With just one single, Flo Fields has already begun carving a place for herself in the UK’s alternative soul landscape. Her debut track ‘Dependency’ is a stunning first offering, a soulful meditation on emotional entanglement, personal reckoning, and the quiet power of coming back to oneself. Born from a moment of raw vulnerability on a windswept beach in Portugal, the song blends lo-fi textures, jazz-infused melodies, and Flo’s honeyed vocals into something both deeply personal and universally resonant.
So with the new single, we sat down with Flo Fields to talk about the origins of her musical influences, and how vulnerability, curiosity, and emotional growth shape her creative process.
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Can you tell us a bit about your musical background and how you got started in music?
I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember and started piano and violin lessons as a child, only to give them both up by age 15 believing I wasn’t creative and wasn’t a musician. I was taught the traditional way with sheet music and theory and although I can be grateful for it now, it put me off music for a long time, partly because classical music didn’t inspire and make me feel in the way that jazz or soul does, but also because I have a different way of learning. I’m not a strong reader, I LOVE audio books and music is the same for me. I love listening- that’s how I learn best. But I carried on singing and trained in Musical Theatre thinking that was all that would make me happy- but it didn’t. Skip ahead 12 years where I was in India with an incredible musician friend and music found me again! It was the celebration of music, the joy, the deep feeling, the freedom of expression that reconnected me to what had been lost through strict teaching methods. Through joining in jams where the music was alive and had relevance for me, I’d learnt ukulele in a month without trying and picked up guitar 6 months later. Then one day another friend turned to me and asked ‘do you play violin?’ My surprise when ‘Yes’ came out of my mouth and his excitement in response, is a hilarious moment I’ll always remember. I NEVER expected to play violin again!
Who are some of your biggest musical influences, both past and present?
Jazz greats like Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday were very prominent in my upbringing . They give me all the tickles and deep feeling and I never get tired of hearing them. But my biggest musical influences are my friends. They just make the BEST music. (I’m not biased…!) When I hear something I’ve written sometimes I have a panic moment the next day thinking- wait- did my friend already write that?! I’m so inspired my them.
At the moment I’m loving listening to Cleo Sol, Danika and Nubiyan Twist.
Are there any specific artists or bands that have had a significant impact on your music style or approach?
Other than jazz legends I think it’s possibly the opposite- very unspecific. Like a mixture of all the different musical phases I’ve had in my life – that Avril Lavigne phase… Destiny’s Child… (I can definitely feel the RnB pop influence creep in having grown up in the 90s!) Christina Aguilera… Corrine Bailey Rae… Jose Gonzales… When I first heard Hiatus Kaiyote it was like something both my brain and soul had been craving for a long time. Oh and probably most specifically Joss Stone who I was obsessed with for a while.
Could you share any memorable moments or experiences that have shaped your musical journey so far?
Before I knew I could write music, a friend I’d trained in Musical Theatre with contacted me, out of the blue, to ask if I would write the music for a musical she was writing. I was on a bus in India at the time and remember thinking ‘How does she know I can do that? I don’t even know if I can do that!’ But she pitched the idea to me and it sounded mad and completely genius so I said yes. The show highlighted what it’s like to be woman in this day and age using subtle, awkward comedy and familiar public figures. She gave me total artistic freedom to write whatever I wanted in my own style. I honestly had no idea I had so much to say on the subject and was so passionate about it, but the songs poured out of me like hot coffee! What was fascinating, is that my trip round India then perfectly supported and shaped the writing process. Whether it was being faced with sexual harassment or meeting and speaking with women who lived in areas that were ‘not free’ and forced into arranged marriages, I was being shown first hand some of the many challenges women face.
The songs came clearly and each at their own time and the show was shaping up beautifully. After securing an amazing venue to take it to Edinburgh Fridge, covid hit and it was cancelled. We’ve since never manage to align schedules to put it on but I am still so grateful to have had the experience of writing it. To my friend for having faith in me and seeing something I didn’t even know was there. Giving a voice to so many women helped me to find my own and shaped how I write today.
