After last year’s monster release from Florence and The Machine, a new original track from Florence Welch has now been released. Wish You Were Here was written for the soundtrack for a new movie from Tim Burton, bringing all of Florence’s emotive, cinematic writing to the production.
With more of a delicate yearning than some of her high octane tracks, Wish That You Were Here still features Florence’s poetic lyricism – and the incredible power of her vocals. The song will appear in Burton’s next film; Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children, a quirky and slightly macabre story based on the novel by American author Ransom Riggs.
In a press release, Florence told how she has wanted to work with Burton for a number of years now. Apparently, she contacted the eccentric director six years ago whilst touring Australia. Having visited an exhibition of his work, the singer was inspired to contact Burton via the only means to hand (no pun intended); “I wanted to leave him a message and all I had on me was an x-ray of my hand, as I had just broken my finger. So I wrote on the x-ray and gave it to the gallery to pass on and never knew if he got it. When we met for the first time, he told me it’s been hanging up in his office ever since.”
Image via TMStash
Welch also draws justifiable parallels between Florence and The Machine and Burton’s aesthetics; “I’ve always been a huge fan of Tim Burton’s. We have a very similar sensibility. It’s the kind of dark, dark romance of his work — so beautiful and whimsical, but with an element of darkness to it.”
She expands on the inspiration behind Wish That You Were Here with the following:
“‘Wish That You Were Here’ is a song about the idea that love is a journey and a risk. Having been on tour, I’ve lived in a sort of magical time bubble, where the days almost blend together. It’s amazing, but it comes at a cost — a cost of leaving the people you love behind for a year or two. You kind of feel like if you could sing a song into the wind, maybe the wind could take it to them in a way that you can’t with a text or a call. You just want to send your love in a different way, in a way to somehow reach the unreachable.”
You can listen to the track below. Burton’s production of Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children is expected to premier in theatres this September.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsWDUvuF0Xc
Image: Stereogum
Florence and The Machine have released a short film called The Odyssey, a compilation of all clips taken from last year’s album How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful.
Each of the clips from What Kind Of Man, How Big How Blue How Beautiful, St. Jude, Ship To Wreck, Queen Of Peace, and Delilah have been strung together with some new clips to create a story. It also includes a new sequence for Third Eye. Florence Welch explained how this film came about:
“This is the finale of a very personal project that came from a conversation me and Vince had in the Chateau Marmont about a year and a half ago while I was writing How Big How Blue How Beautiful. I was talking to him about the record and the car crash of a relationship break up I was going through. The highs and the lows of love and performance, how out of control I felt, the purgatory of heartbreak, and how I was trying to change and trying to be free. And we decided we would re-tell this story in full.”
The film was directed by Vincent Haycock, who described it as “a metaphorical journey about escaping your demons, confronting yourself and returning to the original Florence, the dancer, the performer, the lover.”
Watch the full film on Florence and The Machine’s official website. You can also revisit each music video one by one, starting with chapter one below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgeKHTcufLY
Image: Pitchfork
“I’ve always seen Final Fantasy as mythical, beautiful and epic.”
Florence Welch’s description of the Final Fantasy series tells us why she was the perfect choice to set the scene in the trailer for the fifteenth instalment.
The frontwoman of Florence and the Machine sings sweetly in their cover of Stand By Me, originally sung by Ben E. King in 1962. The song has her own Florence and the Machine twist on it, with the dramatic instruments used and the way the song builds and builds as it goes along. It follows a short, yet epic, instrumental track composed by Yoko Shimomura, providing an exciting atmosphere for fans as they await the action-filled fantasy game.
Welch’s cover softens the trailer up as she sings over the sound of a harp, until we get to chorus. Like a gust of wind on a warm day, her voice grows in power as she delivers a strong rendition of the song over images of fight sequences and a few heartwarming interactions between the video game’s characters.
“Stand by Me is one of the greatest songs probably of all time and you can’t really improve on it, you just have to make it your own. For me it was just about bringing the song into the world of Florence and the Machine and the world of Final Fantasy,” Welch said.
Florence and the Machine are currently preparing for their tour of Europe, before travelling to the United States, playing a few shows in May and June.
