Florence + The Machine Fandom

An edited image of Florence Welch, vocalist of Florence + the Machine (1)

The Flourishing Fandom of Florence + the Machine

    Formed in 2007, the English indie rock band known as Florence + the Machine, has grown quite a fan base (2). According to a Wikipedia page about the group, members consists of "vocalist Florence Welch, keyboardist Isabella Summers, guitarist Rob Ackroyd, harpist Tom Monger, and a collaboration of other musicians" (2). Based on my research and prior knowledge, it appears that vocalist Florence Welch is at center of the Florence + the Machine fandom, which is arguably unsurprising due to the fact that she is the sole vocalist of the group and therefore front and center. The Florence + the Machine fandom has manifested itself in countless ways, including but not limited to various Wikipedia pages, fan accounts on social media, online fan clubs, and academic interest in the band and their music. 

    Before examining the types of activities these fans participate in, it is important to also understand who these fans are in order to fully comprehend the fandom in its entirety. So, what types of people are attracted to to this musical group, and further, its fandom? The answer to this question is a complicated one, if there even is one correct answer. Fans of Florence + the Machine, like fans of any other musical group, vary greatly in their characteristics. Nevertheless, some fans have observed general trends in the types of people who are drawn to this band. One internet user, presumably a fan of the group, went so far as to create a slideshow via SlideShare about the target audience of Florence + the Machine, as well as two similar artists. This user claims that Florence's "free spirited 'hippy' style" attracts younger fans around 14-20 years old. The user further describes Florence, her music, and her music videos as very "unique," "fun," and "linked with nature" (3). Self-proclaimed fan Michelle Edgar describes Florence + the Machine's music as "[d]elicate and ferocious, powerful yet vulnerable... pretty with a punch" (4). Therefore, it may be reasonable to conclude that many of their fans are able to personally connect with the "unique" nature of Florence and her music, as well as the power and passion with which she sings. While the group is based in London, fans of Florence + the Machine are may be found worldwide, as indicated by their numerous concert locations from past tours. Several locations they have visited while touring include New York, Greece, Ireland, Mexico, Switzerland, Canada, United Arab Emirates, and Australia (5). Click here for a complete list of the band's touring locations since 2012.

Above are three Florence + the Machine album covers which reflect Florence's "unique" style (6-8).

Wiki Pages

     A quick search of "Florence + the Machine Wikipedia pages" will produce numerous results, with specific topics of interest ranging from the history of the group itself to analyses of specific songs produced by the group. This Wikipedia page provides an overview of the group, their accomplishments, and their music. Fandom, aka Wikia, is a site similar to Wikipedia that allows users to create and publish pages about fandoms they are a part of or are interested in. Oftentimes, the information on these pages are actually sourced from Wikipedia. This site features numerous pages on Florence + the Machine, which include information about their performances, musical style, background information, etc. Click here to view an especially detailed Fandom page.

The Ultimate Fan Club

    More devoted fans of Florence + the Machine are not satisfied to love this group privately, and instead have demonstrated a desire to connect and share their passion with others who share the same interest in the group. One excellent example of this phenomenon may be found with just a few clicks. This link will lead you to florenceandthemachinefanclub.com, an incredibly thorough fan-created website that provides a communal space for fans to gather. According to the website's home page, this site is "[y]our central source of news, photos, features, and events" (9). The website also prompts users to "Join the Flow Revolution," or, in other words, to join the Florence + the Machine fandom. Founded in 2008, the site administrators continue to be active to this day. Under the "news" tab, a post from February 14, 2021, encouraged fans to submit a story about what the group's album "Ceremonials" means to them in honor of the album's ten year anniversary. There are several specific topics listed in the description of the post that users were encouraged to include in their stories, including their favorite song in the album and what it means to them, as well as a difficult or happy time they associate with the album. 

