Florence Welch
Encyclopedia
Florence Leontine Mary Welch (born 28 August 1986 in Camberwell
Camberwell
Camberwell is a district of south London, England, and forms part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is a built-up inner city district located southeast of Charing Cross. To the west it has a boundary with the London Borough of Lambeth.-Toponymy:...

) is an English singer-songwriter, best known worldwide as the lead singer of Florence and the Machine
Florence and the Machine
Florence and the Machine is the recording name of English musician Florence Welch and a collaboration of other artists who provide music for her voice. Florence and the Machine's sound has been described as a combination of various genres, including rock and soul...

. She is the daughter of Evelyn Welch, a Harvard-educated Professor of Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...

 Studies and Academic Dean of Arts at Queen Mary, University of London
Queen Mary, University of London
Queen Mary, University of London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London...

, and Nick Welch, an advertising executive.

Life and career

Florence is also the niece of the satirist Craig Brown
Craig Brown (satirist)
Craig Edward Moncrieff Brown is a British critic and satirist from England, probably best known for his work in Private Eye.-Biography:...

. and granddaughter of former deputy editor of The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...

and former Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...

parliamentary sketchwriter Colin Welch. Nick contributed a "rock and roll element to the family mix"; in his 20s he used to live in the West End
West End of London
The West End of London is an area of central London, containing many of the city's major tourist attractions, shops, businesses, government buildings, and entertainment . Use of the term began in the early 19th century to describe fashionable areas to the west of Charing Cross...

 squat and attended the Squatters' Ball organised by Heathcote Williams
Heathcote Williams
Heathcote Williams is an English poet, actor and award-winning playwright. He is also an intermittent painter, sculptor and long-time conjuror...

 where The 101ers
The 101ers
The 101ers were a pub rock band from the 1970s, notable as being the band that Joe Strummer left to join The Clash. Formed in London in May 1974, the 101ers made their performing debut on 7 September at the Telegraph pub in Brixton, under the name El Huaso and the 101 All Stars. The name would...

 played regularly. Himself 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
Ramones
The Ramones were an American rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first punk rock group...

 rather than Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...

". Evelyn had an equally strong, even if completely different influence on her daughter. A visit to one of her mother's 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."

Florence was educated at Thomas's London Day School
Thomas's London Day Schools
Thomas's London Day Schools are four private preparatory schools in London, UK. They are located in Kensington, Battersea, Clapham and Fulham, as well as two Kindergartens in Battersea and Pimlico...

 then went onto Alleyn's School
Alleyn's School
Alleyn's School is an independent, fee-paying co-educational day school situated in Dulwich, south London, England. It is a registered charity and was originally part of the historic Alleyn's College of God's Gift charitable foundation, which also included James Allen's Girls' School , Dulwich...

, South East London
South East (London sub region)
The South East is a sub-region of the London Plan corresponding to the London Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Lewisham and Southwark. The sub region was established in 2008. The south east has a population of 1,300,000 and is the location of 500,000 jobs...

, where she did well academically. Welch often got in trouble in school for impromptu singing. Welch has been diagnosed with dyslexia
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a very broad term defining a learning disability that impairs a person's fluency or comprehension accuracy in being able to read, and which can manifest itself as a difficulty with phonological awareness, phonological decoding, orthographic coding, auditory short-term memory, or rapid...

 and dyspraxia. Following her meteoric rise to fame, she suffered a bout of depression
Depression (mood)
Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and physical well-being. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless...

. Upon leaving school, Florence studied at Camberwell College of Arts
Camberwell College of Arts
Camberwell College of Arts is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London, and is widely regarded as one of the world's foremost art and design institutions. It is located in Camberwell, South London, England, with two sites situated at Peckham Road and Wilson Road...

 before dropping out to focus on her music. Welch's fascination with terror and doom was intensified by the death of her grandparents within a few years of each other. At the age 10 Welch witnessed her grandfather's deterioration, and her maternal grandmother, also an art historian, committed suicide when Welch was 14. When Welch was 13 years old, she and her mother moved in with their next door neighbour and his three teenage children. According to Welch: "We get on brilliantly now, but it was a nightmare then. I just used to stay in my room and dance around."

When discussing her fashion style, Welch said that, "For the stage, it's meets Ophelia
Ophelia
Ophelia is a fictional character in the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare. She is a young noblewoman of Denmark, the daughter of Polonius, sister of Laertes, and potential wife of Prince Hamlet.-Plot:...

...mixed with scary gothic bat lady. But in real life I'm kind of prim."

