Florence + the Machine

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Brits Blog

Brits Blog

Tue 2 Mar, 2010

Greetings from deepest Europe.

I think I might have finally touched down after the Brits whirlwind and I thought I should try and thank some of the people I didn’t have time to get to in my speech.

Winning Best Album is such a huge honor, but I certainly can't take all the credit. Making that record was an enormously collaborative process, and so many things fed into it. A lot of people influenced me and a lot of people helped me out. I will always be grateful to all of them.

I have just been told that Tim McCall has passed away. He played guitar on Kiss With a Fist and Girl With One Eye on the record. He was a brilliant guitarist and a brilliant person to work with. All my heartfelt condolences go out to his friends and family. 
 
Thank you so much, belatedly, Tim.

Thank you to all the musicians I've ever worked with - on the album itself and in the years that led up to my finally making it. Thank you particularly to Devonte Hynes and Kid Harpoon, Matt Alchin, all the Ludes (RIP - Listen to their new incarnation 'Rum Shebeen') and Leo Abrahams. Also of course, again and emphatically; thank you to all the amazing members of my band.

Thank you to Gang Gang Dance, who are one of the best bands in the world and who I command you all to go and listen to right now. I got obsessed with their amazing song House Jam for a while back there, so much so that a line from it ended up in Rabbit Heart. I remain completely grateful to them for the inspiration and for everything.

Thank you to everyone I know for all the conversations that fed into my writing. Thank you post-it notes, billboards, domestic violence posters, church bulletin boards, love notes, Remove-Your-Bicycle-Or-We-Will-Have-It-Removed-Notes.

Thank you Ugo Rodinone, for the beautiful installation that inspired Dog Days, and thank you to all the artists and writers whose work has influenced me in various ways in the last few years: Ed Ruscha, Damien Hirst, Francis Bacon, Jasper Johns, Jenny Holtzer. Thank you Martin Creed, for that neon-glowing 'EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE ALRIGHT' across the top of the Tate.

Thank you David Vann (his book 'Legend of a Suicide' is completely amazing and I entreat you all to read it. He also wrote a foreword for the box set of my album, which was the coolest thing ever and for which I am eternally grateful).

Thank you Thom Gunn, John Berryman, Zora Neal Hurston's 'Their Eyes Were Watching God', Cormac McCarthy's 'The Road', Don DeLillo's 'White Noise', Gordon Burn's 'Born Yesterday' and innumerable other amazing books. (Also I just finished Kirsten Reeds debut novel, ‘The Ice Age’, hot off the press. And it is A.MAZING. )
 
Thank you to Tom Waits, Beyonce, Fever Ray, Liars, Fuck Buttons, Lil Wayne, Maddonna, Moondog, The Exorcist Soundtrack, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and the gazillions of other artists who I was listening to while I was making the album.
 
And thank you London. Simply wandering the streets of London has probably been my greatest inspiration in all this.

This is all off the top of my jumbled head and I'm sure I've forgotten loads of things. But thank you to all of you who listened to the album.

It took years of living, blood, and tears to make it and I can't tell you how much I appreciate all the support I've received. It means so much to me to think that some of you have taken this record to heart. I couldn’t have done it without all the help and inspiration I got from so many other people.
 
So thank you, everyone.
 
From my heart to all your hearts, sincerely,

Florence
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{Comments (77)}

Comments (77)

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  • florence ... you are so beautiful . everything about you is just incredible .. every one of your songs are brilliant . listening to your songs makes me so happy and gives me tingles. ISNT FLORENCE JUST AMAZING

    Posted by ryand93 on Thu 04 Mar, 2010

  • ah Flo, whatta legend, so sad about Tim :'( oh i thought you were A.MAZING at the Brits :D x so excited to see you May 15th (: oh, + Gang Gang Dance, are proper incredible, i love them, but not as much as u, of course (: keep doing you Florence thing :) x

    Posted by AtlantaCobberrs on Thu 04 Mar, 2010

  • well, thank you! the record means a lot to me, i just can't stop listening to it.

