EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Florence Somerville Talks New Single ‘(I’ll Be Your) Best Broken Heart’

The British country music scene continues to grow and one of those artists continuing to find success within the UK market is Essex singer/songwriter Florence Sommerville who releases her newest single ‘(I’ll Be Your) Best Broken Heart’ on January 24th in the middle of her UK tour.

Here we chat exclusively with Florence Sommerville to discuss the upcoming single and launch show at the Green Note venue on the 21st.

Congratulations on the new single. What was the decision process behind choosing this as your first release of the year?

Thank you so much! We put a lot of thought into which track would be the first single of this year because there were so many options of songs from the studio sessions that would’ve made a good single. But in the end ‘(I’ll Be Your) Best Broken Heart’ was the clear choice. It was one of the first co-writes that I had done during our Nashville trip in April of 2024, and it was my first ever triple co-write so it held importance for me there. But the main reason this track was chosen to be the first single, is because although I love my debut EP ‘On My Way’ that I released in July 2023, all three tracks were all of a similar pace and vibe. Quite slow and emotional, but since I wrote those tracks, my songwriting and my music as an artist have changed and I think that ‘(I’ll Be Your) Best Broken Heart’ really showed the variety in my music and my live set. Also, while we were in the studio recording my lead vocals for this track, I kept missing my cue because I was so distracted listening to the phenomenal instrumentation recorded on this song. For me (who had heard the song quite a few times by that point), to still be transfixed by the track, it had to be the first single released.

How do you feel this track builds on your previous releases?

I was and still am very proud of my previous release (the ‘On My Way’ EP), as it was my first time being in a professional studio recording music that I had purely written alone. It was a magical few days, and for an 18-year-old who was still studying, I really felt like I was becoming a professional artist and songwriter. Especially with the title track ‘On My Way’, I was trying to tell the story of who I was as an artist and songwriter, but also as a person. But I do feel that there is a massive difference between that first EP and this new single. As I mentioned previously, this new track is quite different in feel and story from what is already available to the public. This single is much punchier, much more upbeat, and starts to show the difference between me musically when I wrote those first tracks, and me now.

What are you hoping listeners take away from the lyrical story?

I think one of the best parts of telling stories through music is that five people could listen to the same song, and come out with five different versions of what they just heard. Every story is in the eye of the beholder, and that’s what makes it so special. But when I hear this song, I hear the story of a woman who knows what she wants and knows how much of herself she can give to this relationship. She’s open but unapologetic in what she’s saying, and I think we could all use a little more of that.

Building on what you’ve said already, how do you feel your music has progressed over the years?

I’ve been playing live since I was about 12 years old, and I started writing at about the same time, so it feels to me like I’ve been doing this for a fairly long time. I guess it hasn’t been really, but it’s been most of my life – as soon as I was able to. So, as you can imagine there’s been quite a lot of changes, and learning, and developing my sound. I recently found one of my old notebooks (I’m a big fan of using paper and pen when writing), and it had one of the first songs I wrote in it. I cannot tell you the amount I cringed when reading those lyrics, but that’s the whole point. As creatives we are forever students, playing what we’ve got, learning how to develop it further and then writing some more. I don’t think that process should ever stop, and I hope it doesn’t.

What was the writing process like for this one?

The writing process of this song was amazing. As I mentioned it was the first time I had ever written with more than one other writer in the room, and I was slightly nervous going in as I didn’t know what to expect. But once I’d met Shantell Ogden and Corey Lee Barker, I knew we would come up with something special. As far as I know, they write together fairly often, and they just welcomed me into the room and were so gracious in sharing their creativity. The first idea that drifted around the room was actually this idea, and it was Shantell who came to the session with what is now the title of this track. It was a beautifully formed idea when it was brought to the room, and as a team, we expanded on it and ended up at the end of the session with an acoustic worktape which in spirit hasn’t changed too much through the whole process.

You’ll officially be launching the material with a showcase at the Green Note on the 21st. What can fans expect from that show?

I am so excited to be playing at the Green Note next week. For a long time, it has been a bucket list venue to play for me, and I can’t believe that I’ll be getting to tick it off the same night that we’re launching the new single in London. I have a brilliant opening act in Daniel McGuiness, I can’t wait to see him play live finally. So there’s a lot for fans to expect from the show, but most of all, just way too much excitement from me!

As we begin our foray into 2025, what are your ambitions for the year ahead?

I am very excited about a few things coming up in 2025. Firstly, this single is only the first of many that I hope to release during the year, leading up to an album sometime in the summer (if all goes according to plan). There are so many songs in this project that I am so excited by, and cannot wait to share with everyone. I am also returning to Nashville at the end of March with my fabulous manager Alan Cackett. We’ve got a lot while we are there, writing sessions, and performances, but something I am beyond thrilled about is happening is that I will be playing in a songwriter’s round at the Bluebird Cafe with some amazing songwriters including my good friend Sally Barris on 1st April. As someone who first properly got into country music through the TV show ‘Nashville”, playing the Bluebird has always been my ultimate dream, so I could not be more excited. Although I have to be honest, when Sally sent me an email asking if I would be free to play on 1st April, I did say that if it was an April Fools, it was a cruel one! But I’m happy to report, it’s all real.

I just want to say a massive thank you to everyone involved in writing, recording and producing this single. It has been the best whirlwind imaginable, and I can’t wait for everyone to hear the blood sweat and tears that we’ve all put into it. And a big thank you to everyone at Music & Tour News for having me, I really appreciate it!

UK Tour Dates

 17th Jan – The Dog House Micro Pub and Vinyl Bar, Ashford

21st Jan – Green Note, London – Single Launch 

24th Jan – The Anchor Arts, Wingham 

26th Jan – Brentwood Theatre

30^th Jan – Chequer Mead East Grinstead

27th Feb –  Ram Jam Records Kingston upon Thames

Tickets for Florence Sommerville’s UK run of dates are on sale now via florencesommerville.com