“I’ve been waiting to make this album for the last 12 years and it deserved all the time and love I’ve put into it,” multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter and producer, Florrie ponders as she reflects upon the imminent release of her debut LP ‘The Lost Ones’ – a stunning collection, of 12 exquisitely produced, pop tracks that showcase the industry veterans unwavering dedication to her craft.
Predominantly written and produced with Xenomania founder, Brian Higgins, the captivating record features the singles ‘Never Far From Paradise’, ‘Kissing In The Cold’, ‘Personal’, and ‘Looking For Love’, as well as a collaboration with Zimbabwean hit-maker Takura Tendayi (Rihanna, Chase and Status).
“Production-wise there is a lot going on, there are so many layers, and every single note has its own story to tell,” the London-based singer muses. “There is nothing there that shouldn’t be there, and we wanted to do justice to the songs and take the records as far as we could. I spent a week in a studio out in LA recording live drums on the record. I’ve played on a lot of other peoples records but it felt really amazing to be playing on my own album, in a kind of ‘taking it back to where it all started’ way.”
Since crashing onto the music industry in 2010, following the release of her fizzing, independently-released debut EP ‘Introduction’, Florrie has long been one of British pop’s most enigmatic figures.
After producing two more EPs, that earned her international acclaim, a major label signing, and a challenging period of navigating differing opinions about her artistic direction, the London-based singer took a step back from music to “rebuild and rediscover” her love of writing and producing.
As a member and drummer in the supergroup of songwriters and producers, Xenomania, the star penned hits for the likes of Kylie Minogue, Rebecca Ferguson and the Pet Shop Boys.
Florrie – The Lost Ones (Official Video)
Now, in 2024, after a run of well-received independent singles – including 2019’s Grey’s Anatomy-soundtracking ‘Borderline’, Florrie is back to really show people what she’s capable of!
Along with the announcement of her new album, it has also been revealed that the singer will support Girls Aloud on the 5 London dates of their comeback tour at the O2 Arena this June, marking something of a full-circle moment, having played drums on the bands 2008 hit ‘The Promise’ and co-written their 2012 comeback single ‘Something New’.
To celebrate the completion, and much anticipated release of ‘The Lost Ones’, we caught up with Florrie to talk growing through hard times, finding her own voice, and reconnecting with her younger self…
You’ve said in the past that you’ve been waiting 12 years to make your debut album!! How have you managed to remain focused, and driven in that time?
I’d say I haven’t always managed to stay focused and driven that time. I think it ebbs and flows, and I think that’s where you get the periods of being very driven because maybe you’ve suffered a little bit before. Going through those hard times is important, because it kind of teaches you how to cope, and I think when you come out of them you’re more motivated and more inspired.
You’ve achieved so much, and experienced some incredible highs in your career “behind the scenes” so to speak. What have been some of the biggest lessons you’ve learnt in that time, that have then gone on to help you most as you step into this new phase of your journey as an artist?
I think I really used to get caught up in the tiny details of everything, and it stressed me out quite a lot. I put a lot of pressure on myself, and I am still a perfectionist. I still want to do my best and make the best music I can, but I am a lot kinder to myself now. I think that’s one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned, kind of going into this new album and touring, I’m a lot more relaxed. I know who I am. I have been in the industry a long time, so I’m pretty good at reading the good people from the not so good people. I want to fill my life with good people.
You are responsible for co-writing HUGE hits for some of pops BIGGEST names! When it comes to writing music for yourself, and for your own projects, does it take a minute to switch your mentality, and write authentically from your own perspective, as opposed to somebody else’s?
I actually always find it harder to write for myself. I think it’s because I always want to be true to myself and write honestly, and sometimes you do really have to dig deep into emotions, that’s not always easy. I think writing for other people, I just tell a little story or create characters so I find it a lot easier, but with my own lyrics, I go over them a million times. Lyrics are the last part for me in the process of writing. I might have a concept or a chorus idea or a few lines, but I really stew over the lyrics for a long time.
What was your goal for this album? What did you want to say, and lyrically, what messages did you hope to convey?
I think the goal for this album is to really share my story and to uplift people, and I hope it connects to people that maybe have been through a tough time and are coming out of it, or need that reminder that there are always better days ahead. I think everyone goes through times like this in their life, and I’ve had a lot of messages from people saying that, you know the songs I’ve put out so far have really helped them, just that little glimmer of hope is always around the corner.
