Introducing Florence Rose, the 25-year-old It Girl discussing her passion for spooky arthouse films and re-discovering the essence of girlhood.

Exploring a world where chaos lurks beneath the floorboards, Florence Rose’s single ‘In Your Room’ let’s beauty shine through the cracks. With a strong foundation in performance art from Central Saint Martins and a background in directing, the singer-songwriter is now setting sail into music, casting her artistic spells into uncharted waters. Taken from her upcoming debut mini album, My Lust Is My Religion, set for release this summer, provides a tender insight into her vulnerability as an artist, and her journey embracing her eccentricities.   

 

Already making her mark on the gothic alt-pop scene, Florence is manifesting dreams into reality with her debut intimate headline show at Folklore in Hackney this April. Selling out in just 48 hours, the demand for her magnetic presence is undeniable, but what is it about Florence Rose that makes her truly stand-out? It seems the secret is her free spirit energy. Drawing inspiration from her love for fashion – she’s modelled for the likes of brands Gucci and Stella McCartney – coupled with her passion for photography and painting, she crafts her own multi-dimensional universe. It’s through this pastel-hued lens that she reaches surreal depths in her sound, pulling references out of her journals, ‘70s arthouse films and iconic photographers with ease.  

Unfolding like the chapters in a vintage book, her single ‘In Your Room’ is a mesmerising composition, stripped right down to reverberated guitars and no drums. The song sinks its listeners into a dreamy soundscape, where her other-worldly vocals softly whisper into distant realms. In the music video, Florence finds solace in her girlhood within an abandoned house overtaken by nature. As she sprawls on a bed draped in white linens, every creaking floorboard and broken windowpane echoes the melancholic comfort captured in the lyrics: “I’m in your room / Something sweet / Haunting me.”  

 

We spoke more with Florence Rose about her fairy-tale life, songwriting and where she plans to take her visions in the future.

Let’s start with ‘In Your Room’, could you share where and when the inspiration for this song struck?  

It definitely began in the studio. It was one of the first songs I ever made, I think that’s why it sounds softer because I was shy. It was a new thing for me, writing music. The chords were shown to me by my producer and it gave me this haunting lullaby feeling that I loved.  

The music video for ‘In Your Room’ has an ethereal and magical feel. You’ve mentioned being influenced by film, particularly Andrei Tarkovsky’s Mirror. What about it inspired the creation of this video?  

I love the dream elements of the film. There’s a lot of symbols and metaphors for dreaming. It’s very surreal. There are specific film techniques where it’s edited to look backwards. It makes it look a bit strange and I like that.   

The set for the music video is really impressive. Could you tell us more about that?  

I wanted to film in an abandoned, falling apart castle but as you can imagine, that’s really hard to do! The set designer immediately understood what I was going for: I sent a bunch of references and he made it come to life. I love French châteaux, especially ones have been left to run wild and people have deserted. There was a specific image I saw with a big wooden bed in an antique château which had been abandoned. There was a massive cross hanging on the wall, with papers all over the floor and destroyed books. I thought “This is the vibe I want for the video”.  

Do you think the house is symbolism for the music?  

Yes! With my music I’m sometimes asked, “What is it about?” I want it to sound like someone is running, screaming in a field and coming back to nature. Embracing that feeling of being wild. My friend recommended to me a book called Women Who Run with the Wolves. The book talks about this, about our primal nature: the feeling of being free is important.  

You referenced German Expressionism, placing a heavy emphasis on our innermost desires in a playful way. Is writing a cathartic process for you?  

I write all the time, in my journals and on paper: I use that as my cathartic relief. When it comes to songwriting, I reference back to that and whatever the emotion of it is, I work that back into my writing. I cannot write in a conventional way, such as “Today I woke up… etc”, I always want to be super poetic.   

‘In Your Room’ opts for a stripped-down approach, with no drums or rhythm, solely relying on the guitar. What led you to decide on this instrumental direction?  

I think I was experimenting at the time with different things, figuring out my sound and working on varied songs. Even with the lyrics, they came much later on. It was a weird lulling hum and then it became something. There wasn’t a specific choice as to why we did it, but I do really love ambient music.  

Your artistic identity is quite impressive as a songwriter and a filmmaker. Are aesthetics equally important to you as the music itself?

Yeah, so important to me. This is a world I’m trying to build, not just a sound. I always come back to nature in desolate places: strange caves and weird spaces. I don’t like things that are too glamorous. I think I feel this way because it’s a longing to be there, as a city girl.  

There’s a folklore-inspired quality to your music. Would you say you possess a vivid imagination?  

I like discussing how we are all still connected to nature. I’m obsessed with videos that I see on the internet that show things like the similarities in our genetic make-up and that of trees. I feel disconnected a lot of the time from that side of myself, even more so with technology and everything being so fast paced.   

How would you describe your aesthetic?  

It’s romantic Victorian style, but in a more modern context. I love stuff that’s falling apart. I like super-worn clothing that looks like it’s being lived in; I like the idea of it having a story. In the music video for ‘In Your Room’, I wear Victorian antique clothing with some modern designer twists.  

You delve into themes of girlhood and vulnerability in your music. Could you elaborate on how these themes resonate with you personally and how they influence your creative process?  

I think being vulnerable is a positive thing. I can experience intense emotions. Men feel intense emotion, too, but in a different way. It’s a gift that girlhood allows us to feel emotions and express them in creative ways.  

Who are your primary artistic influences? 

Goldfrapp: I like their experimental stuff, I’m drawn to the dark and cinematic feel of their music. It’s sexy. I think Felt Mountain by Goldfrapp is the best album ever. An ex of mine showed me that album and we were both obsessed with it. I like the pop aspect of Lana Del Rey. It’s a drama and it’s fun.  

Looking ahead, where do you envision taking Florence Rose in the future?  

I want to record an album and to make films, maybe even make a film album! What does that mean? I don’t know but I’m going to try to do it. I studied performance design and it included a theatre aspect. I wrote a lot of songs in my bedroom but I didn’t think I’d do anything with them. So, film is important to my work. 

Where does Florence Rose end and you begin?  

That’s interesting: this isn’t a character, but it is just a more dramatised version for me. I live out who I would like to be if I was a character in a movie. It’s important for me to be able to perform.   

Listen to 'In Your Room' now:

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