Interview with Flora

Today I have an interview for you with French artist Flora. Her debut EP, FMR, came out at the end of the last month and her dreamy vocals and indie pop music caught my attention immediately. Flora is definitely an artist to be listening to right now, especially with an EP written and created through the lockdown period. I will leave all the usual links at the end of this post including a link to Flora’s Spotify so you can give FMR a listen as well.

Hi Flora! How would you describe your musical style to the readers?

Hi! I feel like my style is indie-pop-folk, if you want to relax, be calm on a sunny day, or for dreaming, I think my music is perfect for you!

Who would you say are your biggest inspirations musically?

My biggest inspirations are The 1975, Harry Styles, Taylor Swift and Coldplay (but there are so many!). I think it really depends on what I’m feeling, what emotions and mood I’m in. Because for me, it’s really natural to always reconsider myself as an artist, and it’s hard to be satisfied with what you do, you feel like you can always do better. So I search for inspirations everywhere and in every genre.

Your new EP, FMR, is out now! What was the process of making the EP like?

I first wrote the song « Find Me » during quarantine, it talks about the hope to be found by someone you want to be found by ( someone or yourself!) , it’s also according to the feeling of loneliness during these hard months we’re living in. It’s also kind of about fears of the unknown, love is the unknown! At first I wanted to release it as a single, but I felt like I could write an entire story about this. So I challenged myself to write an entire EP on my own. So as soon as I would get an inspired or a new sound in my head, I would go to my computer, take my guitar and my synth, and just let myself go where my mind wants.

I really love the dreamy sound your music creates, where did the inspiration come from for these new songs?

One of the things that fascinates me the most are dreams. It’s just so cool. You can escape from your life for a life you really want to be in. And it’s more than « night » dreams. You can close your eyes, put your music on shuffle, and imagine everything you want. So my first priority by making music is to support people’s dreams. It’s obvious when you listen to my song « Meet Me in My Dreams ». There’s so much anxiety, especially this year, so I just wanted to relax people with soft sounds and sweet lyrics.

I think the blend of real instruments and electronic instruments on the EP is really interesting and fun. Was this a conscious choice for you?

I don’t think so. I know that I really love that mix in songs that I listen to. I was probably inspired by The 1975, they blend electronic and « real » instruments so well. Also, I just can’t choose! « Real » instruments are gold, but you can find so many possibilities and beautiful sounds in electronic instruments. I think it’s a good mix.

What are you most looking forward to now that the EP is out?

I hope more people are going to listen to it, because I released it for other people, otherwise I would have kept it for myself! I also hope this debut EP means the debut of something great in my life.

And lastly, what's next for you?

I’m actually already thinking about new songs, singles I think, but my ultimate dream is to release an album. But not for now, as an independent, that’s a huge project! For my EP ‘FMR’ I made everything by myself at home. From Song-writing, mixing, producing, to the album cover, and singing obviously. I’m also thinking about making a music video for one of FMR’s song. But you will definitely hear or see more of me soon!

Thank you so much to Flora for taking the time to answer these questions for After Midnight, it is really appreciated! We look forward to seeing what comes next in her musical journey. Please go and listen to FMR, linked below, as it is well worth your time.

Thank you for reading and until next time…

Listen to FMR here.

Follow Flora on Spotify here.

Follow Flora on Instagram here.

Follow me on Spotify here.

Follow After Midnight on Instagram here.

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Follow me on Instagram here.

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