralston must find a ...
'') with
A. R. Rahman
Allah Rakha Rahman (; born A. S. Dileep Kumar; 6 January 1967) is an Indian music composer, record producer, singer and songwriter, popular for his works in Indian cinema; predominantly in Tamil and Hindi films, with occasional forays in int ...
at the
83rd Academy Awards
The 83rd Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2010 in the United States and took place on February 27, 2011, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beg ...
. Two years of
worldwide touring had been scheduled to promote ''Ceremonials''.
Welch and guitarist Rob Ackroyd held a private performance for a terminally ill 15-year-old fan, Karinya Chen, in Austin, Texas on 23 May 2016. On the 29th September 2019,
the band finished their High as Hope tour at the Acropolis.
Style and influences
Florence Welch has been compared to other female singers such as
Kate Bush
Catherine Bush (born 30 July 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer and dancer. In 1978, at the age of 19, she topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks with her debut single "Wuthering Heights (song), Wuthering Heights", ...
,
Siouxsie Sioux
Susan Janet Ballion (born 27 May 1957), known professionally as Siouxsie Sioux, is an English singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. She was the lead singer of the rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees (1976–1996). They released 11 ...
of
Siouxsie and the Banshees
Siouxsie and the Banshees were a British rock band formed in London in 1976 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and bass guitarist Steven Severin. They have been widely influential, both over their contemporaries and with later acts. ''Q'' magazine in ...
,
PJ Harvey
Polly Jean Harvey (born 9 October 1969) is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments.
Harvey began her career in 1988 when she joined loca ...
,
Tori Amos
Tori Amos (born Myra Ellen Amos; August 22, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. She is a classically trained musician with a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Having already begun composing instrumental pieces on piano, Amos won a full ...
and
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct three-octave vocal range and eccentric persona, she has de ...
.
During an interview, Welch cited
Grace Slick
Grace Slick (born Grace Barnett Wing; October 30, 1939) is an American singer-songwriter, artist, and painter. Slick was a key figure in San Francisco's early psychedelic music scene in the mid-1960s. With a music career spanning four decades, s ...
of
Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band based in San Francisco, California, that became one of the pioneering bands of psychedelic rock. Formed in 1965, the group defined the San Francisco Sound and was the first from the Bay Area to ac ...
as her influence and "hero". Florence and the Machine's style has been described as "dark, robust and romantic".
Their music is a mix of "classic soul and midnight-on-the-moors English art rock".
Welch stated that her lyrics related to
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...
artists: "We're dealing with all of the same things they did—love and death, time and pain, heaven and hell." Commenting her success, she said: "I'm lucky that there seems to be a massive revival in female performers. My icons were always women like Kate Bush,
Stevie Nicks
Stephanie Lynn Nicks (born May 26, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter, and producer known for her work with the band Fleetwood Mac and as a solo artist.
After starting her career as a duo with her then-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham, releasi ...
and Siouxsie Sioux. Who wouldn't be proud to carry on that tradition?".
The group's musical style has been described as
indie rock
Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...
,
indie pop
Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and sub ...
,
baroque pop
Baroque pop (sometimes called baroque rock) is a fusion genre that combines rock music with particular elements of classical music. It emerged in the mid 1960s as artists pursued a majestic, orchestral sound and is identifiable for its appropria ...
,
chamber pop
Chamber pop (or Chamber rock; also called baroque pop and sometimes conflated with orchestral pop or symphonic pop) is a music genre that combines rock music with the intricate use of string section, strings, horn section, horns, piano, and voca ...
,
art rock
Art rock is a subgenre of rock music that generally reflects a challenging or avant-garde approach to rock, or which makes use of modernist, experimental, or unconventional elements. Art rock aspires to elevate rock from entertainment to an art ...
,
art pop
Art pop (also typeset art-pop or artpop) is a loosely defined style of pop music influenced by art theories as well as ideas from other art mediums, such as fashion, fine art, cinema, and avant-garde literature. The genre draws on pop art's ...