Flow Magazine

    As mentioned above, the official Florence + the Machine fan club website is incredibly thorough and well-developed. The creators even went so far as to produce and publish approximately twelve issues of an amateur magazine called "The Flow," which fans may order physical copies of or read for free online. The creators of "The Flow" were inspired by their observation that "fans worldwide craved more than just an online-based system" and that "Florence fans are big collectors" (10). Magazine content appears to vary between issues. The Spring 2015 issue contains news related to the band's activity, an analysis of Florence's fashion choices, fan photo submissions inspired by a Florence + the Machine song, a review of the "How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful" album, and more (10).

Three magazine covers from different issues of "The Flow" (10)

Between Two Books

    Although the organization "Between Two Books" was not created by the makers of the fan club website, details and updates about the club are posted on the site. "Between Two Books," a take on the Florence + the Machine song "Between Two Lungs," is a book club for fans of the band. Every few months, Florence or some other special guest provides book recommendations, followed by discussion of the books once members have finished reading (11). Click here to visit the official Between Two Books Facebook page.

Social Media 

    Social media is a major forum through which fans are active participants of the Florence + the Machine fandom. Not only are fans able to follow Florence + the Machine's official accounts, as well as Florence Welch's personal accounts, but they are also able to create their own fan accounts and clubs, in addition to following fan accounts that others have made. Fan accounts for Florence + the Machine are essentially present in every popular social media application that exists. Two of the most popular social media sites where Florence + the Machine fans seem to gather are Instagram and Facebook. 

Instagram 

    The band's official account, @florenceandthemachine, has approximately 573,000 followers, and Florence's personal account, @florence, has approximately 1.8 million followers. The band's most recent post from December 17, 2020, of Florence singing a cover of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," has amassed around 38,000 likes and over 700 comments. Users wrote positive and supportive comments, including heart emojis and praises of her voice in the video. As I searched for fan accounts for the band, I discovered a range of accounts demonstrating their support for the band in various ways. One user, @florriblememerabella, mostly posts Florence-related memes, such as the one pictured below (12). Florence has followed several similar fan accounts, which these users proudly display in their bios.

Another user, @whatisflorencewearing, focuses on Florence's unique fashion sense by breaking down outfits Florence has worn into their individual pieces and speculating where she likely purchased them from. This account boasts almost 15,000 followers. 

Instagram, like many other social media sites, makes use of hashtags, which allows users to view posts related to their specific interests. There are numerous Florence + the Machine related hashtags for one to follow, including #florenceandthemachine, which has over 600,000 posts, #florenceandthemachinetattoo, which has over 200 posts, and #florenceandthemachinelyrics, which has over 1,000 posts.

Facebook

    The official Florence + the Machine Facebook account is followed by over 5 million fans, which, considering the average age of Facebook users, might suggest that fans of this band are not all younger individuals. Similar to Instagram, there are numerous fan accounts that have been created by members of the Florence + the Machine fandom. One account, The Florence + The Machine Army, claims to be "[t]he first International fan club for Florence and the Machine fans" (13). One unique feature of Facebook that Instagram does not have is the ability to create and join private groups, of which there are many for fans of Florence + the Machine. One notable private fan group, Florence + the Machine Fan Club (not associated with the Florence + the Machine fan club website), has around 22,000 members. The group was created in 2013, and members are still active on the page today, as indicated by the "activity" feature on their page. Only members of the group can view posts on the page, but non-members are still able to view some information about the group, including the established rules. Rule number one is that "[t]his group is a community for fans of FATM," with a description explaining that all content should be related to Florence + the Machine in some way (14).

Scholarly Interest in Florence + the Machine

    The Florence + the Machine fandom is not only limited to recreational expressions of interest, but also though more scholarly approaches. There are numerous academic articles and books about Florence + the Machine as a group, their music, and their fan base. One example of scholarly interest in Florence + the Machine is Fritz and Hopflinger's article "'You Need a Big God': Fascinating Interactions Between Music and Religion," which closely examines the Florence + the Machine song "Big God" to address the connection between music and religion (15). A search of Amazon for Florence + the Machine books will reveal a book written by Zoe Howe titled Florence + the Machine: An Almighty Sound, which details Florence's journey from more humble beginnings to fame, as well as why and how she has intrigued fans worldwide (16). 

