Florence Welch

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Florence Welch
Background information
Birth nameFlorence Leontine Mary Welch
Born (1986-08-28) 28 August 1986 (age 37)
Camberwell, London, England
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Years active2006–present
Labels
Member ofFlorence and the Machine
Websiteflorenceandthemachine.net

Florence Leontine Mary Welch[1] (born 28 August 1986)[2][3] is an English-American 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.

Family and early life[edit]

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 American born in Boston and raised in New York City,[4] who was educated at Harvard University and the Warburg Institute, University of London.[5][6] Evelyn is vice chancellor of the University of Bristol.[7] Through her mother, Welch has both British and American citizenship.[8]

Welch is the niece of satirist Craig Brown[4] via Brown's wife and Welch's aunt, Frances Welch,[9] and granddaughter of Colin Welch, former deputy editor of The Daily Telegraph and former Daily Mail parliamentary sketchwriter.[9] Welch's maternal uncle is actor and filmmaker John Stockwell.[10] She also has a younger sister, Grace, who inspired Welch's song by the same name.[11]

During her youth, Welch was encouraged by her Scottish paternal grandmother, Cybil Welch (née Russell),[9][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 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. Around this time, her maternal grandmother, who had bipolar disorder, died from suicide.[17]

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..."[18]

Welch was educated at Thomas's London Day School, Battersea[19] 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]

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.[20][21] 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."[22]

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".[23]

Career[edit]

2006–2010: Florence and the Machine and Lungs[edit]

Florence and the Machine performing at the O2 ABC Glasgow during the band's Lungs Tour

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][24] In 2006, Welch's performances with Isabella Summers in small London venues under the joint name Florence Robot/Isa Machine[25] 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".[26]

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.[27][28] After its 25 July 2009 release for download in the United States, the album debuted at number seventeen on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart,[29] ultimately peaking at number one.[30] The album was released physically in the US on 20 October by Universal Republic.[31] The album was produced by James Ford, Paul Epworth, Steve Mackey, and Charlie Hugall.[32]

Welch contributed vocals to David Byrne and Fatboy Slim's 2010 album Here Lies Love, an album about Imelda Marcos.[33] As of January 2011, Welch was working with Drake on material slated for his upcoming album.[34]

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.[35][36]

2011–12: Ceremonials and solo endeavours[edit]

Florence and the Machine concert at the Berkeley Greek Theater on 12 June 2011
Welch performing live at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, California during the Lungs Tour, 2011

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.[37] It debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and number six on the US Billboard 200.[38][39] 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.[40] 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.[41][42] 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.[43] Welch expressed excitement about putting new material together for a third album once the band finished touring at the end of September 2012.[44] 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.[45][46] The group performed in Times Square on 31 December 2011 for the 40th annual Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve special.[47]

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.[48] 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.[49]

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]

2015–2021: Collaborations[edit]

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.[50]

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.[51]

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.[52] 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.[53] 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.

Welch performing live at KeyArena in Seattle, Washington during the High as Hope Tour, 2018

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.[54][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.[55]

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.[56]

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 Martyna Majok writing the book and Rebecca Frecknall directing.[57] The musical premiered on 5 June 2023 at the American Repertory Theater.[58]

2022–present: Dance Fever[edit]

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.

Artistry[edit]

alt=Kate Bush performing Siouxsie-Madrid2008.jpg
Siouxsie Sioux performing
Tori Amos performing
Welch's vocal styling has been compared to those of Kate Bush (left), Siouxsie Sioux and Tori Amos (right).

Welch has been compared to other singers such as Kate Bush,[59][60] Stevie Nicks,[61] Siouxsie Sioux,[59][60] PJ Harvey,[59] Shirley Manson,[62] Alison Goldfrapp,[63] Tori Amos,[64] and Björk.[60] 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."[34] Welch possesses a contralto vocal range.[65] In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked Welch at number 128 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.[66]

Influences[edit]

During interviews, Welch has cited singers Grace Slick, Alanis Morissette, Patti Smith, and Stevie Nicks as influences and "heroes."[67][68] 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."[69] Florence wrote "Patricia" on the band's 2018 album High as Hope about Smith, whom she describes as her "north star".[70]

