USELESS MAGIC

A stunning illustrated collection of lyrics, art, ephemera, and never-before-seen poetry from the musician Florence Welch of Florence + The Machine.

“Songs can be incredibly prophetic…like a kind of useless magic.”

Florence Welch is the charismatic musician of the orchestral rock band Florence + the Machine, whose powerful vocal performances have earned her kudos from Rolling Stone magazine, among others, as one of the best live performers today. In Useless Magic, Florence offers readers a window into her mind, providing unique insight to the creative process of a fearlessly unique musician that is as magical as her stage presence. The lyrics from her oeuvre are beautifully interwoven with poems, sketches, and jottings from her never-before-seen scrapbooks—all wrapped in a cloth-bound, deluxe package that is an objet d’art in and of itself. Packed full of Florence’s on-the-page musings and reproductions of the art that has inspired her dramatic, genre-defying music, she showcases the wide-ranging influences that have impacted her artistry. From Pre-Raphaelite painters and Renaissance artists to Frida Kahlo and Tamara de Lempicka to American soul music, she draws on multiple sources of inspiration to inform her musical stylings and poetry.

Featuring gripping lyrics organized by album, followed by poems and singular songs, Florence explores the sparkling highs and crushing lows of romance, heartbreak, and friendship in this powerful artistic collection. Useless Magic unveils moving, dreamy impressions of life from a tender poet, a whimsical artist, and an extraordinary musician.