“Breath of Life”, is the first official single released for the upcoming summer film, ‘Snow White and The Huntsman’ performed by Florence + The Machine.

Reportedly written from the perspective of the evil Queen Raveena; “I just thought that the queen was such an amazing character, literally sucking the life of young girls,” said Welch. The song is about the evil queen trying to capture the youth and beauty of Snow White.

Welch’s chilling voice is perfect for this menacing version of a classic fairytale, gliding over a harmonious blend of melodies and pulsating drums. Complete with a full orchestra, the live symphony adds to the tracks epic “heavenly” haunting quality with rising anticipation. “I think the audience, I would like them to be slightly afraid,” said Welch.

After the overwhelming success of the soundtrack’s first single, it has left US fans anxious, wanting for more. The official announcement came earlier this Monday, that Florence + The Machine will be returning to the United States for third time this coming Fall 2012. The ‘Ceremonials’ tour plays for 13 dates throughout the country starting in Mansfield, MA on September 14 and wrapping up in Albuquerque, NM on October 10.

Florence + The Machine’s sophomore album ‘Ceremonials’ went straight to number one in UK after selling over 90,000 copies in its first week alone. I had a near matching success in the states, peaking at #1 on the charts and placing top 10 on the US Billboard chart with the albums second track ‘Shake it out’ and ‘What the Water Gave Me’.

Expect the ‘Ceremonials’ tour performances to be filled with theatrical emotion amidst an echoing gospel choir with songs like ‘Leave My Body” and ‘Only for a Night’ written about Welch’s long passed grandmother appearing to her in a dream…“and the only solution was to stand and fight, and my body was loosing all the satellites, but you came over me like a holy life, and I know how this works, you’re the only light, only if for a night…”

The tour will also feature bands, The Maccabees and The Weekend. A majestic platform of strings, bellowing tribal drums and Welch’s compelling baroque-pop stylized vocals the audience will be left with no short of feeling, an awakening of the soul and senses. Tickets go on sale May 11.

Tour Dates

Sep 14 – Comcast Center, Mansfield, MA

Sep 15 – Nikon at Jones Beach Theater, Wantagh, NY

Sep 19 – Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD

Sep 21 – Raleigh Amphitheatre, Raleigh, NC

Sep 25 – USF Sun Dome, Tampa Bay, FL

Oct 1 – Starlight Theater, Kansas City, MO

Oct 7 – Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA

Oct 10 – Hard Rock Casino Presents: The Pavilion, Alburquerque, NM

Visit the official website for a complete listing of tour dates and info.

The “Snow White and The Huntsman” soundtrack will be available be on May 29. The complete track listing has yet to be announced. Look out for the film in theaters nation wide June 1.

Image Courtesy of    Florence and the Machine

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This past Tuesday, British group Florence + the Machine took to the stage at London’s iconic Royal Albert Hall in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust. Led by front-woman Florence Welch, the BRIT Award-winning and Grammy-nominated performed a selection of tracks during the 60 minute show, incorporating fan favourites from debut LP ‘Lungs’ as well as new music from 2011′s follow-up LP ‘Ceremonials’.

The concert was streamed live on YouTube in partnership with HP Live, attracting a worldwide audience on top of the thousands present in the Hall. Welch commenced with the band’s well-known cover of The Source and Candi Staton’s ‘You Got the Love’ and then moved into ‘Only If for a Night’, the first track from ‘Ceremonials’.

Despite Welch and her bandmates being known for soaring sounds and anthemic beats, every track was performed with a certain degree of restrained understatement, fitting for the venue and for the melancholic nature of the charity of which they were supporting. Welch, however, kept things light and was happy to engage with the audience.

It’s so amazing to be here tonight. Thank you so much … It’s just this space and the people and for this cause, it really means so much to me, so thank you. I’ve never been so nervous in my life! Even while I’m singing, it’s just looking up and seeing thing, and then it’s like, ‘Oh! I’ve got to remember the words and keep singing! Don’t get distracted by the beautiful arches!’.

As the show went on, Welch switched seamlessly between her back catalogue, from the ethereal ‘Between Two Lungs’ to piercingly vivid ‘Cosmic Love’. She joked repeatedly that she was ‘trying to practise being poised and … orchestral’, but from the audience’s perspective she was doing just fine.

With her tall, lean frame, and her simple, elegant dress, Welch fit right in with the classical aura, and might very well find herself fielding offers from the BBC Proms next year, considering how well she adapted to the evening’s proceedings while in the middle of an arena-filling world tour.

For her encore, Welch returned to the stage and belted out ‘Shake It Out’, the lead single from ‘Ceremonials’. This was an incredibly apt track on which to end to concert, as it speaks about new beginnings, letting go of the past, and looking to the future – a message suited well to the teenagers benefiting directly from the proceeds of this event. The organisation’s mission statement is:

We don’t believe that teenagers should have to stop being teenagers, just because they have cancer. So we fund and build specialist units for young people in NHS hospitals. Our units bring teenagers with cancer together with loads of new friends of their own age so they can support each other … Teenage Cancer Trust aims to ensure that every young person with cancer and their family receive the best possible care and professional support throughout their cancer journey.

For more information, visit their website. Meanwhile, ‘Florence + the Machine”s full concert can be viewed on HP Live’s YouTube channel.

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Wedding-style organ notes fade in, echoed chords slowly infiltrate and the dulcet tones of Miss Welch begin for what can only be the starter track of the new Florence and the Machine album, “Ceremonials.” The second album after the storming success of 2009’s “Lungs” is no disappointment, barging its way into the UK album chart at number one and shuffling its nose into the Top Ten in the US chart.

It seems the only way is up for the redhead and her roadies; starting a national tour on March 2, they will be rocking stages with their new sound at Dublin’s O2 Arena, through Bournemouth, Cardiff, Nottingham, London, Glasgow, Manchester, and finishing at Newcastle’s Metro Arena March 16.

Speculation about the band’s tour may not be isolated to the music, though: questions of what outfits she may wear onstage will undoubtedly paint headlines in the papers. Something of a London ‘it’ Girl, much focus has been on Florence’s indie-hippy persona, inventive clothing and, of course, fantastic flaming hair.

She is in the company of many successful Brit artists of late such as Adele, both of whom find their careers rocketing in the US, and their appearances scrutinized in magazines. Florence, however, seems to regard the matter with little interest: “It’s not inner turmoil. It’s total escapism. I’m not wrestling with my emotions. It’s a dress,” she said.

The singer has previously declared she is not interested in that side of her career: “I already feel like mine is planned out for the next two years, so I don’t think I’d like to get anymore famous!”

What remains is the music. Facades aside, what we have left is a truly soulful album. While “Shake It Out,” a lead track from the album released a few weeks ago, may have been a more obvious and go-getting start, what is chosen instead is the more subtle and vocal-based “Only If For a Night.” It is one of the more gothic and mournful songs, which, although a slow-burner, particularly for new fans, generates a feeling of familiarity.

While criticized for multi-tracking on vocals in many, if not most, of the tracks, this new sound creates an almost tribal-like feel, as in “What the Water Gave Me,” released over the summer. It is also in these songs that we hear the much examined similarity to Kate Bush: the warbling trills and mordents that somehow complement the unique mesh of harps, bells, organs, guitars and drums to create that atmospheric sound specific to the Brit indie group.

The more radio-friendly tracks also make an appearance, such as “Heartlines,” with a return of the tambourine beat we all love and mood-lifting choruses you know you will find yourself belting alongside to, regardless of whether or not you know the lyrics. Tickets for the 2012 tour will be on sale November 25.

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