She has also listed in her early influences the likes of John Cale, Otis Redding, Siouxsie Sioux, David Byrne, and Lou Reed.[71] 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".[59] 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".[72] 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."[73]

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.[74] 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."[74] 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."[74]

Image[edit]

Welch is known for her distinctive clothing style, often performing concerts wearing light Gucci dresses, barefoot and without jewellery.[75] Vogue described her style as Bohemian and called her "the queen of Bohemian style."[76]

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."[77] Welch often mixes artistic influences both in her fashion style and music, with a strong nod towards the style of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.[78] 2011 saw Gucci dressing her for her summer tour and a performance at the Chanel runway show at Paris Fashion Week.[79] Welch describes 1970s American drag queen troupe the Cockettes and French chanson singer Françoise Hardy as fashion mentors.[80]

Welch has also named Fleetwood Mac member Stevie Nicks as being a musical, fashion and general influence.[81] Welch can sometimes be seen in concert paying homage to Nicks' famous billowing stage dress.[citation needed]

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."[82] She said that this impacted her image and sound.[83] Her style and mannerisms have led fans and the media comparing her to a witch,[84][85] a mermaid,[86][87] and a fairy.[88][89][non-primary source needed]

Personal life[edit]

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."[90]

Although many of her songs contain Christian themes and elements, Welch has said she does not follow any particular religion. "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."[91]

Welch has been open about her struggles with anxiety and depression, as well as with alcohol. Many of her songs reflect these issues.[92] 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."[93]

In 2015, Welch broke her foot after leaping off the stage at the Coachella Festival.[94] 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]

In 2022, Welch was awarded and accepted an honorary fellowship from University of the Arts London.[95][96]

On 28 August 2023, Welch posted a statement to her personal Instagram account.[97] 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."[98]

Political views[edit]

In 2016, Welch voiced her support for Remain during the United Kingdoms EU Membership referendum.[99] Welch is also a vocal advocate for LGBT rights and regularly waves the rainbow flag at her concerts, particularly during her song "Spectrum (Say My Name)".[100][101]

In 2018, she tweeted her support for the removal of the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland.[102] 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.[103][non-primary source needed]

In March 2022, Florence expressed her support for Ukraine during the Russo-Ukrainian War. The Florence + the Machine video for "Heaven Is Here" was recently filmed in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. 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 the ways to help Ukraine.[104][105] In September 2022, it was announced that proceeds from a Florence + the Machine zine would be donated to the charitable foundation Future for Ukraine.[106][non-primary source needed] The zine features photographs taken in November 2021 in Kyiv while shooting music videos for Dance Fever.[107][non-primary source needed]

Discography[edit]

As featured artist[edit]

Single Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album
UK
[108]
AUS
[109]
AUT
[110]
CAN
[111]
GER
[112]
IRE
[113]
NZ
[114]
NOR
[115]
SWI
[116]
US
[117]
"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

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ "Wild Season" did not enter the UK Singles Chart, but peaked at number 74 on the UK Physical Singles Chart.[124]

Album appearances[edit]

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)
"Cheating on a Stranger"
(Adam Green and Florence Welch (backing vocals))
Engine Of Paradise

Songwriting credits[edit]

Year Artist Album Song Co-written with
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

Filmography[edit]

Awards and nominations[edit]

Year Category Category Nominated work Result
2009 Brit Awards Critics Choice Award[125] 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[126] "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[127] 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[128] "What Kind of Man" Nominated
Silver Clef Awards Best Female[129] Florence Welch Won
2017 Ivor Novello Awards International Achievement[130] Won
2018 Mercury Prize Album of the Year[131] High As Hope Nominated
2023 Ivor Novello Awards Songwriter of the Year[132] Florence Welch Nominated

