Start Listening To: White Flowers
We recently spoke with White Flowers ahead of their upcoming debut record Day By Day and got to hear all about their creative process.
For those unfamiliar with your music, can you tell us who you are, where you’re from, and a little bit about the music that you make?
Yep we are Joey and Katie of White Flowers. We’re originally from Preston and currently based there. Our music’s often described as a blend of dream pop, post punk and shoegaze.
We love your new single! Can you tell us more about the lyrics in this track?
Thanks! With all our songs the music is created first, then Katie puts the melody and lyrics to it quite intuitively. Often the first thing that comes out is what you hear on the finished track and it’s only then that the lyrics begin to take on meaning for us. We feel like ‘Daylight’ deals with feelings of being lost, of being on the outside, but knowing that everything comes and goes in cycles.
You’ve just announced your debut Day by Day. What can you share with us about your new album?
The record started forming a few years ago when we were both at art college in London, but ultimately came together when we returned home. Most of the recording was done between various bedrooms in London, then Preston, then we went in and finalised things with Doves guitarist Jez Williams at his Manchester studio.
The strange and uncertain times we’re living through have no doubt influenced the songs on the album. For us, the process of making Day By Day has been very cathartic, an escapism from an overwhelming world.
What is your songwriting process like?
Very fragmented... our songs usually start life as a flash of an idea, which we then keep coming back to and build on over time. We like to craft our songs carefully, usually taking months, sometimes years, to get them to the final point.
There’s a euphoric dreamlike quality to your music. What are you doing to achieve those sounds?
We naturally gravitate to more alien sounds, effecting instruments heavily so that they become unrecognisable from their original state. We also use a lot of warped samples in the recordings - quite a lot of these come from old films or are just field recordings we’ve done on a phone. I think that collaging these elements together creates that kind of dreamlike sound.
How did you produce your new album?
It was mostly recorded at home, we’d craft ideas until they were fully formed songs - then we had the privilege of being able to go in and work with Jez. He helped draw out and develop the most important sonic elements, gave everything more space and depth, then applied his magic touch to the mix.
Which artists have influenced you the most?
We’ve got a wide range of influences and we’re constantly discovering new stuff that excites us. We grew up listening to a lot of northern bands like Joy Division, New Order etc… so they definitely had a big impact. We’re very into electronic and ambient music; we’ve got a lot of respect for artists who manage to conjure amazing, beautiful sounds despite having a minimal setup. It’s always inspiring when artists make the most of what they have and as a result make something that’s pure and moving.
How has it been adapting to not playing live? Do you have plans for future shows?
It’s been frustrating, as it has for all bands, especially as we began 2020 playing a lot of shows just before everything shut down. But on the plus side we’ve had extra time time to develop visual elements and work on new material. Fingers crossed live shows will start happening again soon and we can all get back on it.
What do you hate right now?
Not being able to tour.
What do you love right now?
We’ve both got really into ambient music in this past lock down, discovered some amazing artists we’d never heard before.
Is there any new music from 2021 that you’re enjoying?
This sounds quite biased but our label Tough Love have put out some great stuff this year, like the new releases from Badwan/Coxon and William Doyle. The Black Country New Road record is also pretty interesting.
