1 2 3 4

ONLY IF FOR A NIGHT SHAKE IT OUT WHAT THE WATER GAVE ME NEVER LET ME GO

5 BREAKING DOWN 6 LOVER TO LOVER 7 NO LIGHT, NO LIGHT 8 SEVEN DEVILS 9 HEARTLINES 10 SPECTRUM 11 ALL THIS AND HEAVEN TOO 12 LEAVE MY BODY 13 REMAIN NAMELESS 14 STRANGENESS AND CHARM 15 BEDROOM HYMNS 16 WHAT THE WATER GAVE ME (DEMO)

used to cry myself to sleep because I didnt write The Raven by Edgar Alan Poe, until my Mum pointed out that there were other people who also had not written

That there might be words to describe un-nameable feelings and melodies to describe those words is how an album can really make us feel less alone in the world. That longing for unnamable things is why we wear band t-shirts so that we might recognize each other in the street. Even if that Florence fan you passed is a huge arsehole (and it is a little known subset) they still love Florence + The Machine, so maybe at a leap of logic and hope you could be loved by someone as yet unknown to you, even if, like the arsehole, you are essentially unlovable. Let me tell you something about this album: if you are dancing to Heartlines you are the greatest dancer who has ever lived. Right now, you are doing a flamenco, belly dance outstretched arms, shimmying, arching your back, stomping your feet, a little Hassidic, a little Sufi, someone elses religion by which to show your devotion. Ceremonials offers us this: melancholia in its purest, most danceable form. Singing with these tracks, you will have the courage to raise your voice to the heavens, knowing that you may never get an answer. The music is so euphoric, says Florence, as a way of battling the words. Its like an exorcism, beating it out with drums, shake this demon out, its so visceral because the melancholy has to be drummed out. I cant let it sit inside me. Because Florence Welch is preoccupied, on this new record, with life lived from under the waves, I can already hear Only If For A Night playing alongside the call to prayer in Istanbul, echoing across the Marmara Sea. I hear Lover to Lover on Sydney Harbour, looking out at Luna

Park, Seven Devils walking the bridge across The Thames from Chiswick to Barnes, Leave My Body on New Yorks Hudson, at the pier, where secretaries strip down to their underwear to sunbathe a miniature ceremonials, but a ceremonial still. Take this album through your headphones at any body of water you like. Stare at the river but think of the sea, remember that Richard Burtons secret name for Elizabeth Taylor was Ocean. The pull. The power. The possibility of destruction. Your own love story? Your paramour may have had lovers before you. But no-one has ever, ever heard this record before except you. Not the way you hear it. The songs are beautiful vampires, asleep in your iPod, coming alive at night, aglow. You can have them on your hours, all that power yours to conduct as Florence Welch used to try and conduct the ocean when she was an awkward, chubby little girl. Ill make a deal, shed say to the waves, You stay there. You dont come any closer. She was, I think, practicing for adulthood and love. But I would think that, as I am sent my copy of the album in the middle of a fight. Even though he hates me right now, he places the music by the bath tub, lights a candle (because one of the notes of how much he hates me is how much he loves me). The music is shaping us or we are shaping it: No Light, No Light in your bright blue eyes/I never knew daylight could be so violent. You want a revelation/some kind of resolution/tell me what you want me to say. He feigns sleep. Can you turn that down?

I take the iPod and listen to Heartlines on the walk to the bus stop, crying, telling myself: Just keep following the heartlines on your hand. And if it doesnt work out, if he leaves, if you leave, if he wasnt how hed been, if you werent the person he thought you were, hold a burial at sea. When the bus comes, I remember the ex of a decade ago who left a message on my anwer phone, masturbating, saying my name over and over, and how Id thought it was a recording of him drowning. My boyfriend wakes happy, loving, keen to help me. Music sounds different in cars so we play Ceremonials along Mulholland, hairpin bends and fog rolling in. Im gonna leave my body/ Im gonna lose my mind All of this is transient the marine layer, the car, the love. You could be together forever and one of you is going to have to go first. He turns up the epic final track as loud as it will go. I want it to last. I want it to. I love him and I want it to stay. You may, right now, be nursing a broken heart. Friends will say Arent you glad you had the experience anyway? and you may say No. Eventually, unbelievably, you may not even remember the boy or the girl that triggered it all. Youll recall all the places you visited, but not how you got there. Youll remember the songs that you listened to. Emma Forrest Los Angeles, 21st September 2011