Welch has become a fashion icon, noticed for her red curls (though she is actually a natural brunette) and a style that has been described as daring but nonchalant. As a teenager she read fashion magazines more often than music magazines. Early in her music career she dressed in a tomboy
Tomboy
A tomboy is a girl who exhibits characteristics or behaviors considered typical of the gender role of a boy, including the wearing of typically masculine-oriented clothes and engaging in games and activities that are often physical in nature, and which are considered in many cultures to be the...

 style. 2011 saw Gucci
Gucci
The House of Gucci, better known simply as Gucci , is an Italian fashion and leather goods label, part of the Gucci Group, which is owned by French company PPR...

 dressing her for her summer tour and a performance at the Chanel
Chanel
Chanel S.A. is a French fashion house founded by the couturier Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, well established in haute couture, specializing in luxury goods . She gained the name "Coco" while maintaining a career as a singer at a café in France...

 runway show at Paris Fashion Week
Paris Fashion Week
Paris Fashion Week is a famous fashion week held semi-annually in Paris, France with Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter events held each year. Dates are determined by the French Fashion Federation...

. Welch describes 1970s American drag queen troupe Cockettes and French beatnik singer Françoise Hardy
Françoise Hardy
Françoise Madeleine Hardy is a French singer, actress and astrologer. Hardy is an iconic figure in fashion, music and style. She is married to the singer and movie actor Jacques Dutronc.-Biography:...

 as fashion mentors. Welch has also named Fleetwood Mac pop/rock songstress Stevie Nicks
Stevie Nicks
Stephanie Lynn "Stevie" Nicks is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her work with Fleetwood Mac and an extensive solo career, which collectively have produced over forty Top 50 hits and sold over 140 million albums...

 as a musical, fashion, and general influence. A Huffington Post entertainment article quotes her as telling a reporter that "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." Welch can sometimes be seen in concert paying homage to Nick's famous billowing, gypsy stage dress, all the while making it her own.

Welch had a long term relationship with a literary editor, Stuart Hammond, from 2008. Their temporary split provided inspiration for much of the Lungs
Lungs (album)
Lungs is the debut album by English indie pop band Florence and the Machine, released 6 July 2009 by Island Records. The album debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart for five weeks after its release, behind The Essential Michael Jackson compilation. On 10 January 2010 the album returned to...

album.. Welch says, "He prefers me not to talk about it. It's funny then singing about it.". In 2011 the couple broke up by mutual decision because of conflicting career demands, and the breakup provided material for Florence and The Machine's second album.

Early years

According to Welch, "The name Florence and the Machines 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 realising that name was so long it'd drive me mad." In 2006, Welch's performances with Summers in small London venues under the joint name Florence Robot/Isa Machine began to attract notice.

In 2007, Welch recorded with a band named Ashok, who released an album titled Plans on the Filthy Lucre/About Records label. This album included the earliest version of her later hit "Kiss with a Fist
Kiss with a Fist
"Kiss with a Fist" is the debut single by indie pop band Florence and the Machine. It is featured on their debut2009 Mercury Prize-nominated album Lungs...

", which at this point was titled "Happy Slap". She signed a contract for Ashok with a manager, but feeling that she was "in the wrong band" she resigned, which cancelled the contract. Florence and the Machine is managed by Mairead Nash (one half of the DJ duo Queens of Noize
Queens of Noize
Queens of Noize are an English indie/disco or Wonky pop DJ duo based in London. The constituent members are Mairead Nash and Tabitha Denholm.-Career:...

), who decided to manage the singer when an inebriated Welch followed Nash into the toilets at a club and sang Etta James
Etta James
Etta James is an American blues, soul, rhythm and blues , rock and roll, gospel and jazz singer. In the 1950s and 1960s, she had her biggest success as a blues and R&B singer...

' 1962 song "Something's Got a Hold on Me".

2008–10: Lungs

Florence and the Machine released their debut album Lungs
Lungs (album)
Lungs is the debut album by English indie pop band Florence and the Machine, released 6 July 2009 by Island Records. The album debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart for five weeks after its release, behind The Essential Michael Jackson compilation. On 10 January 2010 the album returned to...

in the United Kingdom on 6 July 2009. The album was officially launched with a set at the Rivoli Ballroom
Rivoli Ballroom
The Rivoli Ballroom is one of the few remaining ballrooms in London, England. It is at 350 Brockley Road London SE4 2BY, opposite Crofton Park overground rail station. It started life as the Crofton Park Picture Palace in July 1913 and was converted into a ballroom in 1957, reopening in 1959 with...

 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. Following its 25 July 2009 release for download in the United States, the album debuted at number seventeen on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums
Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical...

 chart, ultimately peaking at number one. The album was released physically in the US on 20 October by Universal Republic
Universal Republic
Universal Republic Records is a record label, owned by Universal Music Group. It is based on the now-defunct Republic Records label founded by brothers Monte and Avery Lipman...

