The songs that inspired Florence and the Machine
For over 15 years, Florence and the Machine have forged countless cathartic baroque pop hits, each as unique as the last. Accompanied by her machine – keyboard player Isabella Summers, guitarist Rob Ackroyd, and harpist Tom Monger – Florence Welch has retained her place as one of the most innovative and influential artists in modern indie pop ever since the release of her iconic debut single ‘Kiss with a Fist’.
Though it may seem that Welch is a unique talent, carving intricate and individual soundscapes, the singer-songwriter has a multitude of influences which contribute to her sound. Ranging from expected influences like Kate Bush to more surprising choices like ‘Part of Your World’ from Disney’s The Little Mermaid, her influences were once collated into the ‘Florence + The Machine: Influences’ playlist for Apple Music.
Between ‘Hounds of Love’ and ‘Part of Your World’, Welch has also been inspired by the glam-rock of David Bowie on ‘Rebel Rebel’, Otis Redding’s gentle ‘Try a Little Tenderness’ and the soft rock of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Silver Springs’. She once even covered the latter. Though her inspirations seem wide-ranging and eclectic, they do seem to come together in her unique sound.
Welch once spoke to Vanity Fair to explain her influences, stating, “I always wanted to sound like a man, like Jeff Buckley or Tom Waits,” the latter of whom also makes an appearance on the playlist with ‘Make It Rain’. “I love Otis Redding and Sam Cooke – that raw power [in] their voices. When I first heard Sam Cooke’s [‘A Change Is Gonna Come’], that song literally floored me – I had to lie down.”
The Florence and the Machine frontwoman certainly imitates that raw power in her vocals, though she is also indebted to some iconic female singers. Nina Simone and Etta James also feature on the playlist – with ‘I Put a Spell on You’ and ‘Something’s Got A Hold On Me’ by Etta James. Welch certainly harnesses their powerful vocals in her own music, combining it with the witchy influences of Stevie Nicks.
Welch also went on to credit more contemporary artists and wider-ranging genres as influences, picking out neo-psych outfit Spiritualized in particular. “Then, for a while, I would only listen to Spiritualized, and I’m a huge hip-hop fan. I’m a musical slut – I find everything interesting.” Accordingly, Spiritualized’s most famous track, ‘Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space’, also makes the list. The 1997 song marks the most recent release in the collection.
Ranging from classic soul to Disney hits to modern spacey psych, Welch certainly follows through on her words. The playlist provides an interesting listen and a look at her wide-spanning influences – find the full collection of songs below.
The songs that inspired Florence and the Machine
- ‘Part of Your World’ – Jodi Benson
- ‘Rebel Rebel’ – David Bowie
- ‘Hounds of Love’ – Kate Bush
- ‘A Change Is Gonna Come’ – Sam Cooke
- ‘Silver Springs’ – Fleetwood Mac
- ‘Something’s Got A Hold On Me’ – Etta James
- ‘White Rabbit (Live)’ – Jefferson Airplane
- ‘Try a Little Tenderness’ – Otis Redding
- ‘I Put a Spell on You’ – Nina Simone
- ‘Peek-A-Boo’ – Siouxsie & The Banshees
- ‘Gloria’ – Patti Smith
- ‘Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space’ – Spiritualized
- ‘Spooky’ – Dusty Springfield
- ‘Wild Wild Life’ – Talking Heads
- ‘Make It Rain’ – Tom Waits
