Liana Flores Finds Her Sound In The Moonlight

I meet British/Brazilian singer-songwriter Liana Flores in May at the lobby bar of her Lower East Side hotel to discuss her upcoming debut LP, Flower of the soul. As we settle into the plush couches, I’m immediately drawn to her warm, friendly demeanor. Our conversation meanders through favorite poets and our mutual love of classic American folk music. Despite her recent rise in success, she remains one of the most humble people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. Throughout our hour-long chat, the word “grateful” appears about ten times.

When I ask how she’s feeling, she smiles. “I’m good! Tonight, I’m playing my first show in New York, and it’s also my first time performing with a band, which is exciting.” Liana’s music draws from the folk traditions of her upbringing in South Norfolk, England, and the bossa nova rhythms of her mother’s native Brazil. These genres blend to form a wistful, intimate LP, much of which consists of simple guitar and vocals. “You can expect a mix of genres on Flower of the soul,” she tells me. “There’s sunshine pop, bossa nova, and folk influences. Many of the songs are about nature. I read a lot of Romantic poets—Wordsworth, Keats—while writing, and that really inspired the natural elements in the music.”

The album title itself, Flower of the soul, is a nod to one of Liana’s all-time favorite songs, “Moving” by Kate Bush, which contains the line, “You crush the lily in my soul.” Walt Whitman also inspired the title, she explains. “Whitman talks a lot about the soul—how everything is ‘of the soul.’” The influence of Kate Bush seems to extend beyond just the LP title, hinting at Liana’s affinity for literary references in her music. As a writer, I find this an irresistibly charming quality, even at the risk of sounding a bit twee.

Originally, Liana planned to pursue a career in biology, specializing in zoology. However, her path took a turn a few years ago when her song “Rises the Moon” went viral on TikTok. When I ask how that experience has impacted her career, she reflects, “It was confusing at first. I didn’t know what TikTok was, and I didn’t even have an account. I started getting emails telling me what was happening, and eventually, I created an account. I’m very grateful for it – music became my career after ‘Rises the Moon’ gained popularity.”

Liana’s music is slow and melodic, grounding even the most restless listener. In a world where culture is dominated by speed and quick dopamine hits, particularly through short-form video content, her music stands out. Despite this contrast, Liana’s songs resonate with younger audiences who have grown up in this fast-paced digital landscape. “I’ve thought about this a lot. 'Rises the Moon' started taking off in the summer of 2021, right after the strictest lockdown restrictions were lifted in the UK. The refrain of the song is very comforting, it’s like a ‘better times will come’ message. I think it spoke to the specific moment in time. Thankfully, people are still listening to it, and I’m very grateful, but I think it resonated deeply with what many people were experiencing back then.”

That sense of optimism is a hallmark of her folk music roots. I ask if she believes there could be a folk music revival, perhaps as a response to the speed of modern life. She pushes back on the premise of my question, and a lively discussion follows. “I don’t think folk music ever really goes away. For a genre to be ‘revived,’ it would have to disappear in the first place. Most of the folk music I listen to is from the 60s and 70s. I love political folk music, but I haven’t seen folk unite around a movement like that since then. I feel like hip-hop has kind of taken on that role now.”

“Finger-pointing songs!” I exclaimed, attempting a Bob Dylan impression that would make Cate Blanchett cringe. “Yes! It would be cool to see that again. I love songs that pass through a group of people. I think TikTok is good at this sort of cultural transmission. I like the Great American Songbook as well. I feel like that is another sort of permutation. Songs don’t belong to anybody; they are songs that people can interpret. I’m trying to imagine what a political folk music revival would look like. As a culture now, we don’t have that earnestness. The stop-the-war folk music was so sincere. I’m not sure the culture is capable of that anymore.”

Those who know me know that I have a slight obsession with the topic of earnestness. I share my theory that making sincere assertions, especially political ones, is considered cringe. She agrees. “Even assuming that you can change anything is considered gauche. I love hyper-earnestness, I love songs that are so earnest that they set your teeth on edge.”

I tell Liana that in a way she reminds me of Lana del Rey. Not in terms of the music necessarily, but in the sense that she’s a skilled world builder – and that she also has a knack for creating a sense of nostalgia. She blushes and covers her face: “She’s everything to me! Any world building pop artist is, like Janelle Monae. Not sonically, but in the transportative quality.” The visual elements in her music contribute to world building. “I try to go into each song as its own thing. This song "Night visions" has visual references that are very Gothic Romance, melodramatic, Phantom of the Opera, Twilight even – I'm obsessed with Twilight. I want it to sound like a candlelit boat ride down this secret cave.”

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Liana’s debut LP, Flower of the soul, was released in late June and the artist embarked on a US tour in September.