| FLORENCE + THE MACHINE's 'Little Book Of Calm'. |
| Written by Shahlin Graves | ||||||
| Sunday, 08 August 2010 13:49 | ||||||
 Twenty-three-year-old FLORENCE + THE MACHINE frontwoman FLORENCE WELCH needs no introduction! Having conquered Laneway Festival 2010 earlier this year in a major way - and the rest of the world in the meantime - we were lucky enough to be graced with her presence twice in one year... COUP DE MAIN: You returned to us! You killed it at Laneway back in February, did you have amazing fun? FLORENCE + THE MACHINE: Yes!! It was one of the most fun experiences that I've had touring actually, it was amazing. CDM: This time round however, I heard that the airline lost your luggage when you were on your way here? FLORENCE: Yeah, they did. It was one of those horrible moments when we've been standing at the carousel for half an hour and we've realized that we've watched the same red suitcase go past about twenty-five times and our suitcases weren't there - so we had a bit of a fretful night, cataloguing all of the dresses and jewellery that we might have lost. But WE GOT IT BACK so everything's fine. CDM: And it's your birthday in exactly one month, Happy pre-Birthday! FLORENCE: Awww thank you - that's sweet! CDM: Do you have any birthday plans yet? FLORENCE: I'm actually going to have a birthday party in Ibiza before my actual birthday night, because we're going out there to do 'Ibiza Rocks' so I'm going to have a Balearic-themed poolside birthday, which is definitely a new one for me. CDM: You'll be turning twenty-four right? FLORENCE: Yes... wow! Twenty-four... scary. CDM: Let's talk about the new album that you've been working on... you've said it's going to be "more chemical"... can you please elaborate on that? What does that mean? FLORENCE: I think around the time I did that interview I was writing a song that was about atoms, so I think I was in kind of a scientific frame of mind, but I wouldn't say that specifically... it's just because this whole album was so anatomical and kind of animal-themed I think, [now I'm] leaning towards things that are more elemental and atmospheric. But I have no idea really what I'm going to write about until it's coming out of my mouth. I think... it's like conducting a séance with just yourself. CDM: It seems like fans have reacted really positively to your new song, 'Strangeness & Charm'. FLORENCE: They have, yeah! It's gone down really well at the shows and I think it's kind of a big epic sound and it works well within the rest of the songs, so it's moving forward rather than taking a turn in a different direction.  CDM: An entire universe full of adventures has happened to you since you were in New Zealand last - your debut album 'Lungs' won Best British Album at the Brit Awards! FLORENCE: I was pretty overwhelmed I think - I was more scared about doing the performance with Dizzee [Rascal], that was the most nerve-wracking thing I think, doing a performance on live television where I had to walk down stairs and come out of a big silver disco-ball. But it didn't really cross my mind, I was happy just to be nominated. And then, I was nominated for three and I didn't win the first one, and I didn't win the second one, so I was kind of psyching myself up to go home empty-handed. So when I got that [award], it was a lot to take in - I think I'm still taking it in! <laughs> CDM: You've done the 'You've Got The Dirtee Love' duet live with Dizzee Rascal a couple of times now, is that still a thrill for you? FLORENCE: He's such a charismatic guy and I feel like we've got really good chemistry on stage and it's something so... it's really fun and it comes so naturally! I really enjoy performing with him. CDM: You wrote a new song 'Heavy In Your Arms' for 'The Twilight Saga: Eclipse' soundtrack - as a person that loves to read books, what are your thoughts on being associated with the world of 'Twilight' now? FLORENCE: I read the books - I was a big fan of them. I think it's just pure escapism and I was a big fan of them and I always wanted to do... I thought I could maybe make a song that could suit one of the films, and I really enjoyed the films, so I was really happy when they chose the song to be in the film. CDM: Team Edward or Team Jacob? FLORENCE: <sigh> I kind of vary, I think. I really was so totally Team Edward, but then in the second film I kind of flirted with the idea of being Team Jacob. I think I'm going to have to see the third one to know where my camp really is. CDM: Quite a few of your songs have been used on teen TV show soundtracks now. Do you see that as good exposure for your songs to new listeners? Or is that weird for you? FLORENCE: I just always think it's interesting to see what they'll pair a song with, but yeah, I think it's just another platform for your music. I don't see anything wrong with it. CDM: I know that you love The xx - but what other musical acts do you have big love for at the moment? FLORENCE: I really love the new Big Boi album, I think it's great! And who else am I really into at the moment? [I'm a] Huge Drake fan - his latest album's amazing, and I've been listening to the Peter Gabriel album 'Scratch My Back', which I think is just really beautiful. Who else? The Drums, I love the Drums! CDM: Who you have opening for you tomorrow night! How did that come about? FLORENCE: I don't know... we did a UK tour together and they're really great guys and I love seeing them perform... so! CDM: I noticed that you're following Lady Gaga and Katy Perry on Twitter - are you a fan? FLORENCE: Yes, I think they're both amazing pop-stars! I don't check my Twitter that often <laughs> especially when I'm abroad, I kind of lose touch with the world - the rest of the world - because my phone is always broken. CDM: You seem rather old-school technology-wise, like, you still use a walkman? FLORENCE: Yeah, I think I've been sort of crawling my way to being part of the future! <laughs> But I still just can't get my head around stuff like that. It always breaks, or I don't know how to use it properly. Everything just ends up being like... I could have the most [high-]tech phone ever and it will end up just being the same as any other - just texts, calls - [and] sometimes I can't even text because the light is broken, or there's buttons missing. Everything always - no matter how technologically advanced it may be - I always manage to take it back to basics. My Mum's the same. She's like, really high in her field of Art History but she can't text on her phone... technology! She's one of the smartest women I know and she has no idea how to work a mobile phone.  