. The album was produced by James Ford
James Ford (musician)
James Ford is an English musical composer, record producer and musician.-Biography:Ford was a founding member of the group Simian and currently a member of their spin-off duo Simian Mobile Disco...

, Paul Epworth
Paul Epworth
Paul Epworth is an award-winning British music producer, musician, and songwriter. His production credits include Adele, Cee Lo Green, Florence and the Machine, Plan B, Friendly Fires, Bloc Party, Primal Scream, The Rapture, Jack Peñate, Kate Nash and Maxïmo Park.-Lomax:From 2002-2004 Paul provided...

, Steve Mackey
Steve Mackey
Steve Mackey is a British musician and record producer best known for playing bass guitar in the band Pulp. He also played bass for Pulp singer Jarvis Cocker in the latter's solo career, and worked as a songwriter and producer with artists such as M.I.A...

 and Charlie Hugall.

"Kiss with a Fist
Kiss with a Fist
"Kiss with a Fist" is the debut single by indie pop band Florence and the Machine. It is featured on their debut2009 Mercury Prize-nominated album Lungs...

" was released as the album's lead single on 9 June 2008. The track was featured on the soundtrack to the films Wild Child, Jennifer's Body
Jennifer's Body
Jennifer's Body is a 2009 black comedy horror film written by Diablo Cody and directed by Karyn Kusama. The film stars Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Johnny Simmons, and Adam Brody. Fox portrays a newly-possessed teenage serial killer specializing in killing her male classmates as her best friend...

, and St. Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold, as well as in the television seriesThe Vampire Diaries
The Vampire Diaries (TV series)
The Vampire Diaries is an American supernatural drama television series developed by Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec, based on the book series of the same name written by L. J. Smith. The series premiered on The CW Television Network on September 10, 2009, and is currently in its third season that...

, as well as, 90210
90210 (TV series)
90210 is an American teen drama television series developed by Rob Thomas, Jeff Judah and Gabe Sachs, and the fourth series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise created by Darren Star. 90210 is the first series produced by CBS Productions under the company's re-launch, but is now produced by CBS...

and Saving Grace
Saving Grace (TV series)
Saving Grace is an American television crime drama series which premiered on TNT on July 23, 2007 and ran until June 21, 2010. The show stars Academy Award-winner Holly Hunter in her first television series, as well as Leon Rippy, Kenny Johnson, Laura San Giacomo, Bailey Chase, Bokeem Woodbine,...

. Follow-up single "Dog Days Are Over
Dog Days Are Over
"Dog Days Are Over" is the second single released by Florence and the Machine from their debut album Lungs. It was originally scheduled for release on November 24, 2008 through Moshi Moshi Records in the UK but was later pushed back for release on December 1, 2008...

", released on 1 December 2008, was recorded with no instruments in a studio the "size of a loo
Toilet
A toilet is a sanitation fixture used primarily for the disposal of human excrement, often found in a small room referred to as a toilet/bathroom/lavatory...

". The song was used in the American television series Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl is an American young adult novel series written by Cecily von Ziegesar and published by Little, Brown and Company, a subsidiary of the Hachette Group. The series revolves around the lives and romances of the privileged teenagers at the Constance Billard School for Girls, an elite...

, Community
Community (TV series)
Community is an American television comedy series created by Dan Harmon that airs on NBC. The series is about a group of students at a community college in the fictional locale of Greendale, Colorado. The series heavily uses meta-humor and pop culture references, often parodying film and television...

and Covert Affairs
Covert Affairs
Covert Affairs is a USA Network television series starring Piper Perabo and Christopher Gorham. The one-hour drama premiered on Tuesday, July 13, 2010. The show concluded its first season on September 14, 2010 and was renewed for a second season on August 19, 2010. The second season began airing on...

, in the British television series Skins
Skins (TV series)
Skins is a BAFTA award-winning British teen drama that follows a group of teenagers in Bristol, South West England, through the two years of college. The controversial plot line explores issues such as dysfunctional families, mental illness , adolescent sexuality, substance abuse and death...

, and in the theatrical trailer for the 2010 comedy-drama film Eat Pray Love, starring Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts
Julia Fiona Roberts is an American actress. She became a Hollywood star after headlining the romantic comedy Pretty Woman , which grossed $464 million worldwide...

. "Dog Days Are Over" was also featured in the Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...

episode "Special Education
Special Education (Glee)
"Special Education" is the ninth episode of the second season of the American musical television series Glee, and the 31st episode overall. It was written by series creator Brad Falchuk, directed by Paris Barclay, and aired on Fox in the United States on November 30, 2010...