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e Patterson, Sylvia (20 September 2009). "Behind the success of Florence and the Machine". The Sunday Times. London. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 7 March 2010.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) Alt URL Archived 30 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ "Florence and the Machine open Reading Festival with secret birthday gig". NME. 28 August 2009. Archived from the original on 31 August 2009. Retrieved 18 June 2011.
  3. ^ "Florence Welch". Glamour. Archived from the original on 19 July 2021. Retrieved 18 June 2011.
  4. ^ a b c Ryan, Francesca (4 June 2009). "Florence and the Machine interview: sound and vision". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022.
  5. ^ "Interview with Evelyn Welch". Association of Art Historians. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016.
  6. ^ "James Welch to wed Evelyn Samuels". The New York Times. New York City. 8 August 1982. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  7. ^ "Vice-Chancellor and President".
  8. ^ Varga, George (8 October 2015). "Florence Welch on music, maturing & not drinking". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  9. ^ a b c West, Richard (29 January 1997). "Obituary: Colin Welch". The Independent.
  10. ^ Sellers, John (21 November 2011). "Florence Welch on Her Fear of Treadmills, Lady Gaga, and 'Ceremonials'". Spin. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  11. ^ "Florence Welch opens up about regrets over her relationship with her sister". NME. 3 July 2018. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  12. ^ "Instagram - Florence Welch". Florence's Instagram. Instagram. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
  13. ^ Patterson, Sylvia (20 September 2009). "Behind the success of Florence and the Machine". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014.(subscription required)
  14. ^ Corner, Lewis (23 May 2011). "Florence Welch: "New songs about my dead grandma"". Digital Spy.
  15. ^ a b "15 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Florence Welch". Fuse. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  16. ^ "Memorial service", The Times page 24, 16 May 1997
  17. ^ Taysom, Joe (25 June 2018). "Florence Welch Talks About Alcohol and Her Grandmother's Suicide". Far Out Magazine. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
  18. ^ Wiseman, Eva (24 June 2018). "Florence Welch: I Wonder Sometimes, Did I Dream Too Big?". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  19. ^ "Prince George arrives for first day of school with Prince William". 7 September 2017.
  20. ^ "Florence Welch: Quirky Mind Behind Machine". Dyspraxia USA. Archived from the original on 28 June 2018. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  21. ^ Simalis, Linda. "Why Florence is a Star, not a Machine". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  22. ^ Petrarca, Emilia (13 October 2016). "Welch, Book Club Enthusiast, Gets Candid About the Literature That Changed Her". W Magazine. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  23. ^ May, Hana (14 December 2009). "Florence and the Machine". Hearty Magazine. Archived from the original on 6 January 2010. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
  24. ^ Bell, Sean (26 July 2009). "A piece of my mind: Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine". The Herald. Herald & Times Group. Retrieved 6 March 2010.
  25. ^ "Florence & The Machine". Discogs. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  26. ^ Parkin, April (4 April 2007). "Ashok – 'Plans' (Filthy Lucre)". Gigwise. Giant Digital. Retrieved 30 January 2011.
  27. ^ "INTERVIEW: Florence and the Machine". Yorkshire Evening Post. Yorkshire Post Newspapers. 6 August 2009. Archived from the original on 14 January 2013. Retrieved 8 August 2009.
  28. ^ Sexton, Paul (10 August 2009). "Michael Jackson Extends U.K. Album Chart Run, Tinchy Stryder Notches Second Top Single". Billboard. Retrieved 10 August 2009.
  29. ^ "Heatseekers Albums – Week of July 25, 2009". Billboard. Retrieved 14 June 2011.
  30. ^ "Florence + the Machine Album & Song Chart History – Heatseekers Albums". Billboard. Retrieved 14 June 2011.
  31. ^ Tartanella, Emily (7 July 2009). "Florence and the Machine: Lungs". PopMatters. Retrieved 12 July 2009.
  32. ^ Rey, Benedicte (16 November 2009). "Florence + The Machine: the voice that bewitched pop". Archived from the original on 9 February 2010. Retrieved 17 November 2009.
  33. ^ Brown, Helen (1 April 2010). "Here Lies Love: David Byrne and Fatboy Slim, CD review". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2010.
  34. ^ a b Perpetua, Matthew (13 January 2011). "Drake to Collaborate with The xx and Florence and the Machine". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 17 January 2011.
