Career Timeline of Florence Welch: Major Achievements and Milestones

How Florence Welch built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Florence Welch is an English singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and primary songwriter for the indie rock band Florence and the Machine. The band achieved significant success with their debut album, Lungs, which topped the UK Albums Chart and earned them a Brit Award. Their subsequent albums also reached high positions on the charts. Beyond her music career, Welch has also ventured into literature, publishing a collection of her lyrics and poems titled Useless Magic in 2018.

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Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

2006: Performances in London Venues

In 2006, Florence Welch began performing in small London venues with Isabella Summers under the name Florence Robot & Isa Machine, which started to attract attention.

2007: Recording with Ashok

In 2007, Florence Welch recorded with the band Ashok. Ashok released an album titled 'Plans' on the Filthy Lucre/About Records label. This album included an early version of her later hit "Kiss with a Fist", initially titled "Happy Slap".

July 2009: Release of Debut Album 'Lungs'

On July 6, 2009, Florence and the Machine released their debut studio album 'Lungs' in the United Kingdom, launched with a set at the Rivoli Ballroom in Brockley, London. The album reached number one in the UK and number two in Ireland.

August 2009: Sales Success of 'Lungs'

As of August 6, 2009, the album 'Lungs' had sold over 100,000 copies in the UK. By August 10, it had been at number two for five consecutive weeks.

2009: Florence and the Machine's Debut Album

In 2009, Florence and the Machine released their debut studio album, Lungs, which topped the UK Albums Chart and won the Brit Award for Best British Album.

2010: Collaboration with David Byrne and Fatboy Slim

In 2010, Florence Welch contributed vocals to David Byrne and Fatboy Slim's album 'Here Lies Love,' which is about Imelda Marcos.

January 2011: Collaboration with Drake

As of January 2011, Florence Welch was working with Drake on material planned for his upcoming album.

February 2011: Performance at the Academy Awards

On February 27, 2011, Florence Welch replaced Dido and sang her portion of the Best Original Song nominee "If I Rise" from 127 Hours with A. R. Rahman at the 83rd Academy Awards.

October 2011: Release of 'Ceremonials'

On October 31, 2011, Florence and the Machine released their second studio album, Ceremonials. The album, which features water imagery, debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and number six on the US Billboard 200.

December 2011: Tribute to Amy Winehouse and Performance at VH1 Divas

In December 2011, Florence Welch paid tribute to Amy Winehouse by performing "Back to Black" along with "Walking on Broken Glass" at the VH1 Divas Celebrates Soul concert. The group also performed in Times Square for Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve special.

January 2012: Brit Awards Nomination

On January 12, 2012, Florence and the Machine received two nominations for the Brit Awards.

February 2012: Brit Awards Ceremony

On February 21, 2012, the Brit Awards ceremony took place at the O2 Arena in London, following Florence and the Machine's nominations.

April 2012: Release of "Breath of Life"

On April 26, 2012, Florence and the Machine released "Breath of Life", which served as the official theme song for the movie Snow White and the Huntsman.

July 2012: Release of "Spectrum" Remix

On July 5, 2012, a remix of "Spectrum" by Calvin Harris was released as the fourth single from Ceremonials. It became the band's first UK number-one hit.

September 2012: Plans for Third Album

In September 2012, Florence Welch expressed her excitement to start working on new material for a third album after finishing the band's tour.

October 2012: Feature on Calvin Harris' "Sweet Nothing"

In October 2012, Florence Welch was featured on Calvin Harris' song "Sweet Nothing", which reached number one on the UK Singles Chart, marking her second number one. The song was nominated for Best Dance Recording at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards.

November 2012: Performance with The Rolling Stones

On November 29, 2012, Florence Welch joined the Rolling Stones at the O2 Arena in London to perform "Gimme Shelter". The performance with Mick Jagger was received well.

February 2015: Announcement of Third Album

In February 2015, Florence and the Machine announced their third album, 'How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful'.

June 2015: Glastonbury Headline Performance

During June 2015, after Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters broke his leg, Florence and the Machine became the headline band at Glastonbury Festival, headlining for the first time on June 26, 2015.

June 2015: Release of How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful

On June 1, 2015, Florence and the Machine released their third album, How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful, which reached #1 in various markets and earned three Grammy nominations.

2015: Broken Foot at Coachella

In 2015, Florence Welch broke her foot after leaping off the stage at the Coachella Festival. She revealed she used to drink alcohol before performances due to shyness.

September 2016: Collaboration with Lady Gaga

In September 2016, Lady Gaga revealed that she and Florence Welch had recorded a song together, "Hey Girl", which was later featured on Gaga's album Joanne.

2016: Support for Remain and LGBTQ+ Rights

In 2016, Florence Welch voiced her support for Remain during the United Kingdom's EU Membership referendum. She is also a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, regularly waving the rainbow flag at her concerts, particularly during her song "Spectrum (Say My Name)".

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March 2017: Appearance in Song to Song

In March 2017, Florence Welch made an appearance in the film Song to Song, directed by Terrence Malick.

