Flo Gallop

Pop Princess Flo Gallop brings the excitement of live music directly to your screens in her new performance video of Can’t Be Friends.

The single explores the sweet as honey but sticky as hell situation of breezily looking over the consequences of falling for someone you just shouldn’t fall for. Her storytelling approach to songwriting is wildly captivating and charming and her latest live version, set in the streets of London, will warm your faces, watching the bright and expressive moments from Gallop herself.

The songstress has a reel of impressive collaborations, writing alongside established giants Tom Fuller and Will Thomson, making her no stranger to living and breathing songwriting. Growing up in South-East London her father’s influence had her brimming with lyrics from a young age, igniting her passion for music. So if you want to delve deeper into the mind of the young, talented artist, then celebrate the release of her live version of Can’t Be Friends. I caught up with the musician to discuss all things Flo, discussing what it’s like to launch her career during a global pandemic, how her home city inspires her sound and more. 

 

 

Hey Flo, first things first, congratulations on your latest single Can’t Be Friends. How did the track first come about and what were you hoping to achieve sonically with it? 

Thank you so much!! I like to write honest songs and get inspiration from my day-to-day life. At the time I was dealing with a very sticky situation, seeing an ex back and forth, having that guilty feeling every time I left and I felt like it needed a song. We’ve all been there and have that one person we keep going back to despite how toxic it may be, it seemed like a lot of people would be able to resonate with the idea. We started initially playing the guitar riff used in the song, looping it and working from that. I love the fact that the riff has stayed in and I think it’s a nice touch to know the song was built around that. Tom Fuller who produced the track then added some magic. I like to think that my music is straight-up pop but has inspiration from indie rock music as that is what I listen to and love.

 

You have a knack for writing super engaging, visual lyrics. How does your songwriting differ from your latest single Can’t Be Friends and your previous single 21?

LOVE THAT! Thank you!! That is my goal, I like music that I see images from. I love the fact that everyone’s vision will be different as well, it’s all dependent on what they’ve experienced and have been through so each person could read the song in a completely different way. I think that chatty lyrics are much more fun, it’s all about the storytelling, keeping the listener intrigued and interested throughout the song and also letting them experience the journey too. I feel like it’s so important as a listener to be able to connect to music because that is what draws you in to listen again. So I hope that people can see themselves in the words of my tracks. The songs are different, 21 is more about me but I think people will be able to relate and it is a feel-good song, it’ll pick you up if you’re having a rough day. Can’t be Friends on the other hand is different, it is deeper and has more intense lyrics, you need to listen to this if you’re still in touch with a poisonous ex.

 

You’re South-east London born and bred, do you think there are aspects to your music that are influenced by your homeland?

Absolutely, I mean to be honest it’s not even just South-east. It’s all of London. I love London and have always loved London. I actually think lockdown has made me really appreciate it far more than I ever did before. The city is so big and you’ll never be bored. The songs I write do represent where I am from and the city I love. As cringe as that is lol.

 

 

You were raised around music, your dad made songwriting feel like breathing to you. How has your relationship with your musical family impacted your writing today?

I think there has just always been the opportunity to write, play instruments and improve. It was just all there and I know how lucky I am for that to have been the case. Songwriting is a process and I don’t think I will ever stop learning on that front. There is always room to get better and work harder. My dad is a lot like me and loves entertaining. I used to go and watch him gig and be inspired. I wanted to do that too. It is really nice & also very helpful to have someone to send your newly written songs to who will give you honest advice on what you could change. He taught me how to set up and pack down gigs, inspired me to want to work with a band and start my own. He’s helped me very much fall into what I love to do. I think it’s important to constantly feel inspired and my dad certainly does inspire me musically.

 

Growing up in London with your family, what kind of music did your parents introduce you to that you think has inspired the way you write, listen or view music today?

