On May 29, 2015, “Island” label released “How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful”, the third Florence and the Machine studio album. It was recorded 2014 – 2015, at “The Pool”, “Angel”, “Urchin”, “Lightship”, “123”, “Sarm Studio”, and “No. 1 Baltic Place” in London, “Bedrock Rehearsal” in Los Angeles, and was produced by Markus Dravs, Kid Harpoon, John Hill, Paul Epworth, James Ford, Charlie Hugall, Isabella Summers, Brett Shaw and Dan Wilson.
Personnel:
Florence Welch – lead and backing vocals, body percussion, stamps, claps, piano, percussion
Rob Ackroyd – acoustic and electric guitar, ukulele
Leo Abrahams – acoustic and electric guitar
Kid Harpoon – acoustic and electric guitars, bass, piano, CP 70 synth, drums, percussion, bass, brass writing, brass arrangements
Alex Beitzke – guitar
Steve Jones – electric guitar
Rusty Bradshaw – piano
Orlando Leopard – piano, bass, harmonium, organ, additional arrangements
Iain Berryman – piano, harmonium, acoustic guitar, body percussion, cornet
James Hallawell – Hammond organ, Farfisa, piano, organ
Isabella Summers – Rhodes organ, synths, bass, keys, strings, stamps, claps, drums, percussion, programming
Robin Baynton – Rhodes organ, piano, organ
Mark Saunders – bass
Richard Pryce – bass
Lucy Shaw – bass
Chris Hayden – drums, percussion
Matt Ingram – drums, percussion
James Ford – drums, percussion, guitar, bass, piano, keys, synth, programming, woodwind arrangements
Paul Epworth – drums, percussion, bass, guitar, synths, organ
Charlie Hugall – percussion, programming
Brett Shaw – additional percussion
Tom Monger – harp
Markus Dravs – glockenspiel, percussion, synths, bass synth, programming, body percussion, electric guitar, woodwind arrangements
Janelle Martin – backing vocals
Nim Miller – backing vocals
Baby N’Sola – backing vocals
John Hill – synths, brass writing, brass arrangements
Wayne Francis – saxophone
John Barclay – trumpet, piccolo trumpet
Philip Cobb – trumpet, flugel trumpet
Andy Crowley – trumpet
Tom Rees-Roberts – trumpet
Nick Walters – trumpet
Daniel Newell – trumpet, piccolo trumpet, flugel
Adman Dayes – trombone
Andy Wood – trombone, Euphonium
Richard Edwards – tenor trombone
Nigel Black – French horn
Pip Eastop – French horn
Sam Jacobs – French horn
Elise Campbell – French horn
Oren Marshall – tuba
Eliza Marshall – flute, alto flute
Ed Tarrant – Euphonium
Rebecca Wood – oboe, Cor Anglais
Pete Harrison – bassoon
Pete Prokopiw – harp, cimbalom, programming
Will Owen – brass arrangements, string arrangements
Ali Helnwein – brass arrangements, string arrangements, strings
Sally Herbert – orchestration, conducting, flute arrangements, brass arrangements, string arrangements, brass orchestration, brass conducting, woodwind arrangements
Ian Humphries – violin
Ian Belton – violin
Emlyn Singleton – violin
Patrick Kiernan – violin
Julia Singleton – violin
John Smart – violin
Ann Morfee – violin
Natalia Bonner – violin
Sonia Slany – violin
Gillon Cameron – violin
Ciaran McCabe – violin
Alison Dods – violin
Everton Nelson – violin
Rick Koster – violin
Oli Langford – violin
Bruce White – viola
Nick Barr – viola
Fiona Bonds – viola
Ian Rathbone – viola
Max Baillie – viola
Rachel Robson – viola
Ian Burdge – cello
Chris Worsey – cello
Nick Cooper – cello
Sophie Harris – cello
Benson – additional keys, programming, flute arrangements, brass arrangements, string arrangements, backing vocals
Robin Baynton – engineer, strings recording, brass recording, flute recording, woodwind recording
Mat Bartram – brass recording, strings recording, flute recording, engineer
Ronan Phelan – brass recording assistant, strings recording assistant, flute recording assistant
Joe Kearns – engineer
Jimmy Robertson – engineer
Charlie Hugall – engineer, mixing
Jonathan Sagis – engineer assistant
Iain Berryman – engineer assistant, additional engineering
Dan Cox – additional engineering
Brett Shaw – engineer, mixing
Mark “Spike” Stent – mixing
Craig Silvey – mixing
Eduardo de la Paz – mixing assistant
Will Donbavand – mixing assistant
Ben Roulston – engineer
Alex Beitzke – engineer
Geoff Swan – mixing assistant
John Catlin – mixing assistance
Ted Jensen – mastering
Tabitha Denholm – creative direction, insert photography
Brian Roettinger – art direction
Tom Beard – cover photography, insert photography
Vincent Haycock – insert photography
Track listing:
Ship to Wreck – Florence Welch, Tom Hull
What Kind of Man – Florence Welch, Tom Hull, John Hill
How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful – Florence Welch, Isabella Summers
Queen of Peace – Florence Welch, Markus Dravs
Various Storms & Saints – Florence Welch, Markus Dravs
Delilah – Florence Welch, Isabella Summers
Long & Lost – Florence Welch, Ester Dean
Caught – Florence Welch, James Ford
Third Eye – Florence Welch
St. Jude – Florence Welch, James Ford
Mother – Florence Welch, Paul Epworth