Final Fantasy XV will be released on September 30. Watch the trailer below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVrnS26mnCA
Image: Pitchfork
Whether it’s The Beatles, The Foo Fighters or even Diplo, Florence Welch is no stranger to dropping a crowd pleasing cover.
Adding to Welch’s growing body of memorable covers, Florence & The Machine laid down a stripped back version of Fleetwood Mac‘s Silver Springs last Friday.
The performance formed part of a benefit concert for War Child UK, a charity that tasks itself with improving the circumstances of children and young people in war torn countries.
Stripping away the lavish studio treatment of the 70s original, Florence instead opted for only tambourine, acoustic guitar and piano as accompaniment. Aching with emotion, it’s Welch’s delivery which carries the day. Admirably encapsulating the emotive intonations of Stevie Nicks, the frontwoman also adds a little more directness to the song’s lyrics with her own distinctive vocals.
Not one to shy away from extravagant retro-fashions, Welch also brought the performance home by donning some of the baroque-inspired fashion of the period.
Cut from the final track listing for Fleetwood Mac’s iconic 1997 LP Rumors, Silver Springs appeared as a B-side on single Go Your Own Way. Many believe that the track was excluded from the final album due to growing tensions between writer Stevie Nicks and bandmate Lindsey Buckingham following the pair’s failed romance.
https://youtu.be/VeW0KzCxywI
Image: Hit Radio
Florence + The Machine have spent a good chunk of 2015 on their ‘How Big How Blue’ world tour, finally coming to an end with their penultimate show in Paris last week. For the final encore on tour, Welch led her band through a cover of The Beatles’ classic All You Need Is Love, as well as I Love You All The Time by Eagles of Death Metal.
Taking the stage at Le Zenith, each cover was delivered with the famed Florence + the Machine flair, complete with her energetic stage presence, running back and forth across the stage, whipping the crowd into a delighted frenzy.
The covers also pay tribute to the horrific terrorist attacks which took place in Paris in November. The Eagles of Death Metal cover follows the band’s ‘Play It Forward’ campaign, in which EODM have asked bands to cover their track, with all proceeds going to those affected by the Paris attacks. So far, Florence + the Machine have submitted their own cover, as well as versions from Mini Mansions, My Morning Jacket, Savages, Kings of Leon, Jimmy Eat World and plenty more – listen and read more info here.
This show, at Le Zénith in Paris, was the final show of the band’s tour in support of their latest album, How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful and was a fitting send-off for the band who have travelled across the globe throughout 2015, including a jaw-dropping headline set at this year’s Splendour In The Grass.
Read our review of Florence + The Machine’s How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
Read our retrospective reviews on The Beatles’ Revolver and The White Album
If you’ll just give us a minute to pick ourselves up off the floor… Foals have surpassed even the blazing energy of their most recent record with their cover of Florence + The Machine’s What Kind Of Man. Performing on BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge this week, Yannis and the band absolutely ripped up Flo’s stomping, empowered anthem, bending the track to their own explosive will.
Exchanging the original orchestral arrangements for synths and electronic ambience, and carrying the riff with a pumping electric guitar – weighed down by more distortion than even a self respecting metal band might opt for, the band blew the track apart with this rendition. In Foals’ hands, Florence’s distinctive sound takes on an 80’s vibe, echoing new wave synths and industrial feels. Wailing grit from Yannis Philippakis stretches out the lyrics, barely holding onto them through his slightly unhinged delivery. Without over egging the performance, Foals manage to create a massive sound to match the original.
And just when you think it’s over, they rise again with a rendition of the breakdown from their album title track What Went Down. Rattling over the string of disturbed mutterings, launching the band into the final frenetic push with a return Florence’s refrain, thrashing out blood, sweat and tears with their finish. It’s a punishingly brilliant cover, and as the band themselves point out, it’s a high bar to reach. Check out the video below to see what we mean.
And now if you’ll excuse us, we’re just going to go sit quietly for a bit…
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEa5ezzvpd4&w=560&h=315]
Last night British indie-rock royalty Florence + the Machine brought their dynamic live performance to one of the most esteemed performance slots in modern television – The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
Florence Welch has never been known as one to hold back when it comes to the live arena, and this was evident yesterday as she performed the band’s hit single Ship to Wreck standing in the middle of a pool of water. Because hey, why settle for a stage when four million Americans are watching?