Additional Resources

    The Florence + the Machine fandom is a vast community both in terms of its fans and the ways in which they express themselves. There are many other ways fans have participated in this fandom outside of what has been discussed in this blog. If you are intrigued by the Florence + the Machine fandom, you might be interested in the related media featured below.

1. 78 books recommended by Between Two Books

2. YouTube clip of Florence singing to a fan fighting cancer 

3. Florence + the Machine Wall Art Created by Fans 

4. Florence + the Machine fan art and edits on Pinterest

Works Cited

1. "Florence Welch." Ppcorn.com, cdn.ppcorn.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2015/03/Florence-and-the-Machine-ppcorn.jpg. Accessed 10 Mar. 2021.

‌2. “Florence and the Machine.” Wikipedia, 1 Mar. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_and_the_Machine. Accessed 10 Mar. 2021. 

3. finbarrpine11. “Audience Research on Three Similar Artists.” Slideshare.net, 24 Dec. 2010, www.slideshare.net/finbarrpine11/florence-and-the-machine-6350070. Accessed 10 Mar. 2021.

4. Edgar, Michelle, et al. “Behind the Scenes with Florence and the Machine: Music Unites Interviews Florence Welch.” HuffPost, 9 June 2010, www.huffpost.com/entry/behind-the-scenes-with-fl_b_532666. Accessed 10 Mar. 2021.

5. “Florence and the Machine Tour 2021 - 2022 | Tour Dates for Florence and the Machine Concerts in 2021 and 2022! : Florence and the Machine Tour.” Www.florenceandthemachinetour.com, 14 May 2013, www.florenceandthemachinetour.com/. Accessed 10 Mar. 2021.

6. “Ceremonials Album Cover.” Fanart.tv, fanart.tv/fanart/music/5fee3020-513b-48c2-b1f7-4681b01db0c6/albumcover/ceremonials-4f22c882f3b9f.jpg. Accessed 10 Mar. 2021.

7. “High as Hope Album Cover.” Mzstatic.com, is2-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Music128/v4/97/32/61/973261c3-59ef-3d79-afa5-94a3b8316649/source/1200x1200bb.jpg. Accessed 10 Mar. 2021.

8. “Lungs Album Cover.” Blogspot.com, 2.bp.blogspot.com/_mupIVJbjvuU/TJEZHJk6B0I/AAAAAAAAG2k/gQWyXGYKRsY/s1600/Florence+&+The+Machine+-+Lungs+(Official+Album+Cover)+Thanx+to+Raul.jpg. Accessed 10 Mar. 2021.

9. “The Florence + the Machine Fan Club.” The Florence + the Machine Fan Club, www.florenceandthemachinefanclub.com/. Accessed 10 Mar. 2021.

10. “The Flow Magazine / the Florence + the Machine Fan Club.” The Florence + the Machine Fan Club, www.florenceandthemachinefanclub.com/flowmagazine. Accessed 11 Mar. 2021.

11. “Between Two Books / the Florence + the Machine Fan Club.” The Florence + the Machine Fan Club, www.florenceandthemachinefanclub.com/betweentwobooks. Accessed 11 Mar. 2021.

12. @florriblememerabella. Instagram, 19 Feb. 2020, https://www.instagram.com/p/B8wfwDznEMO/. Accessed 11 Mar. 2021.

13. The Florence + The Machine Army. Facebook.

14. “Facebook Groups.” Www.facebook.com, www.facebook.com/groups/FATMFanGroup. Accessed 11 Mar. 2021.

15. Fritza, Natalie, and Anna-Katherina Hopflinger. “KLN PASS User Login.” Rpas.klnpa.org, 2020, proxy-bloomu.klnpa.org/login?url=search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsdoj&AN=edsdoj.2fed2633d824119bee75f05459d75d3&site=eds-live&scope=site. Accessed 9 Mar. 2021.

16. Zöe Street Howe. Florence + the Machine : An Almighty Sound. London ; New York, Omnibus Press, 2012.