We found out some more about exciting emerging LGBTQ+ art-pop outfit Flowers of Evil
An exciting emerging project that you should be keeping an eye on is the fiercely unique and creative Flowers of Evil, a Manchester-based LGBTQ+ art-pop outfit who are carving out a sound that feels entirely their own. Their distinctive blend of lush hooks, postmodern theatrics, and their infectious sense of personality and charm has immediately cast the collective in a league of their own.
The latest release from the outfit is ‘Cherry-AID’, a multi-faceted, trombone-laden collaboration with Nikki & The Waves that showcases both the eclectic range and emotional resonance that the outfit’s possess in spades. Flowers of Evil have carved out a niche for themselves as unapologetically queer, ostentatious and daring, and this guile and sense of adventure that lives with in their sound feels as fresh and new as anything you’re likely to hear any time soon. We had a chat with the band about their influences, their highlights, and what else they have planned for what seems to be a bright and exciting future.
Who TF are Flowers of Evil?
Flowers of Evil are Osk Puente (lead vocals, keyboards, production), Phia Sky (vocals, synths, production) and Ted Booth (bass, production). Though this is our core lineup as a group, we work with a rotating cast of collaborators from song to song – keeps things interesting!
Why do you make music?
Largely as a form of escapism. Flowers of Evil is a reference to the Charles Baudelaire poetry book of the same name, which deals with eroticism and lesbian relationships and was extremely controversial for 1857 standards. We create music through this ethos of pushing back against the largely straight/male dominated music industry and uplifting those around us who share the same goal.
What are your biggest influences?
Varying from LCD Soundsystem, Sugababes, Arctic Monkeys, Kero Kero Bonito, Warmduscher, Kate Bush, Rosalia. We also pull from anything from Spanish acapella compositions of animal noises, to obscure old video game soundtracks.
What would you say has been your best moment so far?
Hard to choose a definitive best so we’ll just go with the most recent highlight – last week we played at Band on the Wall in Manchester for the first time, which was an absolute dream. It was a late night set and we got to play basically our full discography thus far. The crowd were gorgeous – super hyped and receptive. It was an amazing night even down to the boring minutiae of stuff you wouldn’t usually think about; by far the nicest setting-up process we’ve ever had (as electronic musicians we’ve dealt with some technical nightmares in our time haha)
How would you describe your sound to somebody unfamiliar with it?
Broadly speaking, everything fits under the umbrella of electronic pop. Ranging from our last song Mop The Floor feat. Maria Uzor which is heavy industrial pop, to our most recent single Cherry-AID feat. Nikki & The Waves which is more of a loose, live-band feel – our stuff is always tied together with these ethereal, corny synth arrangements. Imagine Pulp and Charli XCX thrown in a big gay blender and you’re halfway there.
What’s your dream “I’ve made it” moment?
The publication of Flowers of Evil – Journey To The Centre Of The Ravestation. Graphic novel series with Saturday-morning cartoon adaptation. It’s all planned out already.
We love your new single ‘Cherry-AID’, what more can you tell us about it?
Thank you! We first recorded it as part of the initial ad-hoc studio sessions Osk held in summer 2021, which was where the main three of us first properly met. Also in attendance was our frequent live guitarist Jack Spencer who wrote the guitar hook and introduced us to Nikki & The Waves, who they also play guitar for. We then crammed all of us into Phia’s tiny home studio – on one of the hottest days of the year – tripping over cables, trombones, bongos – and from there the song really gained its own character. It evolved into this surprisingly twee duet with Nikki, contrasting with the whole idea of it being a story of this depressing situation where a fizzy beverage is your only medicine. Best served lukewarm!
What else do you have planned for the near future?
Cherry-AID release party on 10th December at Low Four Studios, Manchester. We’ve really put a lot of love into curating the lineup and there’ll even be real bottles of actual Cherry-AID! Pezzo Creative who did the artwork for the single and bottles will also be exhibiting some work. It’s going to be extremely wholesome and we can’t wait. If that’s a little soon for you, then we’re currently filling the diary for next year – more shows outside of Manchester mainly. London, Brighton and Glasgow in particular, we’re looking at you…
And finally, who is your biggest fan right now?
Our pets – namely Osk’s brown and white staffy Lola, and Phia’s black and white cat Pizza. They’ve been hugely supportive from the start, even though Pizza has a habit of meowing whenever we record vocals (listen out next year for musical evidence of this).
