florence

Florence and the Machine’s vicacious front woman turns the big 3-0 today! Shake it out and celebrate her birthday with these ten fun facts!

  1. The front woman was born Florence Leontine Mary Welch in Camberwell, London.
  2. Her father, Nick, is an advertising executive. Her mother, Evelyn, went to Harvard and is currently the Professor of Reniassance and Vice-Principal for Arts and Sciences at King’s College London.
  3. The only time Florence ever got in trouble during school was for impromptu singing.
  4. Her favourite books growing up were the Little House of the Prairie novels due to their sense of domestic stability during her parent’s divorce.
  5. Her first gigs were singing at family gatherings, weddings and funerals.
  6. Florence and the Machine’s “machine” is actually Florence’s old babysitter. Isabella Summers babysat Florence and her younger sister Grace before they began creating music.
  7. In 2007, Florence released an album under the name Ashok titled Plans. It included the song “Happy Slap” which later became Florence and the Machine’s “Kiss With A Fist”.

8. The first CD she ever bought was Green Day’s Dookie. She says she immediately went out and bought the baggiest cords she could find after listening to it.

9. And then she covered “The Grouch” from Nimrod.

10. In 2010, Canada’s own Nardwuar spoke with Florence about hometown bands and musical influence.