Florence and the Machine

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.

 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".A piece of my mind ... Sunday Herald 25 July, 2009 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)."Dog Days Are Over" CD single 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

 YearNominated workAwardResult2009 Florence and the Machine Critics' Choice 2010Florence and the Machine  British Female Solo Artist   British Breakthrough Act  Lungs  MasterCard British Album of the Year 2011 "You've Got the Love" British Single 2012 Florence and the Machine  British Female Solo Artist  Ceremonials  MasterCard British Album of the Year 

Grammy Awards
 YearNominated workAward2011 Florence and the Machine Best New Artist 

MTV
MTV Europe Music Awards
 YearNominated workAwardResult2009 Florence and the Machine Best UK and Ireland New Act 

MTV Video Music Awards
 YearNominated workAwardResult2010 "Dog Days Are Over" Video of the Year  Best RockVideo  Best Art Direction in a Video  Best Cinematography in a Video 

Other awards
YearOrganisationNominated workAwardResult2009BBC Sound of 2009Florence and the MachineSound of 2009Third placeMercury PrizeLungsMercury PrizeStudio8 Media International Music AwardFlorence and the MachineFemale Voice of July 2009"Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)"Song of July 2009Q AwardsLungsBest Album"Drumming Song"Best VideoFlorence and the MachineBreakthrough ArtistUK Festival AwardsBest Breakthrough Act"Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)"Anthem of the YearFlorence and the MachineFestival Fitty of the Year – GirlsUK Music Video Awards"Drumming Song"Best Pop VideoBest Styling in a Video"Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)"2010South Bank ShowFlorence and the MachineSouth Bank Show AwardGlamour Women of the Year AwardsFlorence and the MachineBand of the YearMeteor Music AwardsLungsBest International AlbumFlorence and the MachineBest International BandBest International Live PerformanceElle Style AwardsMusician of the YearShockwaves NME AwardsBest Solo Artist"Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)"Best Track"You've Got the Love"Best Dancefloor FillerFlorence WelchBest DressedMOJO AwardsFlorence and the MachineBreakthrough ActBest Live Act"You've Got the Love"Song of the YearLungsBest AlbumBT Digital Music AwardsFlorence and the MachineBest Female Artist"You've Got the Love"Best SongQ AwardsFlorence and the MachineBest Female"You've Got the Love"Best SongUK Music Video Awards"Dog Days Are Over"Best Pop VideoBest Styling in a VideoUK Festival Awards"You've Got the Love"Anthem of the YearFlorence and the MachineFeel-Good Act of the Summer4Music Video Honours"Dog Days Are Over"Best Video of 2010European Festival Awards"You've Got the Love"Anthem of the YearFlorence and the MachineBest Newcomer2011Virgin Media Music AwardsHottest WomenFlorence and the Machine with Dizzee RascalBest Collaboration"Dog Days Are Over"Best VideoFlorence WelchBest Live ActShameless Publicity SeekerShockwaves NME AwardsFlorence and the MachineBest Solo ArtistInternational Dance Music Awards"Dog Days Are Over" (Yeasayer Remix)Best Alternative/Rock Dance TrackFlorence and the MachineBest Break-Through Artist (Group)Glamour Women of the Year AwardsBest BandBillboard Music Awards"Dog Days Are Over"Top Rock SongTop Alternative Song2012Elle Style AwardsFlorence and the MachineBest Music ActShockwaves NME AwardsFlorence and the MachineBest Solo Artist"Shake It Out"Best TrackFlorence and the MachineHottest Female