How would you say your relationship with songwriting has changed throughout the course of making this record?
I don’t know if my relationship with songwriting has changed. I love collaborating with my team. I’ve worked with the same people for a long time. They know everything there is to know about me. I’ve cried, I’ve laughed, I’ve had breakdowns in front of them. They’ve literally seen it all. They’ve seen me in the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. I trust them with my life and my album. So yeah, I’ve always had a pretty firm process with writing, but I guess maybe I’ve discovered a bit more about myself and my sort of deepest feelings making this record.
Musically, did you have a vision for how you wanted it to sound?
I did have a vision. I think I’m always open to change throughout the process as well, and I do a lot of jam sessions with other musicians, again people I’ve worked with for a long time and I think that brings up new ideas. But I love being in that studio bubble. It’s the most creative space, and you don’t have to think about anything else. I feel very lucky, and I got to do that with this album. I love big 80s drums. I love anthemic choruses. I love emotional, uplifting chords. I like imagining myself playing the songs live and people singing along as a big gang. That’s a big part of when I produce, I try and put myself in the audience’s place at a live show.
You’ve worked with your long-term collaborator Brian Higgins, as well as Takura Tendayi, on the album, what did you enjoy most about creating music with them?
Well, Brian Higgins, I’ve worked with for over 10 years. He’s my writing partner, my co producer, just really like one of the closest people to me. Takura, I’ve also worked with for about seven or eight years. Takura is amazing. He brings so much energy. He’s always dreaming up ideas like, wherever we are. We stayed together in our sort of studio house in LA for months at a time, and he never stops writing and creating. It’s very inspiring to watch. Brian’s just a musical genius. I think everyone knows that by now.
Who or what, did you find inspired you most when putting this album together?
This album really is a snapshot of my journey over the last five years. I’m sure there were a lot of contributing factors, like the breadth of my feelings and emotions and where I was at that time and where I got to but really it was about me wanting to share my own story in the hope of helping somebody else who maybe was going through a similar thing.
Which songs do you feel best represent who you are as an artist?
I think ‘Never Far From Paradise’ definitely represents my sound. If I was gonna say go and listen to one song, I would say that.
Florrie – Never Far From Paradise (Official Video)
You have loads of live dates coming up this summer, you must be so excited to get out there and play these tracks live! Other than listening to great music, what can audiences expect from your shows?
My shows are very energetic. I play with two guys, Cam and Callum, who are brilliant, and it’s a real mix instrumentation wise. We all play different instruments. I play drums for maybe half the set. The boys play drums as well. They play bass and synth. I play guitar for a lot of the set, so we kind of chop and change, and it’s high energy. We’ve played together for a long time, and I think a lot of the comments we get are that it just looks like we’re having fun, and that’s what I want people to take away.
Back to the album… what would you say is your overriding feeling as it makes its way into the world?
It feels very surreal that it’s finally out. You know, I’ve listened to these songs for such a long time, and they do really feel like my old friends, and suddenly I’m sharing them with the world. It’s a very surreal feeling. I’m very proud though, of what me and the guys I work with have created.
Was making your OWN album everything you hoped it would be?
Making my album was definitely everything I hoped it would be. I really had the luxury of time as well, which I know not a lot of people get. That’s partly because, again, I work with Brian Higgins and Ben Taylor, my co producers on a daily basis anyway, so it wasn’t like we had a time constraint or a kind of tight budget to work to which I know a lot of artists on major labels will go in and work with a producer and have limited time. It was a very creative kind of slow build. You know, there was always room to change. Everyone was very open minded. I swapped a lot of songs on and off the album over a good year I would say, while I was still writing and still producing, but I really took my time to make sure that it was the album I’ve always wanted to make.
We said at the beginning of our chat, this moment has been a long time coming… what do you think your younger self would think of everything that’s happening in your life right now?
I think my younger self would be really proud of me, not just because of the music, but because of kind of where I am mentally as well. I feel very sure of myself and I really feel like I have a purpose now. There was definitely a time where I floated around feeling very lost and got pulled in lots of different directions, and I didn’t really advocate for myself. So yeah, and also, I think my younger self would think these tunes were absolutely banging.
‘The Lost Ones’ is available to download / stream via BMG and Xenomania Records now