Florence Road are making a name for themselves and not turning back. The childhood friendship turned foursome Lily Aron, Emma Brandon, Alibhe Barry and Hannah Kelly, hail from Wicklow, Ireland. However, their captivating, raw vocal stylings and crushing, alternative rock arrangements have already begun to globalize them.
The group gained popularity on TikTok after posting fisheye lens covers of classics by a range of hitmakers from Kate Bush to Dominic Fike. When they began teasing original music, fans waited with bated breath. On March 14, the group released “heavy,” a song featuring the grueling story of a tumultuous fortnight for lead vocalist Lily Aron. Drums and racing guitars support Aron through her slackened, emotionally drained chorus. The song paints a picture of desperation and the desire for understanding, making listeners yearn, like Aron, for more.
Florence Road’s latest single “caterpillar,” out today, promises a more acoustic take on the band’s Phoebe Bridgers-meets-Cranberries-inspired alternative. The lyrics are just as vulnerable as their previous releases, but Florence Road has stripped away the backings that could provide even a little solace. They opened up to PAPER about the song’s creation.
“The only way I could describe it was as if a ‘caterpillar’ was hatching in my chest,” the band told us. “That nauseous, fluttery feeling that won’t go away. I deal with those emotions by creating – so we hope fans will be able to find comfort in the song and that we can articulate what it’s like for those who can’t.”
The song’s music video shows the band lounging in a bathtub and Aron singing to the camera with a deadpan expression. “When we first had the idea of filming ‘caterpillar’ in a bathtub, we thought it was just a bit of a laugh,” they explained. “But as we got in there, it clicked — there’s something about the intimacy of it that mirrors the vulnerability of the song itself.”
Fans who caught on early may have already heard “caterpillar” — the group has been performing it on their tour stops. So far, they’ve spent 2025 rocking out at shows in Europe and made it across the pond in March for Misneach festival in Boston. In August, the group is slated to open for Wallows at the Belfast and Glasgow stops of their MODEL & More tour.
Photography: Jan Philipzen