", where it was covered by Jenna Ushkowitz and Amber Riley
Amber Riley
Amber Patrice Riley is an American actress and singer best known for her role on the series Glee as Mercedes Jones.-Early life and career:...

. "Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)
Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)
"Rabbit Heart " is a 2009 single by British indie rock band, Florence and the Machine. It was released on the Universal Island Record Label and Moshi Moshi Records on 21 June 2009. It is their second most successful single to-date, peaking at 12 on the UK Singles Chart, only bettered by the cover...

" was released on 22 June 2009 as the third single from the album. Part of the song's melody, as well as the lyric "How quickly the glamour fades", were lifted from New York band Gang Gang Dance
Gang Gang Dance
Gang Gang Dance is an American experimental music band based in Manhattan, New York City. The band is known for its distinctive sound which features synthesized electronics and percussion, plus the varied vocal styles of singer Lizzi Bougatsos...

's 2008 song "House Jam" without credit on the Lungs liner notes
Liner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...

. Members of group noticed this and brought it to the attention of Florence and the Machine's label. Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...

 acknowledged infringement
Copyright infringement
Copyright infringement is the unauthorized or prohibited use of works under copyright, infringing the copyright holder's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.- "Piracy" :...

 and agreed to pay Gang Gang Dance a share of the song's publishing royalties. Welch agreed that she erred and said her intent was to pay homage.

After the release of Lungs, "Drumming Song
Drumming Song
"Drumming Song" is the fourth single released from Lungs, the 2009 debut album by Florence and the Machine. The song was released on Island Records on 13 September 2009 in the UK. The song is also the band's second consecutive single to be A-listed on BBC Radio 1...

" and a cover of The Source
The Source (musician)
The Source originally started out as an alias of unknown origin for Source Records's 1986 single release "You Got the Love" which featured Candi Staton. In 1989, DJ Eren, put Candi Staton's vocals over a track by Jamie Principle called "Your Love" which became a club hit. This was also released on...

 and Candi Staton
Candi Staton
Candi Staton is an American soul and gospel singer, best known for her 1970 remake of Tammy Wynette's "Stand By Your Man" and her 1976 disco hit "Young Hearts Run Free". In 2007, Staton was inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame.-Early years:...

's 1986 song "You've Got the Love" were released as singles, the latter of which also went on to become part of a mashup
Mashup (music)
A mashup or bootleg is a song or composition created by blending two or more pre-recorded songs, usually by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the instrumental track of another...

 titled "You Got the Dirtee Love" between Welch and English rapper Dizzee Rascal
Dizzee Rascal
Dylan Kwabena Mills , better known by his stage name Dizzee Rascal, is a Ghanaian British rapper, songwriter and record producer. His music is a blend of garage, hip hop, grime, ragga, pop and electronic music, with eclectic samples and more exotic styles...

. The two performed the mashup together at the 2010 BRIT Awards
2010 BRIT Awards
The 2010 BRIT Awards took place on Tuesday 16 February 2010. It was the 30th edition of the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The awards ceremony was held at Earls Court Exhibition Centre in London. The ceremony was broadcast live on ITV1, hosted by Peter Kay with Fearne...

 on 16 February 2010 and the recorded performance was subsequently released as a single the following day.

On 11 April 2010 "Dog Days Are Over" was re-released digitally and on 7" vinyl the following day, coinciding with the release of a brand-new video. "Cosmic Love
Cosmic Love
"Cosmic Love" is a song by Florence and the Machine, and the sixth single from the album Lungs. The single was released through Moshi Moshi Records on July 5, 2010 in the UK....

" was released on 5 July 2010 as the sixth and final single from Lungs, with a music video having already been shot. The song was featured in several American television shows, including Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...

, The Vampire Diaries
The Vampire Diaries
The Vampire Diaries is a young adult vampire horror series of novels written by L. J. Smith. The story centers around Elena Gilbert, a high school girl torn between two vampire brothers. The series was originally a trilogy published in 1991, but pressure from readers led Smith to write a fourth...

, V
V (2009 TV series)
V is an American science fiction television series that ran for two seasons on ABC, from November 3, 2009 to March 15, 2011. A remake of the 1983 miniseries created by Kenneth Johnson, the new series chronicles the arrival on Earth of a technologically advanced alien species which ostensibly comes...

, Nikita
Nikita (TV series)
La Femme Nikita is a Canadian action/drama television series based on the French film Nikita by Luc Besson. The series was co-produced by Jay Firestone of Fireworks Entertainment and Warner Brothers. It was adapted for television by Joel Surnow...

and So You Think You Can Dance
So You Think You Can Dance (U.S. TV series)
So You Think You Can Dance is an American dance competition and reality show that airs on Fox in the United States.The series first premiered on July 20, 2005, and was created by American Idol producers Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe and is produced by 19 Entertainment and Dick Clark Productions...