,
neo soul
Neo soul (sometimes called progressive soul) is a genre of popular music. As a term, it was coined by music industry entrepreneur Kedar Massenburg during the late 1990s to market and describe a style of music that emerged from soul and contempo ...
,
and
folk
Folk or Folks may refer to:
Sociology
*Nation
*People
* Folklore
** Folk art
** Folk dance
** Folk hero
** Folk music
*** Folk metal
*** Folk punk
*** Folk rock
** Folk religion
* Folk taxonomy
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Folk Plus or Fol ...
.
Response
![Florence Greek Theater 2011](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Florence_Greek_Theater_2011.jpg)
Florence and the Machine won the Critic's Choice Award at the
2009 Brit Awards
Brit Awards 2009 was the 29th edition of the British Phonographic Industry's annual Brit Awards. The awards ceremony was held at Earls Court in London, and was broadcast live on ITV on 18 February at 8pm (GMT). Duffy became the first female ar ...
after coming third in the BBC's
Sound of 2009
Sound of... is an annual BBC poll of music critics and industry figures to find the most promising new music talent. It was first conducted by the BBC News website in 2003, and is now widely covered by the corporation's online, radio and TV outle ...
poll. As well as attention from the BBC, the band received significant support from ''NME'' magazine, who included them on their annual Shockwaves NME Awards Tour for 2009, along with
Glasvegas
Glasvegas are a Scottish indie rock band from Glasgow. The band consists of James Allan (vocals), Rab Allan (lead guitar) and Paul Donoghue (bass guitar), with Swedish drummer Jonna Löfgren joining the group in 2010 until her departure in 2020 ...
,
Friendly Fires
Friendly Fires are an English indie rock band from St Albans, Hertfordshire, England. They are currently signed to XL Recordings. Their self-titled debut album was released on 1 September 2008, and was announced as one of the shortlisted twelv ...
and
White Lies.
''
The Sunday Times
''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, whi ...
'' described Welch as "the most peculiar and most highly acclaimed female singer of the moment" and "the latest in a line of great English pop
eccentrics".
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
referred to ''Lungs'' as "one of the most musically mature and emotionally mesmerising albums of 2009". ''
Spin
Spin or spinning most often refers to:
* Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning
* Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis
* Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...
'' magazine rated ''Lungs'' (2009) eight out of ten and wrote, "You've gotta hand it to the girl: She always makes you feel ''something''." The magazine named it the eighth best album of 2009. In December 2010, Florence and the Machine appeared on one of ''Spin''s three holiday issue covers as Artist of the Year.
Florence and the Machine won the
Mastercard British Album award for ''Lungs'' at the
2010 Brit Awards
Brit Awards 2010 was the 30th edition of the British Phonographic Industry's annual Brit Awards. The awards ceremony was held at Earls Court in London for the last time. The ceremony was broadcast live on ITV on Tuesday 16 February 2010. It was ...
, having also been nominated for British Female Solo Artist and British Breakthrough Act. On 19 February 2010, Florence and the Machine won Best International Band at the
2010 Meteor Awards
The 2010 Meteor Music Awards ceremony took place on Friday 19 February 2010 in Dublin. They were presented by Amanda Byram. The launch took place in La Stampa on 7 January 2010, and was attended by The Coronas and Danny O'Donoghue from The Script ...
. The group led the nominations for the 2010
MOJO Awards, with four nods. They received a nomination for
Best New Artist
The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since 1959. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for records released in the previous year. The award was not presented in 1967. The official guidelines are as ...
at the
53rd Annual Grammy Awards
The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 13, 2011, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. They were broadcast on CBS with a rating of 26.6 million viewers. Barbra Streisand was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year two nights prio ...
. In April 2011, Florence and the Machine were ranked 50 in the 2011
''Time'' 100 poll, which annually lists the 100 most influential people in the world. American recording artist
Beyoncé
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...
cited Florence and the Machine as an influence for her 2011 album ''
4''.