How do you express your personal experiences and identity through your music?
So most of my writing is a dialogue with myself: self enquiry. It’s a conversation where I ask myself questions about what I’m experiencing eg. ‘What am I feeling? Why am I feeling this? What do I need?’ That’s so deeply personal. These are my internal conversations shared through music. I say it how it is. I edit very little- everything that comes out feels exactly as it’s meant to be. That’s why yes, a lot of my songs are longer than most. I’m not thinking about trying to fit an ‘acceptable’ structure or time. That’s not interesting to me as an artist, nor does it feel honest. The music finds its natural beginning and end and that feels to me to hold more truth, power and wisdom than anything I could conceptualise.
Have you faced any challenges or obstacles as a female musician, and if so, how have you overcome them?
So far, I’ve been lucky enough to mostly work with really wonderful, respectful people. But yes, of course there have been moments. Particularly if I go to a jam (often all men on stage) I get dismissed or patronised before I’ve done anything. Then after playing I get a lot more respect. That annoys me and sometimes puts me off going to new events. I’d often find myself surrounded by loads of incredible female vocalists, all of them with their mouths shut because there’d be about 7 guys all bashing a drum. I used to communicate and try and change these spaces but more recently I wonder if maybe they’re just not for me. I don’t want to fight to be heard- I’d rather go somewhere where people are listening. That’s just where I’m at right now and am aware it could easily change. It still frustrates me how few women I see at jams, in bands and production. (I’d love an all female band!) I also noticed way more men are ready to call themselves a producer- I was a bit naive at first when guys would offer to produce my tracks thinking they automatically knew more than I did because of their confidence in offering. It definitely wasn’t the case- I learnt the hard way with that one… but it really helped me learn when it’s a no for me and how to listen to that no. I used to ignore it, thinking I was just being mistrusting but now I realise how important that voice inside you is! I’m getting more and more precious about where I put my time and energy.
Are there any particular themes or messages that you aim to convey through your music?
The most consistent theme for me is truth- and that’s SO BROAD. But really, I’m here for truth. And sometimes that’s ugly and uncomfortable or buried under layers of societal conditioning. So honesty is number one for me- I’m not gonna bullshit you in my music. Mostly, I’ll always write from a perspective of accountability- finding understanding of how my actions and beliefs have lead me to where I am in that moment. But every now and then I’ll just let myself have a big vent/rant in a song if I’m really frustrated! Because that’s real too.
Can you talk about your creative process and how you go about writing and producing your music?
So sometimes a line or phrase will just appear in my head and a song develops naturally from there. Sometimes the guitar part comes first and I might have been playing with it for months, when at the exact right time, (usually during emotional struggle) my dialogue will flow perfectly into the song. I love that moment because it feels like the instrumental was just creating space, waiting for its perfect partner to arrive. Sometimes everything comes all together and it feels like an excavation of my emotional landscape that takes me on a journey to understanding and peace around the situation and within myself. There is something that I’m in awe of about the creative process- something magical or bigger than me so I don’t meddle too much with what’s coming out really.
How do you hope your music will resonate with your audience, especially with other aspiring female musicians?
I think we hide a lot of the parts of us that seem ‘ugly’. The struggles, the mental turmoil. Most of us have been taught to distract/numb from all that. I hope to create somewhere it’s safe to feel and get to know those parts of ourselves and ultimately get closer to the truth. That’s empowering. There were too many codependent love songs brainwashing us! Haha but also, I desire a more harmonious world and I believe that starts with having a harmonious relationship with yourself. If I can assist someone on that journey through my music, I’d be totally delighted. And as for other aspiring female musicians- I just hope that if they see me doing it, they know that they can too, easily. We need your voice- whatever instrument that’s through. I want to play with you! Starting something happens in the present moment… and there’s always someone worse and better than you so that’s no longer a good excuse!
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Listen to Flo Fields’ ‘Dependency’ below.