Backed by her sizeable band, including three backing singers and a harp player, Flo splashed her way through an energetic rendition of the song that peaked at number 1 on the US Billboard Adult Alternative Song List. Check out the video below for footage of Flo’s performance. Keep an eye out for the obviously concerned guitarist and bassist, due to the risk of, well, you know, all the water flying everywhere.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unzEt37fB2Q
The addition of the pool was yet another nod in the direction of the metaphor of water, a consistently revisited theme throughout the band’s back catalogue.
The performance comes in the middle of a huge American tour by the band on the back of their new record How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful. In addition to television performances, the tour includes back to back shows at the world famous Hollywood Music Bowl.
The band will then fly out to Australia for a full run of headline dates across the country. With a four night stand at Sydney’s Opera House Forecourt, will we see Florence jump into the harbour when this song drops?
Tour Dates:
November 7th: Perth Arena
November 10th: Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne
November 11th: Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne
November 13th: Opera House Forecourt, Sydney
November 14th: Opera House Forecourt, Sydney
November 15th: Opera House Forecourt, Sydney
November 17th” Opera House Forecourt, Sydney
November 18th: Riverstage, Brisbane
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hr2u2-gCI_g
Whoever is organising Stephen Colbert’s musical guests is doing a bang-up job, because Florence + the Machine’s latest performance on his show The Late Show With Stephen Colbert was definitely something special.
The flame-haired songstress smashed it out of the ball park with her stripped down rendition of What Kind of Man. Traditionally famed for her acts of explosive vocal dynamism, the English powerhouse instead chose to pursue a more minimalist avenue for her performance.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jz5wWAbASKo&w=560&h=315]
After recently performing a splendid take on Jack Ü’s Where Are Ü Now, Welch delivered on her live performance once again. Using just a harp, acoustic guitar, and keyboard, Welch nonetheless managed to wow the crowd with her skill and expertise, subtly electrifying the everyone in the studio with her commanding presence.
Having spent the past couple of months on tour for her How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful Tour, it’s been a busy period for Welch and her entourage. Having performed here at Splendour in te Grass, she’s also played at the iTunes Music Festival, not to mention filling in for frontman Dave Grohl at Glastonbury after he broke his foot during a performance.
Now Welch will continue her North American Tour, with headlining dates scheduled through the end of the month, finishing off with a set at New Orleans’ Voodoo Music and Arts Experience on Oct. 30. She’ll be heading down under for her Australian tour next month.
She recently unveiled the video for her song Queen Of Peace, produced with long-time collaborator Vincent Haycock, which was filmed on the tiny island of Easdale in the Inner Hebrides.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSM0lLbVYOo&w=560&h=315]
BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge has played host to extraordinary artists performing amazing covers time and time again. Like Triple J’s Like A Version, the radio station taps into people’s love of reinvention to produce incredible reworks of music’s most beloved songs. This week is no exception, recruiting the superhumanly talented Florence Welch to perform a cover of Jack Ü’s Where Are Ü Now.
Jack Ü’s chart topping single, the side project of Skrillex and Diplo, has had a few re-dos as of late, with Pentatonix having a crack, as well as Chvrches covering his most recent offering What Do You Mean?
Welch starts the song off softly, her performance slowly swelling into a crescendo of sultry vocals, capitalising on her enormously powerful vocal range to give the EDM track an emotional and elegant rework. Hazy, echoey guitar strums replace the dance floor backbeat to create something that swelters yet also soothes.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEak-k2rrpM&w=560&h=315]
Prior to her performance on BBC 1, Welch and her band were at the Apple Music Festival, even performing a special rendition of Happy Birthday for her dad and changing How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful into the more London-esque title of How Big, How Grey, How Beautiful. She then dedicated Cosmic Love to her father as well, who was watching from the audience.
Next, Welch and her posse are slated for an appearance on The Late Night Stephen Colbert alongside Tame Impala, joining a slew of awesome acts to appear on the show during its pioneer launch.