The Raven by Edgar Alan Poe. Listening to Florence + The Machines Ceremonials, I kept reminding myself that there were other people who also hadnt written these songs, others who hadnt sung and arranged them, that I knew many, many people who had not played the piano that sounds like church bells and percussion that evokes the ocean. I circled Never Let me Go and felt it skate figure eights back round me: Looking up from underneath Fractured moonlight on the sea Reflections still look the same to me As before I went under And its peaceful in the deep Cathedral where you cannot breathe No need to pray No need to speak And its breaking over me Thousand miles under the sea bed Found a place to rest my head And the arms of the ocean are carrying me Im attracted to the idea of drowning, explains Florence, Or rather the idea of jumping off and being enveloped by something, not bad or good, just enveloping. When I was a kid, I had a moment when I got under the water, lying on the pool floor, and felt I could breathe. Ive been trying to recreate that feeling ever since.

All tracks Produced by Paul Epworth, Engineered by Mark Rankin, Vocals: Florence Welch, Guitar: Robert Ackroyd, Drums: Christopher Lloyd Hayden, Harp: Tom Monger, Mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound NYC. Track 1 Only If For A Night, Written by Florence Welch and Paul Epworth, Published by EMI Music / Universal Music Publishing, Produced by Paul Epworth, BVs: Christopher Lloyd Hayden, Mark Saunders Jack Penate, Sian Alice, Lisa Moorish, Jesse Ware, Keyboards: Rusty Bradshaw, Percussion: Mark Saunders, Violins: Sally Herbert, Oli Langford, Rick Koster, Gillon Cameron, Warren Zielinski, Richard George, Cello: Ian Burdge, Viola: Max Baillie, Double Bass: Lucy Shaw, Strings arranged by Sally Herbert, Drum Programming and additional esoteric sonics: Bullion, Mixed by Tom Elmhirst. Assisted by Ben Baptie. Track 2 Shake It Out, Written by Florence Welch and Paul Epworth, Published by EMI Music / Universal Music Publishing, BVs: Christopher Lloyd Hayden, Mark Saunders, Jack Penate, Sian Alice, Lisa Moorish and Jesse Ware, Keyboards: Rusty Bradshaw, Pump organ: Paul Epworth, Percussion: Christopher Lloyd Hayden and Mark Saunders, Drum Programming and additional esoteric sonics: Bullion, Mixed by Mark Spike Stent, assisted by Matty Green. Track 3 What The Water Gave Me, Written by Florence Welch and Francis White, Published by Sony ATV / Universal Music Publishing, BVs: Christopher Lloyd Hayden, Mark Saunders, Jack Penate, Sian Alice, Lisa Moorish, Jesse Ware, Guitar: Robert Ackroyd, Keyboards: Rusty Bradshaw, Drums: Christopher Lloyd Hayden, Bass: Mark Saunders, Mixed by Craig Silvey. Assisted by Bryan Wilson. Track 4 Never Let Me Go, Written by Florence Welch and Paul Epworth, Published by EMI Music / Universal Music Publishing. BVs: Christopher Lloyd Hayden, Mark Saunders, Jack Penate, Sian Alice, Lisa Moorish and Jesse Ware, Keyboards: Rusty Bradshaw, Bass: Mark Saunders, Drum Programming and additional esoteric sonics: Bullion, Mixed by Tom Elmhirst, assisted by Ben Baptie, Track 5 Breaking Down, Written by Florence Welch, Published by Universal Music Publishing, Keyboards: Rusty Bradshaw, Violin: Sally Herbert, Oli Langford, Rick Koster, Gillon Cameron, Warren Zielinski, Richard George, Cello: Ian Burdge, Viola: Max Baillie, Strings arranged by Sally Herbert, Drum Programming and additional esoteric sonics: Bullion, Mixed by Tom Elmhirst, assisted by Ben Baptie. Track 6 Lover To Lover, Written by Florence Welch, Published by Universal Music Publishing, Piano by Isabella Summers, Piano: Nikolaj Torp Larsen, Hammond Organ: Rusty Bradshaw, Mixed by Tom Elmhirst, assisted by Ben Baptie. Track 7 No Light, No Light, Written by Florence Welch / Isabella Summers, Published by Universal Music Publishing, BVs: Christopher Lloyd Hayden, Mark Saunders, Jack Penate, Sian Alice, Lisa Moorish and Jesse Ware, Keyboards: Rusty Bradshaw, Bass: Mark Saunders, Percussion: Mark Saunders, Drum programming by Isabella Summers, Violins: Sally Herbert, Oli Langford, Rick Koster, Gillon Cameron, Warren Zielinski, Richard George, Cello: Ian Burdge, Viola: Max Baillie, Strings

