No one can belt out a note and hold it like Florence Welche of band Florence and the Machine. From “Dog Days Are Over” to her more recent work, Florence blows us away every time she opens her mouth.

That’s not to say that the other part of the machine, Isabella Summers, isn’t impressive as well. Her instrumentals give Florence the background to belt her notes over and are an integral part of the band’s almost eerie indie sound. Even though they’ve experienced traditional success, the band has never been mainstream. Even their first label, Moshi Moshi, was independent, which gives them the freedom to release whatever kind of tracks they want.

From South London Duo to World Famous Band

The two women joined forces in 2007, in Southern London. They started making music together, and released the single “Kiss with a Fist”. It did well in indie circles, though it didn’t break through to the mainstream charts.

That wouldn’t happen until they signed with Island Records and put out their first full-length record Lungs. That record not only broke through to mainstream UK charts but was one of 2009’s most popular records. One of the songs on that record was “Dog Days Are Over,” which still gets radio play on generalist stations at least once, if not twice, a day.

Grammys and Gorgeous Gowns

If you’ve ever been to a Florence and The Machine show, you know what we mean by “gorgeous gowns”. Florence’s style is somewhere between old-world movie star and fairy-princess – she wants her clothing to move on the stage as she moves. Her and her band have been nominated for five Grammy awards, though they’ve never won one. They’ve won plenty of British awards, and their lack of Grammys hasn’t impacted their success. The group loves to play at music festivals and tries their best to only perform their music outside.