“This record is the story of the country girl moving to the city,” Liana Flores says. “It’s bossa nova meets pop, inspired by the people, relationships and glamour of city life.”
Since the release of her acclaimed 2024 debut album Flower of the Soul, British-Brazilian singer-songwriter Liana Flores has been at the forefront of a bossa nova revival. Drawing on the ’60s sound of genre pioneers like João Gilberto alongside pop songwriting, Flores combines the dual aspects of her cultural heritage to create an emotive sound.
Following extensive tour dates across North America, Asia, and Europe, Flores now returns with a new EP, And so it goes…, that expands her palette to encompass the playful and ebullient experiences of moving from her rural hometown in Norfolk to St. Andrews before coming to London. The result is a six-track collection that shifts between the finger-picked guitar and gossamer bossa vocals of “So it goes,” the upbeat funk inflections of the heavy-grooving love song “So Mysterious,” the Carole King-influenced folk storytelling of “Here to Stay,” and the sprightly, glittering pop melodies of “Silvershoes.”
“These songs were informed by my experiences living in the city and touring for the first time. I grew up and studied in small towns with nature in my surroundings, so that’s what came naturally in terms of lyrics. With So it goes, the lyrics are more centred on human connection, and I wanted to explore a part of my identity that’s more playful and matter-of-fact. I also wanted to challenge myself to write songs with strong melodies that would be fun to sing or to get ready to.”
Raised by an immigrant Brazilian mother and British father in East Anglia, Flores first began learning music while listening to ’80s and ’90s bossa nova artists like Bebel Gilberto and Leila Pinheiro alongside Top 40 pop radio. In her late teens, she picked up a guitar and started emulating finger-picked bossa nova guitar chords by ear, first covering Tom Jobim standards, then writing her own songs combining the bossa guitar style with her own introspective lyrics, expressing loneliness, self-doubt, and endurance.
“Music is the way I best communicate and connect with the world, through the listener, collaboration with fellow musicians, and the guidance of my musical forbears. I’m particularly drawn to the use of sophisticated harmonic structures in popular song – Tom Jobim, Kate Bush, Stevie Wonder and Brian Wilson were early inspirations.”
Debut EP The Water’s Fine! was released in 2018, while ensuing 2019 EP Recently delved deeper into Flores’ current reimagining of Brazilian singer-songwriting with its combination of syncopated melodies and warm vocal harmony. EP track “rises the moon” became a surprise hit, picking up traction across TikTok and social media in 2021, although by that point Flores had decided to take a break from making music and focus on her degree instead.