    Posted by hejhejberit on Thu 04 Mar, 2010

  • so sad to hear that tim passed away, his guitar playing skills were amazing. can't wait to see you in may!!! i've made you and isa matching t-shirts, so i hope you like them!

    Posted by dogsalad on Thu 04 Mar, 2010

  • well you deserved it florence :) Nobody else deserved it as much as you. Your an inspiration to everybody :) and i cant believe the guitarist for two of my favourite songs has died. RIP Tim McCall. Ive got two tickets for blackpool in may and ive bought tickets fr isle of wight just to come and see you! Anyway, bette get back to making my FATM boardgame for graphics coursework :) and well done again for the brits, lets hope you win more next year :D

    Posted by kristian_with_a_k on Thu 04 Mar, 2010

  • cool!!!!!!

    Posted by miss.happy!!! on Thu 04 Mar, 2010

  • Hey Florence... I bought tickets for the Barcelona gig for my gf for Valentines Day and arranged a trip - she loves you!!! Just found out she isn't allowed to go because she is on a Student Visa in the UK and they won't let her leave the country during term-time. How much do the Home Office suck? We're sooooo gutted, feel so bad for her :-( Loved you and Dizzee at the Brits -Awesome.

    Posted by jp_unwin on Wed 03 Mar, 2010

  • I listened to Gang Gang Dance- brilliant!

    Posted by babyshark on Wed 03 Mar, 2010

  • "deepest of Europe" means Sweden. Nice. I think everybody that was mentioned in this post helped, but it's still you who holds the big guns. And I'm forever thankful for the album since it has hlped me in ways no other music have.

    Posted by jonna on Wed 03 Mar, 2010

  • Florence your music is the best trust me you should be honoured i dont have many favorite bands. These bands include kiaser chiefs, red hot chilli peppers and Maddness (my favorite) but in the top spot is you Florence well done for the brit award and hope to see you win more in the fore seeable future All my love from my hearts from inside the tardis The doctor

    Posted by The Doctor on Wed 03 Mar, 2010

  • I couldn't get tickets to the Dublin gig...I foolishly trusted someone else to get them for me. Im so devastated, I cry every now and again over it. Lungs is one of the best albums I've ever heard. I need to see Florence live in my lifetime..

    Posted by nomoredreaming on Wed 03 Mar, 2010

  • I feel so proud and lucky to be one of those who 'have taken this record to heart': this is exactly what I feel since I first listened to Lungs. After a very sad period of my life, your songs made me feel alive again. Thank you Florence, for all you've given me through your music! I'm so happy you won Best Album, you really deserve it! Good luck and do never change Florence! We will support you! love, F x

    Posted by harlequin.girl on Wed 03 Mar, 2010

  • you definatly deserved to win... best album cant stop listening to it :) . cant wait for the next album ...comming to see you at hammersmith apollo eeeepppppppp cant wait xoxo

    Posted by minimoomoo100 on Wed 03 Mar, 2010

  • lungs is definately the best album i've ever heard!!! cheers for the book recommendations, i'm sure i'll enjoy them, and i can't wait to see you on the last date of your london tour!!! love you sooooo much florence

    Posted by dogsalad on Wed 03 Mar, 2010

  • you really deserved to win best album.x. its the best albumin the worldi , its so beautiful! you have such an amazing voice. i've never fallen in love with an album,but then i heard LUNGS! i heard the list of names you wrote is selling for LOADS on ebay(not sure if its true.x.)looking folward to buying "dog days are over" and "hurricane drunk" hope it goes to number 1, lots of love....xxxx one eyed girl (im not 1 eyed.x.lol)

    Posted by one_eyed_girl on Wed 03 Mar, 2010

  • it was a well deserved win. I think i posted some time ago that it was the best album i'd heard in about 20 years! That says it all! Go forward with fury!

    Posted by sandylee on Wed 03 Mar, 2010

  • WOOHOOO! I'm the first to comment! Congrats flo! Yoiu really deserved that award. MORE THAN ANYONE! love u! plllzzzz do a concert in london in july! Pllllzzzzzzz! or jst in the summer hols! :) wen is the album cumin out? I want them for my birthday. luv, clumsyducky x

    Posted by clumsyducky on Tue 02 Mar, 2010