23 postsFlorence and the Machine perform two tracks from their upcoming album, How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful: Ship to Wreck and first single What Kind of Man, on Saturday Night Live. Welch does not leave her stool as broke her foot while performing at Coachella, impacting her onstage mobility.
The band releases What Kind of Man, from their album, How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful. Welch:
With Markus, I wanted to make something that was big but that had a gentleness to it, that had a warmth, that was rooted. I think that’s why we went back more to the live instruments. Something that was band-led almost.
The band releases their song, Lover to Lover, from their album, Ceremonials. Welch:
It’s me saying, ‘I want to make a song just like this.’ I was listening to lots of Marvin Gaye and lots of Otis Redding, and Lover To Lover was me wanting to make a song I could imagine a male Soul singer doing. I was listening to a lot of Sam and Dave, as well.
The band releases Breath Of Life, from the Snow White And The Huntsmen Soundtrack. Welch:
We went in and demoed the track, these big, clattering drums, huge bass sounds and everything was very intense and then we sent that to the guys in LA who composed it. And it was amazing to see the music we played being turned into this amazing orchestral thing. You feel in a bit of a way like you’re kind of making it up as you go along, and then when you see it done, laid out before you in such a beautiful, orchestral fashion, it’s really incredible… I love choirs and I love choral music, and there was a 60-piece choir singing the vocal parts that I had written. When the baritones came in, I nearly wept, it was so emotional.
The band releases Never Let Me Go, from Ceremonials.
Florence and The Machine perform No Light No Light during the Brit Awards show to promote their album Ceremonials.
Florence + The Machine perform Shake It Out during Saturday Night Live to promote their album Ceremonials.
The band releases their song, Breaking Down, from their album, Ceremonials.
The band releases their song, Shake It Out, from their album, Ceremonials. Welch:
I wanted to just shake something out, shake out these regrets, shake out these things that haunt you. It was one of those songs that came in about half an hour and when you’ve got a hangover, it is almost like a hangover cure. You’re like, thank you!
The band performs their song, Dog Days Are Over, from their album, Lungs, during the program.
The band performs Drumming Song, from their album, Lungs, during the program.
The band performs Howl, from Lungs, during the show.
The band performs their song, Heavy In Your Arms, from their album, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse Soundtrack, during the program.
The band performs You’ve Got The Love, from their album, Lungs, during the program.
The artist performs The Girl With One Eye, from Lungs, during the show.
Florence And The Machine perform Cosmic Love during The Late Show with David Letterman to promote the album Lungs.
The band releases Cosmic Love, from their album, Lungs.
The band releases Drumming Song, from Lungs. Welch:
I f—ing love the drums. I want to be a drummer in someone else’s band. If you know anybody looking for a drummer, hook me up. I’ll find the time. The happiness I get from singing, I get from behind a drum kit as well.
The band releases Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up), from their album, Lungs. Welch:
I’ve been doing all this heavy dark stuff and I just wanted something to express that sort of joyful sort of side to the music. But then again once I started doing that, the lyrics started getting dark again and then it became all about like ritual sacrifice and like who is the lamb and who is the knife? And I think it was just all about me about to jump into the limelight and being in the music industry stuff like that. But it is sort of joyful in a way because its all about giving yourself up and letting it go and you start off being a sort of timid rabbit heart and you have to become courageous and become a lion heart.
The band releases You’ve Got The Love, from Lungs.
The band releases Kiss With A Fist, from Lungs. Welch:
I want to make it clear that a man has never beaten me up and I would never advocate that in a song in any way whatsoever. There are no victims in that song. They’re both beating the s--t out one another, there’s no victimisation in it. The song is describing a highly destructive relationship, but one which both partners enjoy. But it’s all metaphorical.
