When I first heard Flora Hibberd’s debut single “The Absentee” (our Song of the Day), I was swept away by her deeply moving emotional presence. Vocally and lyrically she leaves an indelible impression on the listener. The arrangements are spectacular, produced by J. C. Wright the song builds in atmosphere climaxing in an almost cinematic male chorus before retreating like a tide to emphasise her poetic Dylanesque lyrics “remember the woman who spoke to the snake and the man who watched her eat”. It doesn’t get any better than this, both haunting, beautiful and timeless… I can’t wait to hear more.
Born in East London but currently residing in Paris, Flora Hibberd has been described as ‘intelligent and measured…there is a profound intuition in her work’. With influences as diverse as Nick Cave, Joan Baez and Jacques Brel, she moves effortlessly between acoustic folk traditions and the bruised indie of PJ Harvey, Jason Molina and Cat Power.
her voice masters the low, bitter-sweet, heart-wide-open pitch as part of her own private language…with a constant interplay between powerful surreal imagery and a non-chronological narrative’ – Isabel Marqués
Her debut single ‘The Absentee’, produced by J. C. Wright, will be released by ClearLight Records / Declared Goods on March 29th, followed in April with her debut EP release.