Listen to Florence and the Machine’s haunting new song, ‘Mermaids’
British band Florence and the Machine has released a new single, ‘Mermaids’, which lead singer Florence Welch has described as part of the “Dance Fever universe”.
Dance Fever, the band’s fifth record, was released last year, hitting number one on the UK Album Chart. Dave Bayley, who helped to produce the album, also produced ‘Mermaids’. Welch teased the song on Instagram with a video of her lying in a bath, wearing a mermaid tail and vampire fangs.
The track is dark and ominous, weaving through references to messy nights out, as Welch sings, “And the dance floor is filling up with blood/ But, oh, Lord, you’ve never been so in love” and mythical imagery of “Sea foam woman on the shore/ Your prairie ghost, I’m a cottage whore/ All the mermaids have sharp teeth”. The track pounds with a moody sensibility as keys tinkle in the background.
Recently, the band released a cover of ‘Just a Girl’ by No Doubt as part of the Yellowjackets soundtrack. The song can be heard in the trailer for season two. In a statement, Welch shared, “This song especially had a huge impact on me growing up, so I was thrilled to be asked to interpret it in a ‘deeply unsettling’ way for the show.”
Listen to ‘Mermaids’ below.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out New Music Newsletter
All the latest New Music from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.