For years my dad was playing the music that I now listen to but I would pass it off as ‘dads music’ it was only when I got to about 16/17 that I developed my own music taste and was like ‘hold up, this stuff is so good how have I not been listening to this!!!!’ Before this I had basically listened to what was on the radio or what my friends had shown me. One of the things I love to do now is search for new music and find new artists, I can’t believe I went so long without doing that. I like a complete mix of music now, old, new, so many genres, I can appreciate it all. My favourite genre is indie rock, I’m constantly going ‘ok google play new indie rock’ but my music taste varies. I’ll know on the 2nd or 3rd listen if it’s gonna be my new anthem so my whole life is spent finding new stuff to listen to! I have a playlist called ‘Flog’s Weekly’ on my Spotify. I regularly update this with my new favourite finds!

 

You just released a live performance of Can’t Be Friends. Talk to me about the process of filming this, were there any funny on-set moments or memorable points when recording?

This was so great, I’ve worked with my band for years, we have such a great bond and they are SO fab, amazing musicians but also just such wicked people. Because we’ve worked together for such a long time and they certainly influenced the making of the new releases I wanted them to have a moment to put their own stamp on the track, how they would want to play it live. We had a few rehearsals and recorded it. Of course there were funny moments, these boys are crazy kids, we have a good time always and I’m very blessed to have them involved. I have to say it was VERY cold the day we filmed it so see if you can spot any of the boys pretending they’re ok, we did all end up wrapping up warm and going to get a Maccies once we had finished so it wasn’t all bad! It was also a bit of a risk because we knew we wanted to film in London but didn’t know where, we ended up finding a spot in a carpark somewhere in the city, constantly anxious that security of the building would come and escort us away but instead they stood and watched. It was the closest to a normal gig at this point so we were loving it!

 

 

You always seem to be having so much fun when you perform! Do you have any tips on how to get in the mindset for live performance?

Just Chill!!!! It can be so nerve-racking and to be honest every time you do it it becomes more fun because it is scary initially !! You’ve just gotta go for it. Personally, I think people will REMEMBER a great performance. They won’t hold on to the mistakes you believe you made. Nothing can go as wrong as you think and if it does, make it comedy.. we’re all human and it really doesn’t matter. It’s supposed to be fun, you don’t need to think about it any more than that. Enjoy yourself and trust me everyone else will be right there with you.

 

Going back to live music where do you want to perform when everything goes back to some sort of normality? Or perhaps do you have any worries or anxieties about it?

Anywhere and everywhere that will have me, I can’t wait to get back to it.. there are only so many times you can pretend you’ve got an audience. The first gig is gonna be wicked so stay updated on my socials and if you are feeling anxious about getting back out there, come to the gig, I promise it’ll be a right old laugh!

 

What are your thoughts on how the pandemic has affected the industry? Is there anything you found works well for working mostly online?

It’s been tough, there’s no denying it. As an industry I feel like we are more together than ever before. Everyone has been so supportive and we’re all helping each other out. There’s so much online and so much to do from the comfort of your living room. It’s not the same but it has been really helpful to help us get through this time. I think we all need to go and support the music venues & local musicians when we can, if you see a gig in your local town GO, book tickets and get a few pints. It’s SO important these venues stay around.

 

So far you’ve rocked our worlds with your music coming out in 2020 and 2021. What was it like kick-starting your career in the middle of the pandemic?

HAHA I mean it was never the aim but it really hasn’t been too bad, I am communicating with people on other sides of the world.. who knows if that would have happened before. The support has been nuts and it’s so relieving. So much love and joy has gone into the making of these tracks and to see people liking what you’re doing makes it feel so worth it and exciting. I think the gigs are now gonna be even better than they were before. I’m very ready to get back out but I’ll always remember that first January release in the middle of lockdown. It was very special.

 

Finally Flo, what’s the rest of 2021 looking like for you? Any music we can expect to hear?

HELL YEH expect lots more music, videos, funkiness on socials….

There’s so much more to come. I never wanna stop, I’m having a bloody brilliant time<3

 

‘Can’t Be Friends’ is out now, follow Flo via

Instagram @flo_gallop, Twitter @flo__gallop, Facebook Flo Gallop

 

Interview Joe Beer

 

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