CDM: Do you believe in your dreams at all? FLORENCE: I have quite vivid dreams I think, I also get quite intense night terrors - I get really bad anxiety dreams and I hope those don't come true! <laughs> I guess I have a lot of daydreams as well - I'm always half dreaming. I think a lot of songwriting comes from between the time when you're half-awake and half-asleep. A lot of the thoughts you have then... I have auditory hallucinations as well when I'm dreaming, like whole great symphonies - subconscious symphonies and dream-songs that go round and round in my head and I'll be woken up by this glorious cacophony and I can never remember any of it. But that's interesting, like the songs that I dream about I can never remember... I wonder if they come out later though? CDM: What are your favourite lyrics that you've ever written and why? FLORENCE: I like the lyric [in 'Howl']: "The fabric of your flesh, pure as a wedding dress." I always quite liked that one and I like [in 'Drumming Song']: "Louder than sirens, louder than bells, sweeter than heaven, and hotter than hell." I thought that was quite good! <laughs> CDM: What's your favourite season and why? FLORENCE: I think it depends on what country you're in. I know it's a cliché but definitely Paris in Spring, the light in Paris is amazing. And then for London, I think probably just the beginning of Summer when it starts suddenly getting hot and there's a real... I think the atmosphere of London just becomes so electric in the Summer-time. I ride my bike everywhere and everyone's having barbecues in parks and there's all-night parties, people spilling onto the street... and I like New York as well, I love New York in Autumn, because that's when I've been there. It differs from place to place. CDM: If you discovered a new planet, what would you name it and why? FLORENCE: Mmmm... what would I name it? Let me have a think about that one... mmm I'm not sure, I'll have to think about it properly, it's a whole planet! I want to give it a good name. CDM: Are there any other fields you'd like to explore apart from music? FLORENCE: Yeah definitely, I've always been interested in art and design - so maybe if it came to like... I like to get really involved in the visuals for videos and designing the artwork. I'd like to direct a video someday, I think. CDM: And I noticed that you did some window-dressing for department store Selfridges recently? FLORENCE: That was really fun, designing the window for that was great, and I did little sketches! I've always wanted... I think a lot of my artwork at college was based on installations and my whole room has basically become one installation and I think I'd like to maybe do window-dressing or set-design or something like that. CDM: The lead singer of The Horrors is putting on an art exhibition in August - is that something you'd maybe like to do one day? FLORENCE: FARIS [Badwan]! Yeah, he's a really good drawer, the last time we were in Australia actually, he took me and Isa[bella Summers] for a tour of... he was like our tour guide. I've still got a little sketch of his in my notebook, but yeah... I haven't done enough drawing recently, to be able to put on an exhibition. I used to keep a visual diary that was just cartoons of what had happened in my life, but right now my diary is becoming songwriting I think. CDM: You mentioned before that you're quite involved with the visual aspect of Florence + The Machine - I love the F+ATM teacup and saucer that your website is selling - do you think it's important to keep a finger in all of that non-musical creativity? FLORENCE: Yes, because I think it's all about the 'whole thing' - you know? With music you're trying to create a landscape, an environment for people to get lost in... and I think it's important that other things echo that - you know, those ideas! CDM: When Ellie Goulding met you earlier, I think this year, apparently she was so excited/overjoyed that she ended up having to go to A&E afterwards because she felt like she was having a heart attack... FLORENCE: WHAAATTT?! CDM: I don't know if that's true or not... according to an interview with the 'Sunday Times'? FLORENCE: Maybe the first time... she's a really nice girl! We've met a couple of times now. She didn't have to go to A&E any of those times though... CDM: You're a bit like her Beyoncé, I guess? FLORENCE: <laughs> CDM: With you being such a great inspiration to people like Ellie, and of course myself, I thought you'd be the ideal person to ask to create a 'Little Book Of Calm' à la 'Black Books'... FLORENCE + THE MACHINE'S 'LITTLE BOOK OF CALM'...
Watch a behind-the-scenes video from the making-of 'Florence's Shaky Book Of Calm (A Chaos Aversion Theory Experiment)' below... FLORENCE + THE MACHINE's debut album 'Lungs' is in-stores now! Features the singles 'Kiss With A Fist', 'Dog Days Are Over', 'Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)', 'Drumming Song', 'You've Got The Love' and 'Cosmic Love'. Click HERE to read our February 2010 interview with Florence Welch. |
