British R&B girl group Flo have expressed their admiration for songwriters, describing them as the most "inspiring" element of their work and stating, "Writers make the world go round."
The trio, consisting of Jorja Douglas, Stella Quaresma, and Renee Downer, known for hits such as Cardboard Box and Leak It, are set to be honored by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (Ascap) with the prestigious Vanguard Award on Tuesday. This accolade celebrates breakthrough artists who are shaping the future of music, placing them among past recipients like Dua Lipa, Victoria Monet, and St Louis.
Recognition and Gratitude
Speaking to the Press Association, Quaresma remarked: "It feels amazing. It always feels so good to be recognised. It's always nice to hear who's come before. I feel like Ascap are a good gauge of what's coming up next so I feel like we're in good standing, and it feels really nice. We're very grateful."
Douglas added: "Obviously we know our potential and the hard work that we put in, but it definitely feels like a pinch-me moment to be recognised for something like this."
Upcoming Album and Collaboration
The group is preparing to release their second studio album, Therapy In The Club, for which they wrote 15 out of 16 tracks. They collaborated with several songwriters, including Amy Allen and Steph Jones, who have worked with popstar Sabrina Carpenter, as well as James Ford, whose credits include Gorillaz and Florence and the Machine.
Discussing their musical influences, Downer said: "Definitely artists like Beyonce, Mariah Carey and Victoria Monet, because they all write and especially with our next album, we've written 15 out of the 16 songs, so I feel like we are being shaped by women that are multi-talented."
Inspiration from Songwriters
Douglas highlighted that collaborating with "talented songwriters" has been one of the most "inspiring" aspects of their career and a major "learning curve" for the trio. She explained: "We knew that we really wanted to sing things the way that we would say them as the most interesting part about singing a song and feeling how much you connect with the words. And it was difficult because obviously there are songwriters out there that are far better than we are, so we were putting pressure on ourselves to write songs that were just as good and also collaborating with talented songwriters as well, but it was so fun to unlock that part of us that we hadn't really done so in the duration of our time together."
She added: "We feel really proud of ourselves and so excited to sing the songs live as well, because we know that what we're singing is so genuine and authentically Flo."
Valuing Songwriters
The group emphasized that despite the significant role songwriters play in the industry, they remain undervalued. Quaresma stated: "Writers make the world go round and it's so insane how disrespected they get. It's insane how much a producer gets paid compared to a writer. Like, the writers have to struggle to even get a fee. It's terrible. Like it's really bad, so we really value our relationships with songwriters. Thinking back to making this album, they were such a big part of our growth and obviously the songs that we ended up with, and now they're friends. So it's just like it's been a really wholesome experience."
Flo released their debut album, Access All Areas, in 2024, with their follow-up, Therapy At The Club, scheduled for release in July. Ascap is a membership association of over 1.1 million songwriters, composers, and music publishers, representing some of the world's most talented music creators.
