Flo Morrissey has just finished reading Learning by Heart (1992) by Sister Corita Kent – the late American Catholic nun and art activist, whose socio-political screen prints played a pivotal role in the evolution of Pop Art during the 1960s. She tells me this as we sit on a grassy knoll outside a large white yurt at Port Eliot festival in Cornwall, surrounded by heat-withered daisies and the occasional sprig of purple loosestrife. “I feel most inspired when I do things that take me outside of my comfort zone,” she says, all eyes and rosebud lips. “Whether that be discovering new artists, designers and writers, or singing in French, I try not to take the normal route.”
Today, for her musical appearance at the affluent arts and literature festival, she’s dressed in a long silk Chloé dress that's adorned with clusters of celestial beading. Every so often those beads refract sunlight onto her long auburn locks and make-up free complexion (think Sissy Spacek in Badlands) giving her an ethereal glow. “I'm not just here to play. Earlier this morning I read a passage from Woman Who Run With The Wolves [by Clarissa Pinkola Estés, 1992], which is about the wild nature that women have inside of them, but don’t always express. It's fascinating,” she reveals, adding. “It’s really great to be part of an event that is more than just music, that’s fashion, arts and literature too, that really resonates with me at the moment.”
Morrissey is currently in the process of writing and recording her second album, the follow-up to her lauded, folk-centric debut Tomorrow Will Be Beautiful (2015), which she penned between the tender ages of 15 and 19. “I feel very lucky that I'm with an independent label, so they let me lead the way and haven't put too much pressure on me with this record. But, of course, I want to deliver the best music possible and progress as an artist, so the pressure is kind of still there,” she adds. In order to broaden her creative horizons, she relocated from her west London abode to Paris last year – a move that she considers to be her “own mini university. I'm 21 now, and it's the first time I’ve lived by myself and it's been amazing. I'm doing things that inspire me and my writing process, such as painting, reading and meeting different people from all walks of life.” Below, Morrissey talks us through her creative development and reveals why strong, visionary women remain the biggest influence on her career and artistic practice.
On her fashion sensibility…
“I was invited by Chloé to play and do the reading at Port Eliot. It felt really right to be able to collaborate with the house again, as I have done several times before, because they really understand what I’m about as a musician. I also feel that the sensibility of the brand really works with my own ethos as an artist – we’re on the same wavelength, so to speak.”
On the artists that motivate her songwriting practice now…
“As I get older, I’ve found that my inspiration comes more from things which aren't directly related to music. For example, I really enjoyed the Hilma af Klimt exhibition at The Serpentine [Painting the Unseen, 2016] and as I said before, researching and learning about Sister Corita Kent has been amazing. Musically, I was initially drawn to artists such as Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Jeff Buckley and Tim Buckley, but now I’ve come to realise that there are so many strong women whose ideas and sound resonates with me. Lauryn Hill, Billie Holiday, Nina Simone.”
On collaborating with producer Matthew E. White…
“Before I release my second album, I’m putting out an album with Matthew E. White – it's like a duet record of covers, and I'm really excited about that. It’s a very diverse mixture of songs we love by artists such as The Velvet Underground, Frank Ocean and James Blake. There’s even a chant from the album that George Harrison produced in the 1970s that I sing right at the end.”
On the importance of spontaneity…
“I’ve tried to have a set routine [for songwriting] but it just backfires. To be honest, I think it’s really important to make things fun. My first album was quite sombre and I think I write when I feel good. I want to write in a space of happiness – I feel like there’s not enough optimism at the moment, so the more of that the better.”
Flo Morrissey's debut album, Tomorrow Will Be Beautiful is available now on Glassnote Records.