arranged by Sally Herbert, Piano, strings & choir parts by Isabella Summers, Additional backing vocals recorded by Isabella Summers & Ben Roulston, Mixed by Mark Spike Stent, assisted by Matty Green. Track 8 Seven Devils, Written by Florence Welch and Paul Epworth, Published by EMI Music / Universal Music Publishing, BVs: Christopher Lloyd Hayden, Mark Saunders, Jack Penate, Sian Alice, Lisa Moorish and Jesse Ware, Keyboards: Rusty Bradshaw, Synth by Isabella Summers, Bass Guitar: Tom Monger, Violins: Sally Herbert, Oli Langford, Rick Koster, Gillon Cameron, Warren Zielinski, Richard George, Cello: Ian Burdge, Viola: Max Baillie, Strings arranged by Sally Herbert, Mixed by Craig Silvey, assisted by Bryan Wilson. Track 9 Heartlines, Written by Florence Welch and Paul Epworth, Published by EMI Music / Universal Music Publishing, BVs: Christopher Lloyd Hayden, Mark Saunders, Jack Penate, Sian Alice, Lisa Moorish and Jesse Ware, Keyboards: Rusty Bradshaw, Percussion: Mark Saunders, Bass: Mark Saunders, Drum Programming and additional esoteric sonics: Bullion, Mixed by Tom Elmhirst, assisted by Ben Baptie. Track 10 Spectrum, Written by Florence Welch and Paul Epworth, Published by EMI Music / Universal Music Publishing, BVs: Christopher Lloyd Hayden, Keyboards: Rusty Bradshaw, Piano: Nikolaj Torp Larsen, Violin: Sally Herbert, Oli Langford, Rick Roster, Gillon Cameron, Warren Zielinski, Richard George, Cello: Ian Burdge, Viola: Max Baillie, Strings arranged by Sally Herbert, Mixed by Tom Elmhirst, assisted by Ben Baptie. Track 11 All This And Heaven Too, Written by Florence Welch / Isabella Summers, Published by Universal Music Publishing, Piano, Celeste & programming by Isabella Summers, Additional guitar: Mark Saunders, Bass: Mark Saunders, Drum programming by Isabella Summers, Additional backing vocals recorded by Isabella Summers & Ben Roulston, Violins: Sally Herbert, Oli Langford, Rick Koster, Gillon Cameron, Warren Zielinski, Richard George, Cello: Ian Burdge, Viola: Max Baillie, Strings arranged by Sally Herbert, Mixed by Mark Rankin. Track 12 Leave My Body, Written by Florence Welch and Paul Epworth, Published By EMI Music / Universal Music Publishing, Keyboards: Rusty Bradshawn, Bass: Mark Saunders, Mixed by Craig Silvey, assisted by Bryan Wilson. A&R: Ben Mortimer Recorded at Abbey Road and Wolf Tone Studios, London. Assistant Engineer Abbey Road Studio:Pete Hutchings. Assistant Engineer Wolf Tone Studio: Joseph Hartwell Jones. Additional Assistant Engineer: Henrik Michelsen Art direction by Tabitha Denholm Photography by Tom Beard Layouts by Bravo Charlie Mike Hotel

AS

always I would like to thank my family (especially Nick De Jasay) and as always I would like to thank Stuart for being a