May 2017: Contribution to Wonder Woman Soundtrack

In May 2017, Florence Welch contributed the song "To Be Human", co-written with Rick Nowels, to the Wonder Woman soundtrack, performed by Sia and Labrinth.

2017: Footage in Netflix documentary

In 2017, footage of Florence Welch and Lady Gaga's studio session was featured in Gaga's Netflix documentary 'Gaga: Five Foot Two', following their collaboration on the song "Hey Girl".

April 2018: Release of "Sky Full of Song"

On April 12, 2018, Florence and the Machine released "Sky Full of Song" with a music video directed by AG Rojas. The song was released for Record Store Day on April 21, as a limited edition 7" vinyl.

May 2018: Duet with Mick Jagger

On May 22, 2018, Florence Welch performed a duet with Mick Jagger, singing "Wild Horses", at London Stadium during the Rolling Stones' No Filter Tour.

June 2018: Release of High as Hope

On June 29, 2018, Florence and the Machine released their fourth studio album, High as Hope.

July 2018: Publication of Useless Magic: Lyrics and Poetry

In July 2018, Florence Welch released her first book, Useless Magic: Lyrics and Poetry, which showcases her lyrics and poetry alongside artwork from the time of her first album Lungs to High as Hope.

2018: Support for Removal of Eighth Amendment

In 2018, Florence Welch tweeted her support for the removal of the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland, which passed and legalized abortion access within the country.

2018: Song "Hunger" released

In 2018, Florence Welch's song "Hunger" detailed her experiences with anorexia nervosa.

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2019: Support for Women's Rights

During her 2019 North American tour, Florence Welch expressed her support for women's rights during concerts in Las Vegas, Nevada, Chicago, Raleigh, North Carolina and Columbia, Maryland. She encouraged her audience to donate to the ACLU instead of buying concert merchandise.

April 2021: Announcement of The Great Gatsby Musical Adaptation

On April 28, 2021, Florence Welch announced her involvement in a musical adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, contributing music and lyrics. The project includes Thomas Bartlett as co-writer and Martyna Majok as the book writer, with Rebecca Frecknall directing.

November 2021: Filming Music Videos in Kyiv

In November 2021, Florence and the Machine filmed music videos for Dance Fever in Kyiv, Ukraine.

January 2022: Speculation About New Album

In January 2022, the announcement of Florence and the Machine headlining summer festivals led to speculation about the potential release of their fifth studio album during the first semester of 2022.

February 2022: Release of King

In February 2022, Florence and the Machine released a single titled "King" with an accompanying music video directed by Autumn de Wilde. Prior to the release, selected fans received medieval-styled tarot cards teasing 'Florence + the Machine – Chapter 1'.

March 2022: Support for Ukraine

In March 2022, Florence Welch expressed her support for Ukraine during the Russo-Ukrainian War. The Florence and the Machine video for "Heaven Is Here" was filmed in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. She also shared an article about ways to help Ukraine.

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March 2022: Releases of Singles and Album Announcement

In March 2022, Florence and the Machine released the second single "Heaven Is Here" along with a music video, and announced their fifth studio album titled 'Dance Fever'. On March 10, the third single 'My Love' premiered on BBC Radio 1, with Welch announcing the album's release date as May 13, 2022.

May 2022: Dance Fever Album Release Date Announcement

In March 2022, Florence Welch announced the release date of the band's upcoming album Dance Fever was May 13, 2022 on BBC Radio 1's morning show.

September 2022: Donation to Future for Ukraine

In September 2022, it was announced that proceeds from a Florence and the Machine zine would be donated to the charitable foundation Future for Ukraine. The zine features photographs taken in November 2021 in Kyiv while shooting music videos for Dance Fever.

September 2022: Recording of Live Album at Madison Square Garden

The album Dance Fever (Live at Madison Square Garden) was recorded over two nights at MSG on 16 and 17 September 2022.

October 2022: Release of Dance Fever (Live at Madison Square Garden)

On 14 October 2022, Dance Fever (Live at Madison Square Garden) was released. In August and October 2024 respectively, Welch performed "Florida!!!" with Taylor Swift on The Eras Tour.

August 2023: Emergency Surgery

On 28 August 2023, Florence Welch posted an apology for cancelling performances in Zurich and Paris due to emergency surgery that saved her life, the reason for which she didn't feel ready to disclose.

June 2024: Premiere of Gatsby: An American Myth

On June 5, 2024, the musical titled Gatsby: An American Myth, for which Florence Welch contributed music and lyrics, premiered at the American Repertory Theater, directed by Rachel Chavkin.

September 2024: BBC Proms Performance at Royal Albert Hall

On 11 September 2024, Florence + the Machine performed with the Jules Buckley Orchestra at Royal Albert Hall for the BBC Proms 2024 Series.

October 2024: Release of Symphony of Lungs Album

The performance of Florence + the Machine with the Jules Buckley Orchestra at Royal Albert Hall for the BBC Proms 2024 Series was released as the album titled Symphony of Lungs on 25 October 2024.