. The band also made a guest appearance in the 7 February 2011 episode of Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl (season 4)
The fourth season of Gossip Girl, an American teen drama based upon the book series by Cecily von Ziegesar. Developed for television by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage. The CW officially renewed the series for a full fourth season on February 16, 2010...

, titled "Panic Roommate", where they performed an acoustic rendition of "Cosmic Love". On 12 May 2010, it was announced that Florence and the Machine would provide a track called "Heavy in Your Arms
Heavy in Your Arms
"Heavy in Your Arms" is a song by British act Florence and the Machine. Written by Florence Welch and Paul Epworth, the song was initially recorded and included on the The Twilight Saga: Eclipse soundtrack, but later released as a single on 15 November 2010 in order to promote the re-release of...

" for the soundtrack to The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (soundtrack)
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse is the soundtrack album to the film The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. It is the third soundtrack in the film's chronology, and was released on June 8, 2010. The soundtrack was once again co-produced by Alexandra Patsavas, the music supervisor for the previous two films...

, the third film of The Twilight Saga
The Twilight Saga (film series)
The Twilight Saga is a series of supernatural romance fantasy films from Summit Entertainment based on the four Twilight series novels by the American author Stephenie Meyer. The films star Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner. The series has grossed over $2 billion in worldwide...

. Eclipse was released in cinemas on 30 June 2010, with "Heavy in Your Arms" playing during the end credits. The music video followed on 7 July 2010.

2010–present: Ceremonials

Welch contributed vocals to David Byrne
David Byrne
David Byrne may refer to:*David Byrne , musician and former Talking Heads frontman**David Byrne , his eponymous album*David Byrne , Irish footballer*David Byrne , English footballer...

 and Fatboy Slim
Fatboy Slim
Norman Quentin Cook better known by his former stage name Fatboy Slim, is a British DJ, electronic dance music musician, and record producer. He is a pioneer of the big beat genre that achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s...

's 2010 album Here Lies Love
Here Lies Love
Here Lies Love is a concept album and rock musical made in collaboration between David Byrne and Fatboy Slim, about the life of the former First Lady of the Philippines Imelda Marcos along with the woman who raised her—Estrella Cumpas—and follows Marcos until she and her family were forced to leave...

, an album about Imelda Marcos
Imelda Marcos
Imelda R. Marcos is a Filipino politician and widow of 10th Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos. Upon the ascension of her husband to political power, she held various positions to the government until 1986...

.

At the beginning of 2010, early in the stages of writing the new F+M album, Welch was approached by her label with an offer to go to Los Angeles and work with US producers and writers of American Pop music. At first she found the offer tantalizing, saying, "I love big, American pop music. I'm a total sucker for it." She thought she could put her own stamp on that style of music. After she looked at the diary sent to her she changed her mind saying to herself "'No. No. No. No. No! I can't do that. This is too weird. I can't just suddenly leave behind everything that made 'Lungs'".

The first demo session occurred in January 2010 with Welch and Paul Epworth
Paul Epworth
Paul Epworth is an award-winning British music producer, musician, and songwriter. His production credits include Adele, Cee Lo Green, Florence and the Machine, Plan B, Friendly Fires, Bloc Party, Primal Scream, The Rapture, Jack Peñate, Kate Nash and Maxïmo Park.-Lomax:From 2002-2004 Paul provided...

 at a small London Studio. Numerous producers wanted to work with her but Welch rejected the offers because she wanted Ceremonials to be a better version of Lungs with a "more dark, more heavy, bigger drum sounds, bigger bass, but with more of a whole sound". For the rest of the year work on the album continued only intermittently because Lungs became popular in the United States requiring extensive touring. No Light, No Light. was recorded on an all night tour bus in Amsterdam with Isabella "Machine" Summers
Isabella Summers
Isabella Summers , also known as Isabella ‘Machine’ Summers, is a British songwriter, producer and member of British band, Florence and the Machine....

.

As of January 2011, Welch was working with Drake
Drake (entertainer)
Aubrey Drake Graham , who records under the mononym Drake, is a Canadian recording artist and actor. He originally became known for playing Jimmy Brooks on the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation....

 on material slated for his upcoming record.

Most of the writing for Ceremonials was done between January and April of 2011 with recording taking place throughout April at Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...

. Refinement took place at Epworth's own London studios while Welch recorded vocal tracks during days off from touring at various U.S. studios. The final recording session took place in July at Epworth's studio.

