Introducing: YESTERDAY’S FLOWERS

Yesterday’s Flowers are carving out their own corner of dream-rock—golden, sun-dazed and shot through with cathartic honesty. Based by the sea in Folkestone but steeped in the DNA of California’s 60s sound and the woozy haze of Mazzy Star and Angel Olsen, they’ve quietly built a loyal following through sold-out shows, BBC Introducing support, and word-of-mouth festival sets. Their new single “All the Reasons Why” is a slow-burner that swells from vulnerability to a soaring wall of sound, finding beauty in conflict and acceptance. We caught up with frontwoman Lucy just as the band gears up for their annual candlelit Christmas show and their debut EP.

1. “There’s Only Love” was born out of a moment brushing your teeth — how often do songs come to you in those unexpected flashes, and how do you capture them before they disappear?

Little melodies and phrases come to me quite often when I’m brushing my teeth or in the shower… Running water is very inspiring, apparently?! It’s probably more that these small moments in the day are the rare times that my mind feels still, and so I’m able to let it wander. I record them as voice notes and occasionally will go through and see if anything stands out.There’s Only Love is a bit of an anomaly, in that I wrote it entirely in my head – before any instrumentation. But mostly, our songs begin with Tom just noodling around on the guitar and me going, “Ooh what was that?! Play that again!” And I’ll start writing around that. So really, the unexpected flashes are me reacting to what Tom’s doing. He picks up the guitar every single day and has no shortage of ideas – it always amazes me.

2. You’ve described the track as ‘a song for the chronically misunderstood.’ What did writing it teach you about your own relationship with self-expression and confidence?

At the time of writing, I was in one of those moods where I was just fed up with worrying what others might think of me, and needed a big pep talk. I was also thinking about the power of words – how the way we speak about ourselves can have such an impact on our behaviour, and in turn, influence outcomes and effectively shape our lives. So it was like, “Ok, what can I write that will one, get me out of this funk and two, be something I’d be happy to sing over and over, in case it really is a spell that has some bearing over my life?” The lyrics are just me pep-talking the shit out of myself, it’s kind of hilarious. But you know what? I’ve been singing the words, “Don’t ever let them dim your shine” on stage for two years now, and it often takes me out of my stage fright!

3. Folkestone clearly plays a big role in your story — what is it about life by the sea that has shaped your sound and the community around the band?

Being from London and, until fairly recently, only ever knowing noise, crowds and people rushing around at a million miles an hour – the thought of living by the sea has always been appealing. Tom and I spoke a lot about how we wanted our sound to reflect our new environment, in terms of softer and more relaxed elements. Life is a lot slower here, and I think also, just from our taste naturally developing over time, we’ve deliberately tried to write slower-paced songs that don’t always need to have such urgency.The community here is amazing. People are motivated to turn up to shows and support local bands. It really feels like we’ve been welcomed into the scene, which we’ve appreciated so much.

4. From BBC Introducing support to packed festival crowds, your fanbase seems to be growing fast. What’s been the most surreal moment so far on stage this year?

The surreal moments are really just when I stop to think how far we’ve come, and remember the little goals I've set that are slowly coming true. We played the opening party of the Folkestone Triennial in July. Tom and I went to the 2021 event just after moving to Folkestone, and I remember thinking, “It would be great to play this one day.” At the time, we had no band (our last project, Love L.U.V. had ended) and no songs for Yesterday’s Flowers, so it felt pretty far off. So to be playing it four years later was very cool!We’ve also just got back from Smugglers Festival, which was probably the most engaged audience we’ve ever played to. They were singing along to songs they were hearing for the first time – just because they were with us in the moment, with open hearts. Loved that!

5. You’ve just secured Arts Council funding for your Christmas show and self released your EP. How are you balancing the dreamy, cosmic side of your sound with the practical reality of being a DIY band building momentum?

I’ve always been a dreamer, but being in a DIY band, you do have to take on so many practical roles. I’m our manager, booking agent and creative director all-in-one, essentially! It’s definitely tricky to balance, on top of also trying to make a living to support being able to do it in the first place. But for whatever reason, music has always been the thing I’m driven by the most. So the balance is really just being ok with handling those parts, and recognising it’s a choice I’m making – because this is the thing I love.This is the second year in a row we’ve received funding for what we’re now calling our annual Christmas show at St Mary & St Eanswythe’s Church (a massive thank you to Folkestone Music Town, as it’s through their Future Sound Of Folkestone initiative). It’s about creating your own opportunities, I’ve come to realise. So I'll end by taking (creating?!) a moment to say that if anyone reading would like to visit Folkestone for a cosy, candlelit evening of live music, then we’d love to see you on Friday 12th December.