Florence Rose is reviving the Tumblr era with her surreal gothic alt-pop

While most may know Florence Rose for her escapades in the world of modelling and filmmaking, thanks to her collaborations with the likes of Gucci and Stella McCartney, back in October, we were welcomingly introduced to a new, musical side of the multihyphenate. ‘I Am Your Daughter’ was the talent’s first single, a tantalisingly lush debut with an almost spiritual aura, both thanks to a combination of sultry vocals and ethereal, synth-laced production. For what is her first introduction to the music world, Rose certainly made her mark. For Rose, her biggest inspirations come in the form of Lana Del Rey, Ethel Cain and Massive Attack, which should come as no surprise due to her genre-splicing sound. Combining the likes of gothic alt-pop, trip-hop, alternative and dream-pop, the singer has already carved out an unoccupied lane for herself in an incredibly short period.

Now, Rose is continuing that momentum with her latest single, ‘Isn’t Life Beautiful’. The track ups the emotional intensity of her previous single and acts as an ode to girls that “feel everything intensely and deeply”, from love and joy to pain and heartache. “Filled with love and filled with rage, life is just a sharpened page,” she sings with a sense of regretful acceptance of the rollercoaster ride that is life. The single comes accompanied by a striking short film in which Rose is seen atop a white horse and sprawled out across bails of hay, only adding to the surreal and dream-like atmosphere of it all. ‘Isn’t Life Beautiful’ acts as a precursor for a debut project from Rose, My Lust Is My Religion, set to be released in 2024, and if the artist’s first two tracks are anything to go by, we’ll be sitting back in heavy anticipation of what she’ll produce next.

Here, we sit down with Rose to get the low-down on her latest single, what to expect from her upcoming EP, and much more.

Congrats on the release of ‘Life Is Beautiful’! What does the track mean to you, and what was the concept behind the video?

The track came about as a sort of honour to girls who feel everything intensely and deeply. Off-putting and intense women with the lack of ability to feel ‘normal’ about anything. I’ve always wanted to create something that acknowledges the beauty in the ability to feel so much all at once. Lyrically and instrumentally I wanted to create a distinction between the dark pain and the pure love that you can experience in a moment of seconds. Instead of a traditional music video, I chose to create a short poetic film involving a white horse that sits beautifully alongside the track.

What can you tell us about your upcoming EP?

The EP is titled My Lust Is My Religion, and it plays with feelings of obsession, desperation and salvation. Obscure and erotic lyrics are paired with childlike, dreamy vocals that sit between soft acoustic instrumentals and heavy grungy rock and shoegaze sounds. Inspired by soft trip-hop and shoegaze artists of the late 90s and the low-fi Tumblr era of the mid 2010’s, it will take you through a landscape of pain, love, lust and loss.

Could you define your sound in five words?

Desperate, dark, ethereal, cinematic, feminine.

What’s your earliest musical memory? Anything that really stands out?

Probably learning to play guitar with my dad. He taught me at home when I was around eight years old before I took lessons at school. Sometimes at Christmas, we’ll still play songs together on our guitars. It’s a very sweet moment.

What artist had the biggest effect on you as a teen? Adolescence can be a pivotal moment when it comes to defining our music tastes…

100% Lana Del Rey. I will always be a Tumblr girl <3 Finding her unreleased demos on there was a special moment for me. I’d ride around in the backseat of my parent’s car listening to my ripped downloads, daydreaming about motels and older men.

If you could only list three artists for the rest of your life, who would they be?

Elliot Smith, Vashti Bunyan and Mazzy Star.

What’s a song/artist that you can’t get enough of right now?

‘Highway’ by Elusin.

Who would be your dream artist to collaborate with?

Björk or Goldfrapp.

Favourite song to get the party started?

‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ by Sinead O’Connor.

What’s been the most surreal moment of your career so far?

My first live show was very surreal and emotional. Seeing the faces of my friends and family, all these people I love so much there to watch me perform overwhelmed me with emotion and love.

What is your favourite thing to do outside of making music?

I love film, both making it and watching it. Surreal, mysterious and erotic cinema in particular. Before I started releasing music, I made a series of short films, working with similar themes that play into my music, such as the feminine experience, girlhood, intense emotions, our subconscious and our dreams. I’d also say that my music has a strong cinematic feel. I’m very inspired by the soundtracks made by Ennio Morricone and the soundtracks of David Lynch films.