Beth Drake and Jenny Myles. Thank you to Curly, Tico, Cat, Laughty and Penguin. To my band, I love you all so much and Im so glad to have worked with you these past years and on this record. Isa my eternal dream machine, Rob, Chris, Mark, Tom and Rusty thank you for everything. And to The Florence and the Machine Army thank you for all your love so much love back to you all!! Finally none of this would have been possible without the hard work and passion of Mairead Nash and Hannah Giannoulis and everyone at LuvLuvLuv, thank you so so much. Making this record has been a joy. Thank you to everyone who carried me home x

constant support throughout all of this. I would like to thank my dear, dear friends Tara, Michael and Sophie Sadsack Forever. Also Woolfboy, Lev, Dom Jones, Robbie, Milo, Mary, Romi, Jamie, Oliver, Caius, Molly, Blake, Grimmy,Jamie Winstone, Siann & Ben Alice, Daisy, Matt, Piers, Lucas and all the lost boys. Huge thank you Baz and Frieda Giannini. Thank you so much to Aldene my angel, also to Tom Beard. I cant believe its come this far from the lake. Huge thank you to Tabitha who has been consistently inspiring throughout. Thank you to Jack and Jessie and to all of the Florence Choir. To Holly Davidson and Holly Barnes thank you for keeping me on track. Thank you to Mark, Joe, Amanda Ghost, Harps, James Ford, Eg White and Charlie Hugall for helping bring it together. Dear Paul thank you so much for being the total shaman of this record, its been amazing working with you and next time we need to up the anti on our head gear. To everyone at the label thank you so much especially David Joseph, Ben Mortimer, Ted Cockle, Darcus Beese, Tom March, Ruth Parrish, Andrea Edmonson, Steve Pitron, Phil Witts, David Hawkes and Chris Dwyer. To everyone across the pond Monte Lipman, Avery Lipman, Jay Wilson, Dana Erickson, Kim Garner, Frank Arigo, Joel Klaiman, David Nathan, Dennis Blair, Trina Tombrink, Leah Streetman, Colleen Quill, Carole Kinzel, Brian Manning, Liz Rozenburg and Karren Moss, thank you so much. Massive thanks to Frank Tope, Ruth Drake, Arthur and Tabitha Tope, Emma Banks, Cyrus Bayandor, Naomi Williams, Ewan Hall,

Track 13 Remain Nameless, Written by Florence Welch and Isabella Summers, Published by Universal Music Publishing, Produced by Isabella Summers, Additional production by Ben Roulston, Vocals & Bass: Florence Welch, Synth, bass, programmed drums & bells by Isabella Summers, Drums: Sam Paul Evans Guitar: Robert Ackroyd, Keyboards: Rusty Bradshaw, Harp: Tom Monger, Engineered by Ben Roulston & Austen Jux Chandler. Recorded at Antenna Studios, Dean St. Studios & Nike Studios, London. Track 14 Strangeness And Charm, Written by Florence Welch & Paul Epworth, Published by EMI Music Publishing / Universal Publishing, Produced by Paul Epworth, Engineered by Mark Rankin, Vocals: Florence Welch, Synth by Isabella Summers, Guitar: Robert Ackroyd, Drums: Christopher Lloyd Hayden, Percussion: Christopher Lloyd Hayden and Mark Saunders, Bass: Mark Saunders, Harp: Tom Monger, Drum Programming and additional esoteric sonics: Bullion, Mixed by Craig Silvey, assisted by Bryan Wilson, Mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound NYC. Track 15 Bedroom Hymns, Written by Florence Welch, Published by Universal Music Publishing, Produced by Paul Epworth, assisted by Mark Rankin, Vocals: Florence Welch, Keyboards: Rusty Bradshaw, Guitar: Robert Ackroyd, Drums: Christopher Lloyd Hayden, Bass: Mark Saunders, Harp: Tom Monger, Mixed by Craig Silvey, assisted by Bryan Wilson, Mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound NYC. Track 16 What The Water Gave Me, Written by Florence Welch and Francis White, Published by Sony ATV / Universal Music Publishing, Vocals: Florence Welch, Produced by Eg for Spilt Milk Management Ltd, All instruments played by Eg White.

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