Liana Flores’ story is one of cultural cross-pollination, unlikely chances, and quite possibly a signpost for the evolution of folk music in the digital age.
Raised in rural Norfolk pre-internet ubiquity, the bossa nova CDs belonging to Liana’s Brazilian mother were a first glimpse into a musical world beyond Eleanor Rigby on cassette and Gilbert & Sullivan in the village hall.
At 19, she went from building an early listener base with showtune covers in the YouTube era, to penning her own songs. The influences all started coming together, in self-recorded songs combining the harmonic stylings of bossa nova guitar with personal lyrics – often gloomy but persevering, expressing anxieties and depicting the nature in her hometown.
Three years later, one of these unassuming songs, ‘rises the moon’, was uploaded to TikTok without the singer’s knowledge and became a surprise hit, spawning countless cover versions before the labels came calling. Nearly a billion streams later, it’s arguably a defining folk song of its generation.
After signing to Verve Records, a full-length record, Flower of the soul, followed in 2024. Drawing from sunshine pop, bossa nova and psych folk, and featuring newly polished studio production and a full band, the record marked a metamorphosis from DIY recluse to rising artist with records available in stores all over the world, and a tour spanning UK, Europe, the US, and Asia.
Her latest single, “So it goes” is inspired by classic bossa nova in the vein of Burt Bacharach and Astrud Gilberto, reflecting the pace of city life since moving to London.
