Mondays aren't all bad...This media release just arrived in my inbox early today and I am happy to share. I've caught Florence + the Machine three times in concert and all three shows were incredible.
THE ODYSSEY CHAPTERS 4 & 5:
“QUEEN OF PEACE” AND “LONG AND LOST”
FLORENCE + THE MACHINE DEBUT NEW SHORT FILM VIA NPR MUSIC FIRST WATCH
MAKE FIRST EVER U.S. #1 DEBUT WITH HOW BIG HOW BLUE HOW BEAUTIFUL,
TOPS CHARTS WORLDWIDE
Headline dates nationwide this fall
Florence + the Machine debut The Odyssey Chapters 4 & 5: “Queen of Peace” and “Long & Lost” today via NPR Music First Watch.
This ten-minute film, which begins with “Queen of Peace” and flows into “Long & Lost,” tells the next chapters in Florence’s Odyssey begun with How Big How Blue How Beautiful. Shot on and around the Scottish isle of Easdale, this next installment film was made with frequent collaborator Vincent Haycock. Haycock has also directed the other films inspired by the songs on this most recent release including “How Big How Blue How Beautiful,” “What Kind of Man,” “St Jude” and “Ship to Wreck.”
“We filmed ‘Queen of Peace’ and ‘Long & Lost’ in Scotland, one of my favorite places I’ve ever been to or filmed,” Haycock says of the video. “The coast of Scotland is breathtaking, beautiful and harsh, an aesthetic mix that both Florence and I have been very interested in during the making of these videos. The Scottish people are amazing and especially the town of Easdale, the small island that we lived on and filmed. We shot in the winter and it was cold, brutal and endlessly inspiring, which I think really helped the story of Florence’s struggle with her family, the younger innocence vs. the feuding violence of the men around her, etc. The end of the video was done in a single take, at the very last seconds of light during a stormy barge ride on a freezing sea. The effort and focus on both the actors and crew was so amazing, Florence delivers one of my favorite moments to date and it’s one of my proudest technical and narrative accomplishments.”
Florence recently headlined Glastonbury’s main stage, playing a massive set of which The Guardian said, “Florence Welch doesn’t so much seize the opportunity as grab it by the throat and wrestle it to the ground,” and the Telegraph praised, “It takes an extraordinary artist to make more sense headlining a huge magical old festival than all the clubs, theatres and arenas that brought her here. This was surely her superstar moment, the point where Florence Welch stops being British pop's lady in waiting and takes her place with the big boys and girls…This was pop music of the highest order”
Click here to read my review of Florence + the Machine's latest album as it appears on the Music News Nashville site.
How Big How Blue How Beautiful continues to receive widespread critical acclaim:
“She’s back and stronger than ever…”
“A sexy record that sticks to some familiar themes: a woman wrestling with lovers and emotions, often with biblical allusions, liquid-courage assists and a near-violent intensity…a magnificent bit of British brooding.”
“Her most personal set of songs yet…It's a voice built for drama, and on this album its emotional range has never been wider.”
“‘How Big How Blue How Beautiful’ is a record about maneuvering around and through matters of the heart — sometimes triumphant, sometimes sad, and always deeply felt thanks to Welch acting as tour guide.”
“Lush and ornate…cresting and crashing and cresting and cresting some more…grand, arching vocal lines, leaping deftly across her registers.”
“Welch has made her most cohesive and personal record yet…we haven't heard it all from this dynamic, ever-evolving songstress.”
“How Big is Welch’s most accomplished album yet…her emotional depth and capacity for wonder remain gigantic”
“The Machine keeps humming! Florence Welch and her gang pick up the pace in their wonderful tertiary effort…Tearing through it all is a tornadic voice of a frontwoman enmeshed in the throes of ill-fated love.”
“The band has lost none of its ethereal grandeur”
How Big How Blue How Beautiful debuted at #1 this June, marking Florence’s first U.S. #1 seven years to the day from the release of their debut single and selling 137,000 albums in its first week. With three albums in seven years to their name, Florence continues to reach new heights—How Big How Blue How Beautiful reached #1 in the U.K., her third #1 album in the country, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Switzerland and Canada after reaching the top spot on iTunes charts in 24 countries worldwide last week.
Florence will headline Austin City Limits and play select U.S. dates this fall, with stops including two nights at Los Angeles’ Hollywood Bowl, a further two nights at Berkeley’s Greek Theatre and an appearance at Seattle’s Key Arena. Tickets are on sale now.
The dates will follow Florence and her band’s worldwide summer tour, headlining many festivals including Lollapalooza, Osheaga, Austin City Limits and Splendour in the Grass with their own headline dates including Colorado’s legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre.
The new album How Big How Blue How Beautiful is a collection of songs, written and recorded over the course of 2014. Produced by Markus Dravs (Björk, Arcade Fire, Coldplay) with contributions from Kid Harpoon, Paul Epworth, John Hill and James Ford, the album follows Florence’s globally acclaimed Lungs (2009) and Ceremonials(2011).
FLORENCE + THE MACHINE LIVE
August 3 Morrison, CO Red Rocks AmphitheatreOctober 9 Nashville, TN Ascend AmphitheatreOctober 11 Austin, TX Austin City LimitsOctober 13 Phoenix, AZ Ak-Chin PavilionOctober 14 San Diego, CA Viejas ArenaOctober 16-17 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood BowlOctober 20 Santa Barbara, CA Santa Barbara BowlOctober 21-22 Berkeley, CA Greek TheatreOctober 24 Portland, OR Portland Memorial ColiseumOctober 25 Vancouver, BC Pepsi Live at Rogers ArenaOctober 27 Seattle, WA Key Arena
