An indie artist out of Montreal, Canada, Flower Face is a goth-folk musician best known for her hazy, hypnotic lyricism and cinematic soundscapes. With four studio albums under her belt, singer Ruby McKinnon — better known as Flower Face — has amassed a cult following across over 10 years of songwriting. Her 2022 album “The Shark In Your Water” — her first with label Nettwerk Music Group — amassed over seventy-five million streams in total, and her 2024 album “Girl Prometheus”’ lead single “Biblical Love” has over three million streams.
In her professional journey, Flower Face has not once given up. Her work is a love letter to the art of her craft. In a world where creatives often have to ask for “permission” to embark on their endeavors, Flower Face has done it all anyway. Starting her career from scratch has allowed her both the freedom to grow independently and to experiment with immersive instrumentals and gauzy vocals. Flower Face’s influence only continues to grow, and she has not allowed anyone to stop her.
I was able to interview Flower Face after her show in Los Angeles.
Q: Although you’ve played for festivals before, this is your first-ever headline tour. How different are you finding the experience versus the shows you’ve played in the past?
A: These headline shows feel kind of like the light at the end of the tunnel that is the festival circuit. Festivals are definitely fun in a lot of ways, but they are more difficult in the sense that you have a lot of people to try to win over, whereas at a headline show, everyone is there to see you, and so the crowd is more excited and less critical. It’s been so incredible to play to a room full of people who are singing every word to every song. I’ve definitely had some moments of choking up at these shows.
Q: How are you cultivating your creativity and working on new art while touring? How are you balancing that workload?
A: I actually felt really inspired to write during this tour, and I was constantly writing down lines of lyrics and ideas in my notebook. I hadn’t been writing much leading up to these shows because there’s been a lot of other work to do, but playing music every night and feeling the energy in the rooms has broken me out of that slump.
Q: Congratulations on your recent single, “Bad Dream!” How do you feel every time you start a new “era” of music and begin introducing a new album? How do you feel towards the “era” you are moving past?
A: Thank you! Honestly, I never really think of the “era” changes in a conscious way. Since I’ve been writing and releasing music for what feels like my entire life, it feels like I’m just moving through new chapters in my life, and the music reflects that.
Q: Artistically, how do you differentiate your different albums? Do you find you try to play with an overarching theme over each piece?
A: Again, it’s not totally a conscious decision, but naturally the work I’m making always reflects the current state of my life. My newer work definitely feels a lot more reflective and less immediate.
Q: You’ve released six studio albums in total: four as an independent artist, and two signed. How have you navigated that change professionally? How has that affected your artistry?
A: It’s been a long process and a slow transition. It didn’t feel like a huge jump because I’ve been lucky to always work with people who understand my need for creative control and been able to keep my process pretty similar. It does feel like there is a lot more momentum now, though, which is awesome, but I’ve been busier than ever.
Q: Because you’re on tour, you must be getting a lot of requests for playing older music. How is it artistically to go back to those songs and that time in your life?
A: It’s really amazing now to see the way people still connect with songs I wrote over a decade ago. I try to make the setlists pretty diverse and still honour the older songs in my catalogue, even if sometimes they feel so distant from who I am now. I always find ways to relate to my old writing, though, and sometimes it takes on new meaning and can be really emotional to perform.
Q: Do you have any advice for young creatives on the topic of independent artistry? What made you decide to start pursuing music as a career? How did being an independent artist affect that?
A: Don’t let anyone push you around. I was lucky that I already had a pretty established career when I signed with a label, managers, agents, all of that … but I think a lot of young artists can get swept up in the industry and suddenly have other people making all of their decisions for them. Get a good lawyer. It’s always worth it. As for deciding to start pursuing it, there was never really a time where I wasn’t playing music … I started playing piano when I was a little kid, and then I was already recording and releasing songs by the time I was in high school. I can’t really imagine doing anything else.
Q: What would you say to a younger version of yourself?
A: I’m still working on this one in therapy.
Onstage during her concert, Flower Face was recovering from a cold, but she still gave it her all. The crowd was full of buzzy energy, the moments between songs filled with energetic conversation and gifts being handed up to the stage. Playful questions were shouted out during the set, with her replying to each in kind.
Humble requests were made from Flower Face not to leak her performing brand-new, unreleased songs, filling the crowd with excitement for when they will eventually be released. She also played some older songs, such as “Angela”, the viral breakthrough track on her 2018 album “Baby Teeth.”
Flower Face lingered by the merch stand after the show was over, taking her time to sign autographs, take photographs, and speak with the fans awaiting her. From fans with lyric tattoos to those gifting her with handwritten letters, it’s clear that her soulful lyricism and ability to capture emotion sonically have touched thousands of people all over the world.