2. Biography
• Lead singer – Florence Welch
• Keyboard player/a producer –
Isabella Summers
• Backing music – collaboration of other artists
• English alternative band
The name of Florence and the Machine comes from Florence Welch’s
original collaboration with Isabella Summers. They performed for quite
a while with the band name Florence Robot/Isa Machine. This then got
shortened to Florence and the Machine because it wasn’t so big and
was catchier.
3. Biography continued
In 2007, Welch recorded a song with a band named Ashok, they included an
early version of Florence and the Machine’s song ‘kiss with a fist’ but
originally at this point the title of the song was ‘happy slap’ She signed a
contract to be in the band Ashok with a manager, but she then shortly after
she resigned as she did not feel like she belonged in that band.
The manager of Florence and the Machine is Mairead Nash, who is also a DJ
in Queens of Noize. This happened when Florence Welch went into the toilets
at a club behind Mairead Nash and sang ‘Somethings got a hold of me’ by Etta
James, so Nash decided that she wanted to be the manager as she thought
she had talent.
4. Recording history - Lungs
The band's debut album ‘Lungs’, was released on 6 July 2009, and was number two
for its first five weeks on the UK Albums Charts. On 17 January 2010, the album
topped the charts a consecutive twenty eight weeks in the charts. Lungs managed to
get in the top 10 charts in 9 countries.
Kiss with a fist was the albums first single to be released and was a great hit and
featured in several films and TV programmes including: Wild child, Jennifer's Body, St
Trinians 2, 90210, saving grace.
The next single from the album to be released was Dog days are over. Which was
released on 1 December 2008, The song featured in Gossip Girl, Community, Covert
Affairs, Skins, the trailer for Eat Pray Love and one Glee episode called “Special
Education”
Drumming song and a cover of the source’s song you’ve got the love were released as
singles shortly after lungs. Welch then performed a mash up version of you’ve got the
love with Dizzee rascal and his song ‘dirtee disco’ at the Brits 2010 to create the song
‘you’ve got the dirtee love’ which was then released as a single the following day.
5. ‘Lungs’ track listing
• 1. Dog days are over
• 2. Rabbit heart (raise it up)
• 3. I’m not calling you a liar
• 4. Howl
• 5. Kiss with a fist
• 6.Girl with one eye
• 7. Drumming song
• 8. Between two lungs
• 9. Cosmic Love
• 10. My boy builds coffins
• 11. Hurricane Drunk
• 12. Blinding
• 13. You’ve got the love.
6. Recording History - Ceremonials
Welch had offers from American writers and producers but she decided to
record the album in the UK. Welch had many producers offering to help with
ceremonials but she rejected them because she wanted Ceremonials to be
similar to Lungs however with a "more dark, more heavy, bigger drum
sounds, bigger bass, but with more of a whole sound“
In August 2011, “What the water gave me” was the first single from
ceremonials to be released on iTunes and the video was also released on
Florence and the machines website and Youtube account. The video got over
1.5 million YouTube views in just two days.
The single "Shake It Out" was the second single to be released over via the
internet too in September 2011.
Ceremonials was released on 31 October 2011. In ceremonials first week of
being released it topped the UK album charts
7. ‘Ceremonials’ track listing
1. Only if for a night
2. Shake it out
3. What the water gave me
4. Never let me go
5. Breaking down
6. Lover to lover
7. No light, no light
8. Seven devils
9. Heartlines
10. Spectrum
11. All this and heaven too
12. Leave my body
8. Recording History
On 26 April 2012, the band released “Breath of life”, a song which was used as
the official theme song for the film ’Snow White and the Huntsman’.
On 5 July 2012, Florence + The Machine
released a remixed version of
“Spectrum(Say My Name)”, remixed by
DJ Calvin Harris. The song was Florence
and the Machine’s first UK Number One,
reaching number one in the UK Single’s
Charts in its first week of being released.
10. Influences
Florence Welch saw the Renaissance painting, which could have influenced
her lyrics.
Her earliest musician influences include The Smiths, Syd Barrett, The Soft
Machine, REM and The Go-Gos.
11. Awards
The first album ‘Lungs’ won the Mastercard British Album award at the 2010
BRIT Awards.
Florence and the Machine were nominated for Best New Artist award at
the 53rd Grammy Awards.
The second album ‘Ceremonials’ were nominated for two Brit Awards.
12. Brand image
Florence has a very unique style, she is very bold, especially with her bright
red/orange hair and pale skin. She doesn’t dress stereotypically like a lot of
people in the music industry, her style is quirky and she likes to be different to
any fashions around at the time. Her clothing choice tends to be pastel based
colours with bold eyes and lips. Her style can tend to be quite an old style
from tens of years ago so it is different to a lot seen nowadays.
