13 years have passed since Florence + The Machine’s spell bounding debut album ‘Lungs’. The album cemented Florence Welch and her band as one of the great forces in British music, with their dramatic production and iconic use of the harp, alongside Welch’s powerful, ethereal vocals. To celebrate the release of her latest album ‘Dance Fever’ and the upcoming UK tour in November, we've named Florence + The Machine our May Artist of the Month.

Forming in 2007, the band started off by playing small gigs across London, until in 2008 they landed a support slot on MGMT’s European tour, and later released their first single ‘Kiss With A Fist’. They received attention from the likes of BBC Introducing, who helped shine a light on the band, notably giving them a live performance recording at Maida Vale Studios in September 2008.

After the release of multiple singles, in 2009 we saw the release of the now iconic debut album ‘Lungs’, filled with hits like ‘Dog Days Are Over’ and Florence’s version of Candi Stanton’s ‘You’ve Got The Love’. These songs were the soundtrack to 2009 and onwards, featuring in so many iconic films and TV shows we love, and making Florence a household name.

After the smash hit debut, Florence + The Machine continued to prove their craft on their follow up studio albums 'Ceremonials' (2011), 'How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful' (2015) and 'High As Hope' (2018). Songs like ‘Shake It Out’, ‘Spectrum (Say My Name)’, ‘Hunger’ and so many more filled the 2010s soundscape with Florence’s stadium-shaking voice, lifting her into the pop charts alongside the likes of Adele (Pitchfork).

Now, four years on from 'High As Hope', Florence has released her fifth studio album ‘Dance Fever’. While the title may allude to something more disco centric and upbeat, it is instead an emotional, poignant record focusing inwards. Like many albums that have arisen out of lockdown, there is an emphasis on her deepest thoughts, but in Florence fashion she explores these through historical, mythological and fantasy concepts, like in ‘Morning Elvis’ and ‘Choreomania’. The whole album is a beautiful demonstration of Florence Welch’s immense voice and song writing and her bands craft, and while it's impossible to pick favourites, we especially love ‘King’ and ‘Daffodil’.