If Flower of the soul were to be a plant, it would be a potato. “It’s nutritious,” Liana Flores told ECHO and 1824 in a recent press conference. With her debut album out June 28, the career of this Brazilian-British artist is only just starting to bloom.
As a student at St. Andrews University in Scotland, Flores “chose to study zoology because I’ve always loved animals.” During her studies, music always remained deeply rooted in her character and was something she continued to water. As she wrapped up her degree, her song “rises the moon” went viral on TikTok and pushed her to pursue music full-time after graduation.
Flores has released multiple singles since that viral moment, including “Nightvisions” from her upcoming album produced by Noah Georgeson. With each release, her degree and passion for nature have been evident in everything from the environmental images to the themes.
In the music video for “Nightvisions,” Flores is seen roaming around a woodland castle. There is an incredibly Victorian, ghost-like aura about her in a white gown walking through a mysteriously enticing forest. On the video’s darker, more haunting elements, Flores mentioned that gothic literature also played a large role in the creation of both the song and the video.
“I have my literary ones, like Jane Eyre and Rebecca and Wuthering Heights,” she shares of her influences, “but also the Twilight saga and Corpse Bride.”
Both Brazilian and British culture have also influenced her music. While Flores does use Bossanova and folk aspects to produce her songs, she doesn’t necessarily do it deliberately. “Looking back on the album, it definitely is [apparent],” Flores says. “I can see which ones are more Bossanova-influenced and which ones are more folk-influenced.”
On Flower of the soul, Flores decided to take her sound in a slightly different direction than previous releases through the combination of jazz and pop. Although this sounds daunting, Flores found combining these two genres easy given there was a time when jazz “was considered pop through musical theater.”
In a world where trends and social media seem to dominate the way music sounds, it’s refreshing to have an artist who wants to make music that sounds “timeless.” There’s not doubt that decades down the line, Flores’ musical will still be appreciated the same as it is today. Her debut album Flower of the soul is out June 28.