Epworth co-wrote seven tracks. Several other British writers share credits on the album, including Summers, Kid Harpoon
Kid Harpoon
Kid Harpoon is an English singer-songwriter and musician.- Career :Originally hailing from Chatham, Kid Harpoon began to play live locally at venues such as The Tap & Tin and Command House...

, James Ford
James Ford (musician)
James Ford is an English musical composer, record producer and musician.-Biography:Ford was a founding member of the group Simian and currently a member of their spin-off duo Simian Mobile Disco...

 and composer Eg White
Eg White
Francis Anthony "Eg" White is a British musician, songwriter and producer. White is primarily known for his work with successful commercial pop acts such as Adele, Duffy, Will Young and James Morrison...

.

In June a cover of the Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly
Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...

 classic "Not Fade Away
Not Fade Away (song)
"Not Fade Away" is a song credited to Buddy Holly and Norman Petty and first recorded by Holly's band The Crickets in Clovis, New Mexico, on May 27, 1957...

," which Florence and the Machine recorded for the tribute album Rave On Buddy Holly
Rave on Buddy Holly
Rave On Buddy Holly is a compilation album by various artists released on June 28, 2011 through Fantasy Records/Concord Music Group and Hear Music. The title of the tribute album to musician Buddy Holly, who died in a plane crash in 1959 at age 22, refers to the song "Rave On", one of his biggest...

tied to Holly's seventy-fifth birthday year, was released and they debuted Ceremonials's setup track "What the Water Gave Me
What the Water Gave Me
"What the Water Gave Me" is a song by Florence and the Machine, and the first song released from their second studio album, Ceremonials . It was written by Florence Welch with Francis White and produced by Paul Epworth. After the band performed the song in Berkeley, California on 12 June, 2011, the...

" at the Greek Theatre
Hearst Greek Theatre
The William Randolph Hearst Greek Theatre, known locally as simply the Greek Theatre, is an 8,500-seat amphitheater owned and operated by the University of California, Berkeley in Berkeley, California, USA....

 in Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...

.

On 23 August a video for What the Water Gave Me debuted on the band's website
and was released on iTunes
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...

 as a buzz single along with an accompanying video on their VEVO
Vevo
Vevo is a music video website. It is a joint venture among Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Abu Dhabi Media with EMI licensing its content to the group without taking an ownership stake. The service was launched officially on December 8, 2009...

 channel on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....

. The video drew 1.5 million views in two days exceeding expectations. The track received play on U.S. alternative radio and strong support from Los Angeles radio station KROQ.

The lead single titled "Shake It Out" was released on the internet in September 2011 with standard release 11 October. The single was sent to U.S. radio stations with top 40, Adult Album Alternative
Adult album alternative
Adult album alternative is a radio format. A spinoff from the album-oriented rock format, its roots trace to the 1960s and 1970s from the earlier freeform and progressive formats....

, alternative
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...

 and R&B formats. In Australia, the song has been playlisted at Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...

 and Nova
Nova (radio network)
Nova is a name given to a group of Australian radio stations. The group comprises five stations all owned by DMG Radio Australia, apart from the Perth station, which is a joint venture between DMG and the Australian Radio Network....

 radio networks and received strong airplay in Scandinavia, Italy and Canada.

Ceremonials
Ceremonials
Ceremonials is the second studio album by English indie pop band Florence and the Machine, released in the United Kingdom on 31 October 2011 by Island Records. The album is noted for having a larger, more baroque pop sound than its predecessor, Lungs, with critics drawing comparisons to art rock...

was released on 31 October 2011. It comes in a standard 12 song version with "deluxe" digital and CD 20-track versions that feature additional songs and demo and acoustic numbers.

The single What the Water Gave Me has been described as inspired by the suicide of Virginia Woolf
Virginia Woolf
Adeline Virginia Woolf was an English author, essayist, publisher, and writer of short stories, regarded as one of the foremost modernist literary figures of the twentieth century....

 and death by drowning as a theme of the album. Welch describes clipping news stories where parents drown while rescuing their children who have gotten lost in the ocean. Welch notes that the parents would not want it any other way.

Discography

  • Lungs
    Lungs (album)
    Lungs is the debut album by English indie pop band Florence and the Machine, released 6 July 2009 by Island Records. The album debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart for five weeks after its release, behind The Essential Michael Jackson compilation. On 10 January 2010 the album returned to...

    (2009)
  • Ceremonials
    Ceremonials
    Ceremonials is the second studio album by English indie pop band Florence and the Machine, released in the United Kingdom on 31 October 2011 by Island Records. The album is noted for having a larger, more baroque pop sound than its predecessor, Lungs, with critics drawing comparisons to art rock...