  35. ^ Semigran, Aly (28 February 2011). "Florence and the Machine Drew On 'Emotional' '127 Hours' At Oscars". MTV News. Viacom. Retrieved 7 March 2011.
  36. ^ Vyavahare, Renuka (13 February 2011). "Why Dido won't perform with Rahman at Oscars". The Times of India. Retrieved 7 March 2011.
  37. ^ Murison, Krissi. "The Exorcism of Florence Welch." NME – NME, 2011., pp. 18–22.
  38. ^ "Florence and the Machine album takes number one". BBC News. 7 November 2011. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
  39. ^ Caulfield, Keith (9 November 2011). "Justin Bieber's 'Mistletoe' Brightens Billboard 200 With No. 1 Debut". Billboard. Retrieved 17 March 2012.
  40. ^ "Brit awards 2012: nominations in full". The Guardian. 12 January 2012. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
  41. ^ "Florence and the Machine debut new song 'Breath of Life'". NME. 26 April 2012. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
  42. ^ Bell, Crystal (26 April 2012). "Florence and the Machine, 'Breath of Life': Singer Releases New 'Snow White and the Huntsman' Track (AUDIO)". HuffPost. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
  43. ^ "Florence And The Machine score first ever Number 1 with a little help from Calvin Harris". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  44. ^ "Florence Welch: 'My live shows are like an exorcism'". NME. 31 July 2012. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
  45. ^ "VH1 Divas: Florence Welch Leads Amy Winehouse Tribute". Billboard. 20 December 2011. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
  46. ^ "'Back To Black' by Florence + The Machine". VH1. 19 December 2011. Archived from the original on 7 October 2015. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  47. ^ Kaufman, Gil (7 December 2011). "Nicki Minaj, LMFAO Join Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve". MTV News. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
  48. ^ "Calvin Harris & Florence Welch's 'Sweet Nothing' debuts at UK No.1". Pressparty. 21 October 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  49. ^ "The National Academy of Recording Arts And Sciences, Inc. : Final Nominations List: 56th GRAMMY Awards" (PDF). National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 July 2015. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  50. ^ "Florence & The Machine". National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. 22 May 2018. Retrieved 21 October 2018.
  51. ^ Youngs, Ian (26 June 2015). "Glastonbury: Florence and the Machine step up with headline set". BBC News Online. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  52. ^ heatworld (9 September 2016). "Lady Gaga - "I'm a very simple person, though I might appear complicated"". Archived from the original on 15 December 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2019 – via YouTube.
  53. ^ Phillips, Amy (7 March 2017). "Lykke, Patti, Iggy, and More: Every Musician in Terrence Malick's Song to Song". Pitchfork. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
  54. ^ "Twitter". Retrieved 13 April 2018 – via Twitter.
  55. ^ Stavropoulos, Laura (28 June 2019). "High As Hope: How Florence + The Machine Spread Their Gospel". uDiscover Music. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  56. ^ "'I Never Thought I Would Talk About It.' So Florence Welch Put It in a Song". The New York Times. 14 June 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  57. ^ Lang, Brent (28 April 2021). "Florence Welch Writing 'Great Gatsby' Musical". Variety. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  58. ^ "Gatsby at A.R.T." americanrepertorytheater.org. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  59. ^ a b c d Rosen, Jody (15 November 2011). "Ceremonials". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
  60. ^ a b c Garratt, Sheryl (14 June 2009). "Pop review: Florence and the Machine, Lungs". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
  61. ^ Grigoriadis, Vanessa (25 November 2011). "How the arty, ethereal singer became the Stevie Nicks of the 'Twilight' generation". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
  62. ^ "Top Influential Music Style Icons". Glamour. Archived from the original on 15 January 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
  63. ^ "Why we love Alison Goldfrapp". Getmusic. Archived from the original on 20 October 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  64. ^ "Florence + The Machine – "Cornflake Girl" (Tori Amos Cover)". Spin. 19 September 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2022. Welch's voice has been compared to Tori Amos' pretty much since she came onto the scene
  65. ^ Gee, Catherine (3 July 2016). "Florence + the Machine and Kendrick Lamar, British Summer Time, review: 'hippy euphoria meets lyrical hip hop'". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  66. ^ "The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time". Rolling Stone. 1 January 2023. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  67. ^ "Florence Welch – My London". Evening Standard. 30 July 2009. Retrieved 17 March 2012.
