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19-year-old Flora Fiora has been working entirely independently for a while, but suddenly things are coming together in a big way. With BBC Introducing support, a stunning KOKO Studio Session and a new deal with Right Tracks (the new publishing venture fromChrysalis co-founder Chris Wright), Flora Fiora’s rise now accelerates as she releases her debut EP ‘In No Particular Order’ alongside her addictive new single ‘Kick The Tyres’. Listen HERE
Flora Fiora comes from the village of Chedworth in Gloucestershire, where she still lives. With a population of just 800, it’s tiny but beautiful and is best known for its National Trust heritage Roman Villa. All of which is great for the local tourist board, but limiting for someone wanting to make a career as a musician.
Her only opportunity, therefore, was a mix of dogged determination and DIY independence. She started a grassroots fanbase and built connections with a small community of other local musicians by driving to play gigs often in Cheltenham, Gloucester or Stroud, sometimes punctuated with much longer journeys to perform or record in London. Social media offered further chances of discovery, both with new listeners and industry figures who could potentially open new doors, while the local BBC Introducing network has constantly championed her talents – everything she achieved initially was done so independently.
‘In No Particular Order’ is a striking first introduction to Flora Fiora, a collection of reflective, introspective lyrical experiences which she channels into music somewhere between the immediacy of indie-pop and the first-person intimacy of the singer-songwriter tradition. It shows why she is winning comparisons to artists such as Lizzy McAlpine, Florence + The Machine and Taylor Swift.
Floria Fiora says, “It’s one of those things where you don’t really know what’s going on until it’s over. Songwriting for me is where the answers flood to. With this project, once all the songs were together, that’s where I realised the importance of reflection and understanding. Whatever order it comes in. Sometimes it takes time to see the clarity in a life that feels like it’s in anti-gravity. You just have to look for it.”
The EP’s opening track and focus single ‘Kick The Tyres’ is also an expression of learning as the journey unfolds. Its propulsive hook captures the frustration of being stuck in steady progression as you strive to fulfil your ambitions. Are you overcome by annoyance? Or do you calm your nerves and go again? It’s a dilemma answered by the stunning choral vocal harmonies that swirl around the song’s middle-eight.
She adds, “When I wrote this song I was so frustrated I hadn’t made it yet. I was thinking, I’m writing so many songs I love, how are we not selling tickets, how are we not selling out venues yet? Sometimes having a dream you live for is so intense, you’re burning the candle at both ends working hard to make it, and then stressing that you’re not working hard enough. My parents always tell me the journey is just as important as the goal. If there’s no journey, then how are you supposed to get there and be ready?! That’s what this song means to me.”
Also featuring the recent singles ‘Mad In The Head’ and ‘Getting Out’, the ‘In No Particular Order’ EP is completed by a second new track in the shape of ‘Dreamer’ which switches moods into ethereal romanticism.
All four songs were written by Flora Fiora, with one co-written by Crispin Burton. The EP was produced by the legendary Mike Batt (Katie Melua) and Luke Batt (Jonas Brothers).
Flora Fiora has played many gigs throughout the summer, including the Beautiful Days Festival, The Sub Rooms in Stroud and a visually striking Matblakk showcase set at The Cove, an infinity cove in London. Her next two show is Gloucester Guildhall (November 7th) as support to Devon.
