A ‘drained’ Florence Welch goes on hiatus

Florence Welch

Hoping to experience life in a different light, a “drained” Florence Welch—the lead vocalist of the British indie rock outfit Florence and the Machine—said she’s planning to slow down and take an extended break, after 10 years of nonstop shows and touring on top of music creation.

“My whole adult life has been about making an album, then going on a tour, in a cycle. And it’s been very punishing for me, mentally and physically. It’s draining. I’m drained,” the 32-year-old singer-songwriter told Q Magazine in an interview. “I have been doing this for 10 years, and I would quite like to experience a different way of life.”

Her decision to go on hiatus has curiously coincided with the 10th anniversary of the band’s critically acclaimed
first album “Lungs,” which spawned such hits as “Dog Days are Over” and “Drumming Song.”

Florence, who’s known for the eccentricity and theatrical flair she puts in her music, has been open about her struggle with mental health. And she endured it all along. In fact, she said, she used to be able to put on a show despite having full-blown anxiety attacks.

But not anymore.

“My mental health has taken a battering. It used to be a price I was willing to pay. I don’t think I am now,” she said. “I have to unravel the anxiety. I can’t stop crying. I can’t dress up. I get cyclical negative thinking that gets really dark that says, ‘I shouldn’t exist.’ I go down a hole quite fast.”

But she’s not retiring, Florence assured her fans. “I just need to not tour for a good bit,” she said. “I will be back.”—ALLAN POLICARPIO