  68. ^ Welch, Florence (2014). "Florence + the Machine Interview". MSN Music (Interview). Interviewed by Matt Schichter. Toronto. Archived from the original on 15 December 2021 – via YouTube.
  69. ^ Reed, Ryan (11 July 2018). "Hear Florence + the Machine Cover Silver Springs". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
  70. ^ Ryzik, Melena (14 June 2018). "'I Never Thought I Would Talk About It.' So Florence Welch Put It in a Song". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  71. ^ Glass, Joshua (30 November 2016). "John Cale Muses on Poetry, Sobriety, and Hood By Air with Florence Welch". documentjournal.com. Archived from the original on 5 December 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  72. ^ "Visionary Vixen". Los Angeles Times Magazine. 3 January 2011. Archived from the original on 11 September 2011. Retrieved 11 March 2013.
  73. ^ "Florence And The Machine: "I love demons and exorcism"". NME. 4 July 2011. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  74. ^ a b c Odell, Mike (May 2010). "Florence Attacks!". Q. No. 286. pp. 46–52.
  75. ^ "Florence Welch's "Ceremonial" Gucci stage dress". Vogue Paris (in French). 13 August 2018. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  76. ^ "Florence Welch Proves She's Still the Queen of Bohemian Style". Vogue. 12 August 2018. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  77. ^ Marcus, Laura (9 August 2010). "Style Idol: Florence Welch". Venus Zine. Archived from the original on 1 April 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2010.
  78. ^ "Florence Welch - Perfect Model for the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood". DailyArt Magazine. 25 April 2020.
  79. ^ Ellison, Jesse (23 October 2011). "Florence's Dark Side of Fame". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
  80. ^ "Florence Welch's Fashion: 'It's Not Inner Turmoil. It's Total Escapism' Billboard 4 October 2011". Billboard. 5 October 2011. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
  81. ^ Edgar, Michelle (6 September 2010). "Behind the Scenes with Florence and The Machine: Music Unites Interviews". HuffPost. Archived from the original on 6 October 2016. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  82. ^ Craik, Laura (20 June 2019). "Florence Welch is changing things up". Evening Standard. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
  83. ^ Music-News.com (28 September 2012). "Mermaid Fantasies Feature In Florence Welch's Songs". Noise11.com. 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."
  84. ^ Marcantonio, Isabella (28 October 2019). "Witchy Women". Exeposé Online. Florence Welch has big cosmic witch energy. Astrology, astronomy, and celestial yearnings all bleed into her repertoire.
  85. ^ Grigoriadis, Vanessa (25 November 2011). "Florence Welch, the Good Witch". Rolling Stone.
  86. ^ McCall, Tyler (17 July 2020). "Great Outfits in Fashion History: Florence Welch as a Chanel Mermaid". Fashionista.
  87. ^ Mack, Emmy (21 October 2015). "Florence Welch Is A Heavenly Water Angel In Her 'Ship To Wreck' Performance On 'Ellen'". Music Feeds.
  88. ^ Anderson, Kristin (14 April 2016). "Florence Welch Is Our Kind of (Gucci-Wearing) Fairy- Tale Princess". Vogue.
  89. ^ "ferdosa (she/her) on Twitter: "Florence Welch in Gucci looking like a..." archive.ph. 28 July 2021. Archived from the original on 9 May 2020. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
  90. ^ Petrarca, Emilia (13 October 2016). "Florence Welch, Book Club Enthusiast, Gets Candid About Literature". W. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  91. ^ Gunderson, Edna (31 July 2011). "Florence + High Profile". USA Today. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  92. ^ "Florence Welch reveals struggle with alcoholism, depression". 105.7 The Point. Archived from the original on 1 December 2018. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  93. ^ "As Me with Sinéad — 11: Florence Welch – Lemonada Media". lemonadamedia.com. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  94. ^ Battersby, Matilda (15 April 2015). "Florence Welch breaks foot leaping offstage at Coachella". The Independent. London. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  95. ^ Aubrey, Elizabeth (13 July 2022). "Florence Welch receives honorary fellowship from London's University of the Arts". NME. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  96. ^ UAL Graduation 2022: Florence Welch Honorary Speech, retrieved 22 September 2022