    (2011)

Awards and nominations

Year Organisation Nominated work Award Result
2009 BBC Sound of 2009 Florence and the Machine Sound of 2009
Third place
BRIT Awards
2009 BRIT Awards
The 2009 BRIT Awards ceremony took place on Wednesday 18 February 2009. It was the 29th edition of the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The awards ceremony was held at Earls Court Exhibition Centre in London, and was broadcast live on ITV1 on 18 February at 8pm...

Critic's Choice Award
Mercury Prize
Mercury Prize
The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize and currently known as the Barclaycard Mercury Prize for sponsorship reasons, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album from the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established by the British Phonographic Industry and British...

Lungs
Lungs (album)
Lungs is the debut album by English indie pop band Florence and the Machine, released 6 July 2009 by Island Records. The album debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart for five weeks after its release, behind The Essential Michael Jackson compilation. On 10 January 2010 the album returned to...

Mercury Prize
Studio8 Media International Music Award Florence and the Machine Female Voice of July 2009
"Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)
Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)
"Rabbit Heart " is a 2009 single by British indie rock band, Florence and the Machine. It was released on the Universal Island Record Label and Moshi Moshi Records on 21 June 2009. It is their second most successful single to-date, peaking at 12 on the UK Singles Chart, only bettered by the cover...

"
Song of July 2009
MTV Europe Music Awards Florence and the Machine Best UK and Ireland New Act
Q Awards
Q Awards
The Q Awards are the UK's annual music awards run by the music magazine Q. Since they began in 1990, the Q Awards have become one of Britain's biggest and best publicised music awards, helped in no small part by the often boisterous behavior of the celebrities who attend the event...

Lungs Best Album
"Drumming Song
Drumming Song
"Drumming Song" is the fourth single released from Lungs, the 2009 debut album by Florence and the Machine. The song was released on Island Records on 13 September 2009 in the UK. The song is also the band's second consecutive single to be A-listed on BBC Radio 1...

"
Best Video
Florence and the Machine Breakthrough Artist
UK Festival Awards
UK Festival Awards
The UK Festival Awards are awarded annually, with various categories for all aspects of festivals that have taken place in the UK, and one category for European festivals. The Awards were first established in 2004, and are produced by Virtual Festivals.com. They are voted for by the public via the...

Best Breakthrough Act
"Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)" Anthem of the Year
Florence and the Machine Festival Fitty of the Year – Girls
UK Music Video Awards
UK Music Video Awards
The UK Music Video Awards is an annual celebration of creativity, technical excellence and innovation in music video and moving image for music....

"Drumming Song" Best Pop Video
Best Styling in a Video
"Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)"
2010 South Bank Show
The South Bank Show
The South Bank Show was a television arts magazine show, originally made by London Weekend Television , presented by Melvyn Bragg, broadcast on ITV and seen in over 60 countries worldwide — including Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United States...

Florence and the Machine South Bank Show Award
BRIT Awards
2010 BRIT Awards
The 2010 BRIT Awards took place on Tuesday 16 February 2010. It was the 30th edition of the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The awards ceremony was held at Earls Court Exhibition Centre in London. The ceremony was broadcast live on ITV1, hosted by Peter Kay with Fearne...

British Female Solo Artist
British Breakthrough Act
Lungs MasterCard
MasterCard
Mastercard Incorporated or MasterCard Worldwide is an American multinational financial services corporation with its headquarters in the MasterCard International Global Headquarters, Purchase, Harrison, New York, United States...

 British Album
Glamour Women of the Year Awards
Glamour (magazine)
Glamour is a women's magazine published by Condé Nast Publications. Founded in 1939 in the United States, it was originally called Glamour of Hollywood....

Florence and The Machine Band of The Year
Meteor Music Awards
2010 Meteor Awards
The 2010 Meteor Music Awards ceremony took place on Friday February 19, 2010 in Dublin. They were presented by Amanda Byram. The launch took place in La Stampa on January 7, 2010 and was attended by The Coronas and Danny O'Donoghue from The Script....

Lungs Best International Album
Florence and the Machine Best International Band
Best International Live Performance
Elle Style Awards
Elle style awards
-2011:*Best International Designer - Tom Ford*Breakthrough Talent - Noomi Rapace*Best British Designer - Christopher Kane*Best Model - Coco Rocha*Best Actor - Stephen Dorff*Best Actress - Natalie Portman*Best TV Star - Blake Lively...

Musician of the Year
Shockwaves NME Awards
NME Awards
The NME Awards is an annual music awards show in the United Kingdom, founded by the music magazine, NME .The first awards show was held in 1953 as the NME Poll Winners Concerts, shortly after the founding of the magazine....

