Florist, the New York minimalist folk quartet comprised of Emily Sprague, Felix Walworth, Rick Spataro and Jonnie Baker, release their anticipated new album, Jellywish, today via Double Double Whammy ahead of a York date.
Feature photo by V Haddad
On Jellywish, Florist invite listeners to question everything — to imagine a world where magic, surrealism, and the supernatural are our companions in day-to-day life. It dares to present a realm of possibility and imagination in a time that feels evermore prescriptive, limiting, and awful. The album finds Florist exploring life’s big questions without offering silver linings, morals, or definitive answers. Instead, the band asks perhaps the most difficult of questions: Is it possible to break free from our ingrained thought cycles and pedestrian way of life? That, Florist posits, may be the only way to be truly happy, fulfilled, and free.
Of the album, singer, guitarist, and principal songwriter Emily Sprague says, “Jellywish believes in the incredible magic within us and around us here in this reality, and the potential for a beautiful and symbiotic Earth if we do not turn away from what is evil but instead challenge it and stand up for what is not. It is meant to be a gentle but firm nudge to think about, and deconstruct the parts of our world which do not serve us all equitably; systems of power and control which can harm, destroy, box us in to ridiculous constructs, and take away anyone or anything’s right to a free and happy life. From the self to the collective consciousness, Jellywish asks us to look inside, outside, every which side, to remember love and empathy, caregiving, and the vigilant rejection of systemic harm towards our planet and the beings inhabiting it.”
Sprague says that the record is purposely complicated. “It’s a gentle delivery of something that is really chaotic, confusing, and multifaceted,” she explains. “It has this technicolor that’s inspired by our world and also fantasy elements that we can use to escape our world.” With Jellywish, Florist offers a complex album in a time that is anything but simple. In mining the chaos and wonder of physical and spiritual worlds, the band holds a mirror to itself to the great benefit of all. It tells us that we are not alone, and challenges us to believe in magic.
Florist is going on a full US tour next month in support of Jellywish before heading on the UK/EU tour leg in June, and a play at End of the Road Festival in August. All dates can be found further below. Tickets are available now via florist.life.
Tour Dates
(UK dates in bold)
May 5th | Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s^
May 6th | Washington, DC – Black Cat^
May 7th | Raleigh, NC – Kings^
May 8th | Asheville, NC – AyurPrana Listening Room^
May 9th | Nashville, TN – The Blue Room at Third Man Records^
May 10th | Atlanta, GA – The Earl^
May 12th | Dallas, TX – Sons of Hermann Hall^
May 13th | Austin, TX – Antone’s^
May 15th | Phoenix, AZ – Valley Bar^
May 16th | Los Angeles, CA – Lodge Room^
May 17th | San Francisco, CA – Bottom of the Hill^
May 19th | Seattle, WA – Madame Lou’s^
May 20th | Portland, OR – Polaris Hall^
May 21st | Boise, ID – Shrine Basement^
May 23rd | Denver, CO – Meow Wolf^
May 24th | Omaha, NE – Reverb Lounge^
May 25th | Chicago, IL – Old Town School of Folk Music^
May 26th | Indianapolis, IN – Turntable^
May 27th | Kalamazoo, MI – Bell’s Eccentric Cafe^
May 28th | Toronto, ON – Longboat Hall^
May 29th | Montreal, QC – La Sala Rossa^
May 30th | Boston, MA – Brighton Music Hall^
May 31st | New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom^
June 7th | Humble, DK – Beats
June 9th | Copenhagen, DK – Loppen
June 10th | Aarhus, DK – Voxhall
June 11th | Oslo, NO – Blå
June 12th | Stavanger, NO – Folken
June 13th | Bergen, NO – Landmark
June 15th | Amsterdam, NL – OLT Vondelpark
June 16th | London, UK – Union Chapel
June 17th | Brighton, UK – Komedia
June 18th | Cardiff, UK – Clwb Ifor Bach
June 19th | York, UK – Crescent
June 20th | Liverpool, UK – District
June 21st | Dublin, IE – Whelans
June 22nd | Belfast, UK – Empire Music Hall
June 25th | Galway, IE – Róisín Dubh
June 26th | Kilkenny, IE – Cleere’s
June 27th | Tralee, IE – nonfaction
June 28th | Cork, IE – Live At St. Luke’s
June 29th | Ballydehob, IE – Levi’s Corner House
Aug 29th | Dorset, UK – End of the Road
^ = w/ Allegra Krieger