  97. ^ Welch, Florence (28 August 2023). "nil". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  98. ^ Carballo, Rebecca (28 August 2023). "Florence + the Machine Singer Says She Had Emergency Surgery". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  99. ^ "The celebrities that support Brexit (and the ones backing Remain)". The Independent. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  100. ^ Stern, Bradley (15 June 2016). "Florence Welch Holds Rainbow Flag, Leads 'Love Is Love' Chant in Concert". Pop crush. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
  101. ^ Rini, Jen. "Firefly Recap: A Weekend of Love, Awareness, and Music". USA Today. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
  102. ^ "Irish Abortion Referendum: Musicians Encourage Votes, Tweets". Billboard. 25 May 2018. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  103. ^ "@florencethemachinebr on Instagram: "Florence + The Machine – Las Vegas – 05.17.19 Legend written by @florencethemachinebr 👇 Eu tenho que dizer que neste momento meu coração..."". Instagram. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  104. ^ Welch, Florence [@florencemachine] (7 March 2022). "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" (Tweet). Retrieved 12 March 2022 – via Twitter.
  105. ^ "Florence Welch drops new video filmed in Kyiv as dancers shelter in Ukraine". The Independent. 7 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  106. ^ Welch, Florence (7 September 2022). "The FATM proceeds from the sale of this zine will be donated to the charitable foundation Future for Ukraine". Retrieved 7 September 2022 – via Twitter.
  107. ^ Welch, Florence (7 September 2022). "All images photographed in Kyiv, Ukraine in November 2021, during the Dance Fever video shoots, directed @autumndewilde". Retrieved 7 September 2022 – via Twitter.
  108. ^ "Florence & the Machine". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 March 2011.
  109. ^ "Discography Florence + The Machine". australian-charts.com. Retrieved 14 March 2011.
  110. ^ "Discographie Florence + The Machine" (in German). austriancharts.at. Archived from the original on 30 January 2011. Retrieved 14 March 2011.
  111. ^ "Calvin Harris – Chart history: Billboard Canadian Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 11 April 2013.
  112. ^ "Discographie Florence + The Machine" (in German). charts.de Media Control. Archived from the original on 10 December 2014. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
  113. ^ "Discography Florence + The Machine". irish-charts.com. Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 14 March 2011.
  114. ^ "Discography Florence + The Machine". charts.nz. Retrieved 14 March 2011.
  115. ^ "Discography Florence + The Machine". norwegiancharts.com. Archived from the original on 5 June 2012. Retrieved 14 March 2011.
  116. ^ "Florence + The Machine". swisscharts.com. Archived from the original on 23 July 2012. Retrieved 14 March 2011.
  117. ^ "Calvin Harris – Chart history: The Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 11 April 2013.
  118. ^ "Certified Awards". British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on 24 January 2013. Retrieved 21 November 2009.
  119. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2023 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  120. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Florence Welch; 'Sweet Nothing')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  121. ^ "Gold Platinum Database". Music Canada. 26 March 2013. Archived from the original on 8 April 2014. Retrieved 11 April 2013.
  122. ^ "Gold & Platinum". Recording Industry Association of America. Archived from the original on 27 April 2013. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
  123. ^ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. 7 January 2013. Retrieved 11 April 2013.
  124. ^ "Official Physical Singles Chart Top 100 - 4 August 2017 – 10 August 2017". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  125. ^ Swash, Rosie (12 December 2008). "Florence and the Machine wins Brits Critics' Choice Award 2009". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  126. ^ Whitby, Tim. "Florence Welch accepts the award for Best Dancefloor Anthem at the NME Awards 2013 at the Troxy on February 27, 2013 in London, England". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  127. ^ "Grammys 2014: Winners list". CNN. 27 January 2014. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  128. ^ "Grammy Awards 2016: See the Full Winners List". Billboard. 16 February 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  129. ^ "Silver Clef Award Winners Archive".
  130. ^ Ruby, Jennifer; Foster, Alistair (18 May 2017). "Florence Welch and Skepta win big at the 2017 Ivor Novello Awards". Evening Standard. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  131. ^ Kim, Michelle (20 September 2018). "Wolf Alice Win 2018 Mercury Prize". Pitchfork. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  132. ^ Dunworth, Liberty (19 April 2023). "Arctic Monkeys, Florence + The Machine, Harry Styles lead 2023 Ivor Novello nominations". NME. Retrieved 19 April 2023.

External links[edit]