Band members
Current
*
Florence Welch
Florence Leontine Mary Welch (born 28 August 1986) is an English singer, 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 wo ...
– lead vocals, percussion
(2007–present)
*
Isabella Summers
Isabella Janet Florentina Summers (born October 31, 1980) is an English musician, songwriter, producer, remixer and composer. She is a founding member of English indie rock band Florence and the Machine.
Biography
Summers lived her first nine ...
– keyboards, piano, synthesisers, backing vocals
(2007–present)
* Robert Ackroyd – guitars, backing vocals, bass
(2007–present)
* Tom Monger – harp, xylophone, percussion, backing vocals
(2007–present)
* Cyrus Bayandor – bass
(2018–present)
* Aku Orraca-Tetteh – percussion, backing vocals
(2018–present)
* Dionne Douglas – violin, backing vocals
(2018–present)
* Hazel Mills – keyboards, backing vocals
(2018–present)
* Sam Doyle – drums
(2022–present)
Former
* Christopher Lloyd Hayden – drums, percussion, backing vocals, guitar
(2007–2018)
* Mark Saunders – bass, backing vocals
(2009–2018)
* Rusty Bradshaw – piano, hammond organ, rhythm guitar, backing vocals
(2011–2018)
* Loren Humphrey – drums
(2018–2022)
Timeline
Discography
* ''
Lungs
The lungs are the primary organs of the respiratory system in humans and most other animals, including some snails and a small number of fish. In mammals and most other vertebrates, two lungs are located near the backbone on either side of th ...
'' (2009)
* ''
Ceremonials
''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 ...
'' (2011)
* ''
How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
''How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful'' is the third studio album by English indie rock band Florence and the Machine, released on 29 May 2015 by Island Records. After returning from her year-long hiatus from music, lead vocalist Florence Welch re ...
'' (2015)
* ''
High as Hope
''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" w ...
'' (2018)
* ''
Dance Fever
''Dance Fever'' is an American musical variety television series that aired weekly in syndication from January 1979 to September 1987. The series was technically created by Merv Griffin but his agent Murray Schwartz actually conceived the idea of ...
'' (2022)
Concert tours
*
Lungs Tour
The Lungs Tour was the first major headlining concert tour by English indie rock band Florence and the Machine, in support of their debut album, ''Lungs''. In July 2009, upon the release of their debut album, Florence and the Machine announced ...
(2008–2011)
*
Ceremonials Tour
The Ceremonials Tour was the second concert tour by the English indie rock band Florence and the Machine. The tour included performances at music festivals because it is lead singer Florence Welch's favourite way to perform live. Welch had origi ...
(2011–2013)
*
How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful Tour
The How Big Tour, How Blue Tour and the How Beautiful Tour were a series of three concert tours by British indie band Florence and the Machine, in support of their third studio album, ''How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful''. The tour began on 9 Se ...
(2015–2016)
*
High as Hope Tour
The High as Hope Tour was the fourth concert tour by British indie band Florence and the Machine, in support of their fourth studio album, ''High as Hope'' (2018). The tour began on 5 August 2018 in Montreal, Canada and concluded on 22 Septemb ...
(2018–2019)
*
Dance Fever Tour
The Dance Fever Tour is the current concert tour by English indie rock band Florence and the Machine. The tour is in support of the band's fifth studio album '' Dance Fever'' (2022), and will visit North America, Europe and Oceania. The tour beg ...
(2022–2023)
Awards and nominations
References
External links
*
*
*
*
Music by Florence and the Machine
{{DEFAULTSORT:Florence And The Machine
2007 establishments in England
Brit Award winners
British indie pop groups
English art rock groups
English indie rock groups
Island Records artists
Musical groups established in 2007
Musical groups from London
NME Awards winners
Moshi Moshi Records artists
Republic Records artists
Iamsound Records artists
Female-fronted musical groups