In London, 2007, a special thing happened. Florence Welch & Isabella Summers got together and formed the band Florence + the Machine. While they had already been playing small clubs in the area, they were destined for something more. They owe a lot of thanks to the big break they received from the BBC for showcasing their performances as part of their Introducing show. The public took quick notice as the sound and emotion of their music demanded the attention it was getting.
Their first album entitled Lung hit the charts in 2008 and was a great introduction to what would become in the near future an Indie band with mainstream appeal. I remember it was around this time my wife bought their album and played it one day in the car. Right from the beginning I could see this band had the sound that people remember. The words “Dog days are over” repeated in my head more times than I care to admit. The Album Lung is the type of album a band that is hungry to get people’s attention will release. The songs flow together well and stick with you. When Welch sings, it is special and you feel that from the first listen on. After the success of this debut album the band toured for years. This allowed them to build a very devoted fan base across the world while becoming 5 times platinum. Let that sink in for a moment. It’s not every day an indie band has this much success in their debut.
In 2011 they released their sophomore project called Ceremonials. I appreciated the differences between their first and second releases although that signature sound that grabbed your attention in the beginning is still there in full effect. In 2015 they released How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful, which is the tightest musically, they have released, in my opinion. If you peruse their 3 albums, you will catch yourself seeing a pattern of good soulful music that is both energizing and meaningful. The lineup assisting these two powerful women has changed through the first 3 projects but they manage to keep their unique sound. From powerful piano chords to building melodies these girls are amazing. The sound of their albums carries over well to their live performances.
A quick search online will reward you with a bunch of live performances that will make you hate yourself if you miss your chance to see them at BUNBURY this year. When they take the stage, I hope you will enjoy the icing on the cake for this already stacked festival.
Florence + The Machine play Bunbury Music Festival on Sunday, June 5th on the Yeatman’s Cove Stage at 10p.
Enter to win a pair of weekend passes to Bunbury Music Festival HERE!
