Chances are, if you’ve opened a magazine or looked at a music blog at any point in the past year, then you already know a thing or two about FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE. If not, then this is your chance to discover the lady that has already managed to cast a spell over much of the music-loving world.
The Florence in question is Florence Welch and The Machine is her long-time backing band. Given the somewhat unpredictable nature and hard-to-define quality of her music, it’s not surprising that Florence herself still doesn’t quite have an answer to the basic question—What kind of music do you make?”
“It happens all the time,” laughs Welch, “People at airports and cabdrivers will ask me what kind of music that I make and I still find myself saying things like, ‘Well, it’s kind of soft but also quite loud at times, there are a lot of drums, but also a harp. It’s kind of tribal but still kind of choral as well…What does that even mean??? I have no idea.” The general inscrutability of Florence and the Machine has apparently served Welch well, not only garnering her a rabid fanbase in the UK but also earning her debut album, Lungs, a BRIT award earlier this year. This summer Florence will embark on a US tour and play a string of festival dates, including Coachella.
Given her own very do-it-yourself mentality towards making music and art, I asked Florence if she had any advice for her legions of young female fans, particularly those who might be looking to start a band.
“I was really into musicals when I was a kid,” she says, “I was never cool. I was this chubby, awkward nerd. I never thought I’d end up being in a band. I never thought I was good enough at any instrument to play it properly in a band. You just have to learn how to trust your own instincts and do things your own way. If someone tells you to do something different and you don’t really feel comfortable doing that, it’s not gonna sound good anyway. You have to trust your gut. You just have to make your own mistakes and not worry too much. There is no right or wrong way and it’s not always about being a perfect musician or the best singer. It’s about being yourself. Always.”
http://florenceandthemachine.net/
http://www.myspace.com/florenceandthemachine
The Florence in question is Florence Welch and The Machine is her long-time backing band. Given the somewhat unpredictable nature and hard-to-define quality of her music, it’s not surprising that Florence herself still doesn’t quite have an answer to the basic question—What kind of music do you make?”
“It happens all the time,” laughs Welch, “People at airports and cabdrivers will ask me what kind of music that I make and I still find myself saying things like, ‘Well, it’s kind of soft but also quite loud at times, there are a lot of drums, but also a harp. It’s kind of tribal but still kind of choral as well…What does that even mean??? I have no idea.” The general inscrutability of Florence and the Machine has apparently served Welch well, not only garnering her a rabid fanbase in the UK but also earning her debut album, Lungs, a BRIT award earlier this year. This summer Florence will embark on a US tour and play a string of festival dates, including Coachella.
Given her own very do-it-yourself mentality towards making music and art, I asked Florence if she had any advice for her legions of young female fans, particularly those who might be looking to start a band.
“I was really into musicals when I was a kid,” she says, “I was never cool. I was this chubby, awkward nerd. I never thought I’d end up being in a band. I never thought I was good enough at any instrument to play it properly in a band. You just have to learn how to trust your own instincts and do things your own way. If someone tells you to do something different and you don’t really feel comfortable doing that, it’s not gonna sound good anyway. You have to trust your gut. You just have to make your own mistakes and not worry too much. There is no right or wrong way and it’s not always about being a perfect musician or the best singer. It’s about being yourself. Always.”
http://florenceandthemachine.net/
http://www.myspace.com/florenceandthemachine
