Florence Welch inspired by ‘intensity’ of heaven and hell

Florence and the Machine’s next album is inspired by the “intensity” of heaven and hell.

Singer Florence Welch admits the first music she fell in love with were the hymns she sung at school, and though she is not a religious person, she is fascinated by the themes they explore.

She said: "I went to Catholic school, and the first songs I remember liking were hymns. I find it's nice to mix the mundane and the magical, the irrelevant with the huge themes. Sex, love, death, marriage, guilt — mix that with seeing a huge sky or going for a walk or turning the page of a book. Living is dealing with the everyday and the notion that you're going to die.

"I don't think of myself as religious, but on the next album I'm moving toward the intensity and passion of heaven and hell, revelation and retribution, that kind of battle. The first album was more about flesh. This is about light."

The 24-year-old ‘Dog Days are Over’ hitmaker is nominated for a Grammy award this year for Best New Artist alongside Drake, Justin Bieber, Mumford & Sons, and Esperanza Spelding and Florence admits she is astonished to be in the running.

She added in an interview with USA Today newspaper: “I feel relatively unknown in America, so I can't quite believe it. It's such an iconic award. Drake is a good friend, and that's what's important. There's no competition. When you take away the glamour and have a chat about your families, you find out you're going through the same situations. He's a real sweetheart. If he wins, I'd be over the moon."