Florence Welch’s mother was "so worried" when she decided to pursue a career in music.
The 31-year-old singer’s debut album – with Florence and the Machine – topped the UK charts eight years ago, but it took a while for Evelyn Kathleen Welch to come to terms with her daughter’s path.
Speaking to The Observer magazine, she said: "My mum was so worried about me doing music – she thought it was dangerous, could hurt me, could be fleeting.
"She’s accepted it’s not a phase now. But she’s been through a lot, so always prepares for the worst."
Indeed, her mum – who is currently Professor of Renaissance Studies and Vice-Principal for Arts and Sciences at King’s College London – is still disappointed that Florence didn’t go to university.
However, the ‘You’ve Got The Love’ hitmaker – whose band will release their fourth studio album ‘High as Hope’ later this week – admitted she has realised she gets her knack for performing from her mother.
She added: "And people tell me I disappear – that’s like her, too, and it can be isolating in a relationship, and maybe was isolating when we were kids.
"Like me, I think she has big feelings, but she’s put them somewhere else, away. I’m still figuring out what that well of longing in me is, and looking at the origins."
Florence gets incredibly candid on the new LP, and her sister was startled by how she could open up about her battle with an eating disorder.
She said: "Like, ‘You couldn’t admit this for years, and now you put it in a pop song?’ "
Florence Welch’s mother was ‘worried’ about her doing music as a career
