Liana Flores — thisisgorilla.com

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.