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
+ List of albums, with selected chart positions and certifications Title Album details Peak chart positions Sales CertificationsUKAUSAUTCANGERIRENZNORSWIPOLUS LungsReleased: 6 July 2009
Label: Island (#1797940)
Formats: CD, digital download, vinyl LP 1  3  73  20  41  2  3  36  54  28  14World: 4,000,000sputnikmusic  Florence and the Machine Ceremonials.
UK: 1,600,000
US: 1,055,172UK: 5× Platinum
AUS: 2× Platinum
CAN: Gold
IRE: 4× Platinum
NZ: Gold
US: Platinum CeremonialsReleased: 28 October 2011
Label: Island
Formats: CD, digital download, vinyl LP 1  1  12  4  7  1  1  6  10  2  6World: 2,000,000thevine.com.au  Florence and the Machine: "It becomes the normal things that you crave."
UK: 800,000
US: 717,346http://atrl.net/forums/showthread.php?p=9811634#9811634  #46UK: 2× Platinum
AUS: 2× Platinum
CAN: Gold
IRE: 3× Platinum
NZ: Platinum
US: GoldHow Big, How Blue, How Beautiful Released: 2015High as Hope Released: 2018Dance Fever Released: 2022Everybody Scream Released: 2025 "—" denotes album that did not chart or was not released
Singles

+ List of singles, with selected chart positions and certifications, showing year released and album name Year Single Peak chart positions Certifications AlbumUKBEL (VL)BEL (WA)AUSAUTCANGERIRENZNORSWIUS2008 "Kiss with a Fist" 51  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —   — Lungs "Dog Days Are Over" 23  21  19  47  —  19  —  6  27  —  —   21AUS: Platinum
NZ: Gold
US: 2× Platinum2009 "Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)" 12  50  —  93  —  —  —  41  —  —  —  — "Drumming Song" 54  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  — "You've Got the Love" 5  25  5  9  28  —  52  16  —  —  49   —AUS: 2× Platinum
NZ: Gold2010 "Cosmic Love" 51  5  —  —  —  —  —  3  —  —  —   — "Heavy in Your Arms" 53  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  — 2011 "What the Water Gave Me" 24  2  42  35  —  72  —  13  15  —  —   91 Ceremonials "Shake It Out" 12  2  15  36  16  52  30  2  16  18  23   72AUS: Gold
NZ: Gold
US: Gold2012 "No Light, No Light" 50  10  —  95  —  —  —  50  —  —  —   — "Never Let Me Go" 82  15  43  3  —  75  —  73  —  —  —  —AUS: 3× Platinum
US: Gold "Spectrum" 1  2  18  4  —  —  54  1  2  —  —  —UK: Gold
AUS: Gold
NZ: Gold "—" denotes single that did not chart or was not released

Promotional singles
 Year Single Peak chart positions AlbumUKAUSAUTFRAGERIREUS 2010 "You Got the Dirtee Love"(with Dizzee Rascal) 2  27  —  —  —  24  — Lungs 2012 "Breath of Life" 87  —  64  143  65  68  113 Snow White & the Huntsman soundtrack "—" denotes single that did not chart or was not released

Other charted songs
Year SongPeak chartpositions AlbumUK IRL2009"Cosmic Love""Cosmic Love enters Irish singles chart at #3" . chart-track.com. Retrieved 22 July 2009. — 3Lungs

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
YearVideoDirector2008"Kiss with a Fist"Price James"Dog Days Are Over"Tom Beard2009"Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)"Tom & Tabitha"Drumming Song"Dawn Shadforth"You've Got the Love"Tom & Tabitha2015''What Kind Of Man (The Odyssey – Chapter 1)''Vincent Haycock''How Big How Blue How Beautiful (Chapter 2)''''St Jude (The Odyssey – Chapter 3)'''''Ship To Wreck (The Odyssey – Chapter 4)''''Queen of Peace & Long and Lost (The Odyssey – Chapters 5 and 6)''''Delilah (The Odyssey – Chapter 8)''''Third Eye (The Odyssey – Chapter 9)''''Florence + The Machine - The Odyssey (Full film, directed by Vincent Haycock)''

 References 

 Other websites 





 Music by Florence and the Machine

Category:Brit Award winners
Category:English pop music groups
Category:English rock bands