Monday 5th January 2015 by Andrew Trendell | Photos by WENN

Florence + The Machine's new album is almost finished

Fan site photo reveals LP No.3 is being mixed

She has said she was really in to witch craft as a younger lady, "I made mini shrines in my bedroom with candles and tried to cast spells to make the boy in the next class fall in love with me. I don�t think he did."

Welch has described love as a 'sickness': "Love is horrible, though, isn't it? I mean, when you�re in love, it�s like a sickness. Such madness."

Florence's mother was Evelyn, a professor of renaissance studies and academic dean of arts at Queen Mary, University of London. She doesn't listen to music.

Welch received her education at the Camberwell College of Arts before dropping out to pursue a musical career.

Florence once locked eyes with Paul McCartney and sang, "Rebel rebel, how could they know? / Hot tramp, I love you so . . . " during a David Bowie cover at an Alexander McQueen tribute gig. She'd never met him before.

Welch travelled around her first tour (supporting MGMT in 2008) with her dad in a camper van because she didn't have any money.

Welch was terrified throughout her teens, "If you asked me to go back to being 14 or 15, I couldn't %u2013 it was a terrifying time. I was so awkward in my own skin. I used to hide behind my hair because I was so ridiculously self-conscious."

'What the Water Gave Me' was inspired by a Frida Kahlo painting. Describing the painting in question, Welch said: "that one where her feet are in the bath and all of her nightmares and dreams are in the bath with her. It got me thinking about the water and the sea. When I was growing up, there were these news stories that kept popping up in my life about children who would get swept out to sea, and the parents would dive in after them. I%u2019d seen these news stories crop up again and again, and it made me think of this idea of the sea being this entity that needs a sacrifice."

Welch has huge fashion influence, Gucci designer Frida Giannini has said that Welch served as an inspiration for the house�s winter 2011 collection; Giannini also created the outfits for Florence + The Machine�s most recent US tour.

Welch rose to fame due to Mairead Nash. She cornered her in a bathroom and sang Etta James's 'Something's Got a Hold on Me'. A week later, Welch received a phone call asking her to perform at a club night.

Tags: Florence and the Machine

Good news for fans of Florence + The Machine - it looks like Florence Welch and co's new album is almost finished.

The follow-up to 2011's massive Ceremonials is said to have been in the works for quite some time now, with hopes of new material piqued after announcing a string of live festival dates for summer 2015.

Now, it looks like the wait may soon be over. Over the weekend, fan site Florence + The Machine Army posted a photo from the studio showing the album in the final mixing stage - with the title of record beind hidden by a sharpie pen.

The photo has since been removed, but swift fans nabbed it and put it online over here.

Florence + The Machine is currently among the acts rumoured to be performing at Glastonbury and Reading and Leeds festivals. However, she has already been confirmed for a number of European festivals including Way Out West, Oya, Flow Festival, Rock Werchter and Hurricane.

Buy tickets safely and securely with Seatwave here.

Florence and the Machine Tickets

Aug 2015

03

Red Rocks Amphitheatre ,

from

£ 175.00
Oct 2015

09

Ascend Amphitheater , Nashville

£ 31.00

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£ 55.05
13

Ak-Chin Pavilion , Phoenix

£ 26.00

from

£ 37.70
14

Viejas Arena at Aztec Bowl San Diego State University , San Diego

£ 30.50

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£ 45.00
16

Hollywood , Los Angeles

£ 30.50

from

£ 58.00