Florence + The Machine

“High As Hope,” the hugely anticipated new album from Florence + The Machine, is set for release June 29^th on Republic Records. The first official single, “Hunger,” recently premiered accompanied by a stunning new video directed by A.G. Rojas. This track pairs Florence’s intimate, rawly honest lyricism with a broader sense of acceptance, community and joy.

 “Hunger” is effectively about acknowledging those holes in our psyche that we try to fill with love and hate, obsessions or addictions but you can ultimately only ever satisfy yourself. Florence wrote, co-produced (her first time co-producing a Florence + The Machine album) and recorded the majority of “High As Hope” in solitude, cycling to her studio in Peckham every day. She finished the songs in Los Angeles with her friend and co-producer Emile Haynie, bringing in Kamasi Washington, Sampha, Tobias Jesso Jr, Kelsey Lu and Jamie xx as further collaborators. Florence mixed the record in New York, where the daily view of the skyline—often in stark contrast to the chaos of the wider world—gave the album its title.

“This song is about the ways we look for love in things that are perhaps not love, and how attempts to feel less alone can sometimes isolate us more,” said Florence. “I guess I made myself more vulnerable in this song to encourage connection, because perhaps a lot more of us feel this way than we are able to admit. Sometimes when you can’t say it, you can sing it.”

She continues, “It’s always a work in progress, and I definitely don’t have everything figured out. But this feels like quite a pure expression of who I am now, as an artist, and an honest one. I’m just more comfortable with who I am.”

Formed in London in 2007, Florence + The Machine consists of vocalist Florence Welch, keyboardist Isabella Summers, and a collaboration of other artists. The band's music is renowned for its dramatic and eccentric production and also Welch's powerful vocal performances. Their debut studio album, “Lungs,” was released in 2009, and held the number-two position for its first five weeks on the U.K. Albums Chart. The group's second studio album, “Ceremonials,” was released in 2011 and their third album, “How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful,” was released in 2015. Florence + The Machine have been nominated for seven Grammy Awards including Best New Artist and Best Pop Vocal Album.

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