Best Solo Artist
"Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)" Best Track
"You've Got the Love" Best Dancefloor Filler
Florence Welch Best Dressed
MOJO Awards
MOJO Awards
The MOJO Awards is an awards ceremony that began in 2004 by Mojo, a popular music magazine published monthly by Bauer in the United Kingdom...

Florence and the Machine Breakthrough Act
Best Live Act
"You've Got the Love" Song of the Year
Lungs Best Album
MTV Video Music Awards
2010 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2010 MTV Video Music Awards took place on September 12, 2010 at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, honoring the best music videos from the previous year...

"Dog Days Are Over
Dog Days Are Over
"Dog Days Are Over" is the second single released by Florence and the Machine from their debut album Lungs. It was originally scheduled for release on November 24, 2008 through Moshi Moshi Records in the UK but was later pushed back for release on December 1, 2008...

"
Video of the Year
MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year
The MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year is the main award handed out at the yearly MTV Video Music Awards. It was first awarded in , when The Cars won it, and has been given out since. Eminem has been the most nominated solo artist, male solo artist, and act in this category, having been...

Best Rock Video
MTV Video Music Award for Best Rock Video
The MTV Video Music Award for Best Rock Video was first given out in , and it was one of the four original genre categories added to the VMAs that year. That year, though, the award was called the Best Heavy Metal Video. From 1990 to 1995, the award was called the Best Metal/Hard Rock Video, and...

Best Art Direction in a Video
MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction
The following is a list of MTV Video Music Awards winners for Best Direction in a Video. In 2007, the award was briefly renamed Best Director, but it returned to its original name for the 2008 awards....

Best Cinematography in a Video
MTV Video Music Award for Best Cinematography
The following is a list of MTV Video Music Award winners for Best Cinematography in a Video. Madonna is the biggest Winner in this category with 3 wins....

BT Digital Music Awards
BT Digital Music Awards
The BT Digital Music Awards were created in the UK in 2001 and are held annually. Music industry professionals can nominate artists, venues and hardware into the Judge's Choice award categories...

Florence and the Machine Best Female Artist
"You've Got the Love" Best Song
Q Awards Florence and the Machine Best Female
"You've Got the Love" Best Song
UK Music Video Awards "Dog Days Are Over" Best Pop Video
Best Styling in a Video
UK Festival Awards "You've Got the Love" Anthem of the Year
Florence and the machine Feel-Good Act of the Summer
4Music
4Music
4Music is a music and entertainment channel in the United Kingdom and available on some digital television providers in the Republic of Ireland - its web component can be found at with its own and pages. It is the only channel within the Box Television Network to be branded under Channel 4 and...

 Video Honours
"Dog Days Are Over" Best Video of 2010
European Festival Awards "You've Got the Love" Anthem of the Year
Florence and the Machine Best Newcomer
2011 Grammy Awards
53rd Grammy Awards
The 53rd annual Grammy Awards were held on February 13, 2011, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. They were broadcast on CBS with a rating of 26.6 million viewers. Barbra Streisand was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year two nights prior to the telecast on February 11. Nominations were...

Best New Artist
Grammy Award for Best New Artist
The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since 1959. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for records released in the previous year. The award was not presented in 1967...

Virgin Media
Virgin Media
Virgin Media Inc. is a company which provides fixed and mobile telephone, television and broadband internet services to businesses and consumers in the United Kingdom...

 Music Awards
Hottest Women
Florence and the Machine with Dizzee Rascal Best Collaboration
"Dog Days Are Over" Best Video
Florence Welch Best Live Act
Shameless Publicity Seeker
BRIT Awards
2011 BRIT Awards
The 2011 BRIT Awards was held on Tuesday 15 February 2011.It was the 31st edition of the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The award ceremony was held at The O2 Arena...

"You've Got the Love" Best British Single
Shockwaves NME Awards Florence and the Machine Best Solo Artist
International Dance Music Awards
Winter Music Conference
The Winter Music Conference is a weeklong electronic music conference, held every March since the mid-1980s in Miami, Florida, United States. Venues are hosted primarily in Downtown Miami and Miami's South Beach...

"Dog Days Are Over
Dog Days Are Over
"Dog Days Are Over" is the second single released by Florence and the Machine from their debut album Lungs. It was originally scheduled for release on November 24, 2008 through Moshi Moshi Records in the UK but was later pushed back for release on December 1, 2008...

" (Yeasayer Remix)
Best Alternative/Rock Dance Track
Florence and the Machine Best Break-Through Artist (Group)
Glamour Women of the Year Awards Best Band
Billboard Music Awards
2011 Billboard Music Awards
The 2011 Billboard Music Awards were held May 22, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada and hosted by Ken Jeong. The awards recognized the most popular artists and albums from 2010....

"Dog Days Are Over" Top Rock Song
Top Alternative Song
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