Florence and the Machine (also written as Florence + the Machine), is an English rock band that is a recording name of Florence Welch and a collaboration of other artists who provide backing music for her voice. Musically, Florence and the Machine's sound is generally referred to as soul-inspired indie rock. Florence and the Machine's music has received praise across the music media, especially from the BBC. This is because the BBC played a large part in Florence and the Machine's rise to prominence by promoting her as part of BBC Introducing. This led to the band playing at a number of music festivals in 2008, including Glastonbury as well as Reading and Leeds and T in the Park. The band's debut album, Lungs was released on 6 July 2009. It held the number 2 position for its first five weeks in the charts, behind Michael Jackson. The album has now been in the top 40 UK charts for 22 consecutive weeks.

Florence Welch 
Florence Leontine Mary Welch (born 28 August 1986 in London) is the daughter of Evelyn and Nick Welch. Evelyn Welch is a Professor of Renaissance Studies and Academic Dean for Arts at Queen Mary, University of London and author and formerly a Studio 54 regular. Nick Welch works in advertising. Welch says she is prone to "falling into severe holes” that leave her crying on the floor. Welch has been diagnosed with dyslexia and dysmetria.  Welch would like to have a career similar to PJ Harvey and Björk who are "constantly creating new exciting stuff". When she was 13, Welch found comfort in the music of Hole, Nirvana, Green Day, Kate Bush, Annie Lennox, The Velvet Underground and Celine Dion. As a teenager she was the frontwoman for Toxic Cockroaches and Ashok. Feeling she was in "the wrong band" she got out of a contract with Ashok by resigning.

The Machine 
Welch said that "The name Florence and the Machine 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 is a Machine", before realizing that name was so long it'd drive me mad". In 2006 Welch's performances in small London venues as "Florence Robot is a Machine"  began to attract notice.

The Machine is Florence's backing band. This is currently made up of Robert Ackroyd (guitar), Christopher Lloyd Hayden (drums), Isabella Summers ('Isabella Machine') (keyboards) and Tom Monger (harp). Previously Devonte Hynes (Lightspeed Champion and Test Icicles) was also a member.

Florence and the Machine are managed by Mairead Nash. Nash is one half of the DJ outfit Queens of Noize.

Touring 
Florence and the Machine were part of the 2009 Shockwaves NME Awards tour. Welch said that she planned a "pretty theatrical" performance.

The group played at the Concerts for the Teenage Cancer Trust charity event at the Royal Albert Hall in March 2009. Florence and The Machine also supported Blur for their 26 June comeback performance at the MEN Arena in Manchester, and supported Duran Duran in July 2009.

The group performed at the 2009 Glastonbury Festival, Reading and Leeds Festivals, Electric Picnic in County Laois, Ireland and the T in the Park festival. On October 27 the group played its first official New York City show and appeared on the television programmes Late Night With David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

Welch has said that she would like to tour the United States. However, she is fearful of becoming homesick due to the length of time it would take to tour the country.

On New Year's Eve 2009, the group appeared on the pre-recorded New Year's Eve celebration show Hootenanny. On the show, they performed "Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)" and "Dog Days Are Over". Welch then performed a cover of "My Baby Just Cares for Me" with Jools Holland & his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra.

Critical acclaim 
Florence and the Machine have gained a large amount of support from NME magazine who included them in their annual NME Awards Tour for 2009. They supported White Lies, Friendly Fires and Glasvegas on the tour. The Times described her as "the most peculiar and most highly acclaimed female singer of the moment" and "the latest in a line of great English pop eccentrics". Allmusic described Lungs as "one of the most musically mature and emotionally mesmerizing albums of 2009".Spin Magazine gave Lungs four out of five possible stars and wrote, "You’ve gotta hand it to the girl: She always makes you feel something". The magazine named the album as the 8th best of 2009.

Welch appeared on the front cover of The Guide subsection to The Guardian. She also collected the Critics' Choice Award at the BRIT Awards in February 2009. Florence and the Machine came third in the BBC's Sound of 2009. In 2009 she covered Beyoncé's song "Halo" on the BBC1 Live Lounge; host Jo Whiley stated that it was one of the best covers they have ever had in the Live Lounge. The BBC also used "You Got The Love" as the backing music to its Jenson Button Formula One 2009 season review video montage and it was used in the final episode of Gavin and Stacey.

Awards

Brit Awards

Grammy Awards

MTV

MTV Europe Music Awards

MTV Video Music Awards

Other awards

UK festival Awards 2009
Anthem of Summer - Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) - Nominated
Best Breakthrough Act - Winner
Festival Fitty of the Year - Girls - Nominated
First in the 2009 BRITs Critics' Choice section.
Third in the BBCs Sound of 2009. This was a poll voted for by a select group of insiders from all sectors of the music industry.
Florence and The Machine's debut album Lungs was nominated for the 2009 Mercury Prize.

Discography

Studio albums

Singles

Promotional singles

Other charted songs

EPs
 A Lot of Love. A Lot of Blood (28 April 2009, 12") 
 iTunes Festival: London 2010 (21 July 2010)
 iTunes Live from SoHo (16 November 2010)

Music videos

References

Other websites 

Hearty magazine interview 
Official website

BBC Artist page
2008 Run-Riot interview
NME Artists page
Florence and the Machine Interview on God Is In The TV Zine
Nick Welsh interview – The Daily Mail
Dazed Digital feature on the music video for Drumming Song
Florence photographed for Dummymag.com, August 2009 
Florence & The Machine live review at Manchester Academy

Brit Award winners
English pop music groups
English rock bands