Florence and The Machine

Florence and The Machine (also recorded as Florence And The Machine) is the project of Florence Welch, supported by other musicians who provide the musical accompaniment for her voice. The project began around 2005 when Florence Leontine Mary Welch and Isabella (The Machine) Summers started making music together and performing locally in Camden, London, under the name Florence Robot & Isa Machine.

The band’s current lineup includes Robert Ackroyd on guitar, Christopher Lloyd Hayden on drums, Isabella Summers on keyboards and Tom Monger on harp. Other members and collaborators have included Aku Orraca-Tetteh, Mark Saunders, Loren Humphrey, Hazel Mills, Rusty Bradshaw and Cyrus Bayandor.

Their debut album, ‘Lungs’, was released in July 2009, preceded by the third single Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up). The project received praise in the British music press, with the BBC playing a major role in their rise by featuring them on BBC Introducing; Florence also won the Critics’ Choice Award at the 2009 Brit Awards.