Soul-touching vocals accompanied by incredibly chilled instrumentals, flöat are fresh out of Nottingham and the woman behind the music, Heather Blore, tells us why we should be listening…
When did flöat form and how did that happen?
I started flöat in spring 2016 as a solo project to experiment with recording by myself in my bedroom. At the time, I was playing the drums and writing songs for a different band, and wanted to have space to write without worrying about anyone else's opinion. I still write and record all of the music for flöat by myself, but since then have branched out into a full band.
What genre of music would you class yourself as?
On our Facebook page the genre is “tender stem / stop, drop & roll / mild groove / Brisbane jangle”. I take inspiration from a lot of different genres, but I suppose flöat could be generally described as ethereal indie pop or rock.
Do you write all of your own lyrics?
I write and play everything that you can hear on the recordings; lyrical inspiration can come from anywhere, things said in conversation or things that I've read or seen.
Has there been a particular gig that stands out to you as the best or most enjoyable?
We recently played in the very sweaty basement of a record shop in Deptford, South East London, and completely packed the room out, which was exciting. Our first ever gig in my dad's bookshop, Jermy & Westerman on Mansfield Road in July 2017 was fun too. We've played at Rough Trade, and recently at Clwb Ifor Bach in Cardiff.
Where did your passion for music first begin?
I started learning the trumpet at primary school when I was seven and have been involved in music since.
Who would you say is your inspiration in the music world?
I'm a big fan of Marika Hackman, I'm also a die-hard Elliott Smith fan. When I feel like I'm getting lazy with songwriting, I listen to artists I look up to to remind myself I should be working harder. I'm also obsessed with a band called Alaskalaska at the moment, they're incredible live.
When I feel like I'm getting lazy with songwriting, I listen to artists I look up to to remind myself I should be working harder
Which of your songs are you most proud of and why?
Vapidity; I like the balance of darkness and fun.
Who are your other band members?
We have Kieran Wells on bass guitar, Anna Baily on trumpet, Reuben James on keyboard and Heledd Owen on drums.
Is there a story behind the name flöat?
Originally, I called the project Bingirl, or The Bin Girl Experience, but I rechristened it flöat after writing a song called flöat, as I thought it matched the tone of the songs better.
What would be your dream collaboration?
Stevie Nicks, or Alanis Morisette.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Ideally, I'd like it if I could make a career out of this, but if not, I've always wanted to be a bus driver so maybe I'll be working for NCT. Either that, or I'd like to buy an ice cream van.
Are you working on anything new at the moment or do you have any plans to?
I've mainly been focussed on polishing our live set with the band; hopefully we'll be gigging more in London when we're back at uni in September. I do have a couple of new songs on the go, but nothing major at the moment.
flöat’s EPs Gentle Heart of a Freak and Codeine are available on Bandcamp now.
flöat on Bandcamp
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