DATE
Wilder Friends - Florence Clementine
Introducing Florence Clementine, a uniquely beautiful singer-songwriter whose voice and vision are as enchanting as her name. Singing was her first love, and by the age of 14, she had already begun crafting her own songs—setting the foundation for a musical journey that would soon take her around the world.
As Florence shares her story, she opens up about the experience of growing up while on tour, the grounding power of creativity, and the herbs she lovingly weaves into her daily rituals. Along the way, she offers quotes and reflections to uplift and inspire—an invitation into a life lived with intention, curiosity, and soul.
Please share a little about yourself and where you live now?
Hello! My name is Flo Clementine and I was born in London and grew up there, my family and I have moved a lot this past decade but we are in Ojai, California now where our first daughter was born in 2019. I can hear myself and the birds here & the children are thriving, we have had a lot of changes the past few years so I feel really grateful to be here.
You are a dreamy singer I absolutely love your work. When did you realise you were passionate about composing and singing?
Thank you so much Rachel..
Singing was my first love and I performed a lot from a young age, I always knew it was what I wanted to “do”, nothing else as a child really interested me like music did..
I started writing music around the age of 14 when I started guitar lessons, really to accompany my voice and put those first songs I wrote at home online, my older brother and I would often play and sing together.
You have toured the world from a very young age, I can imagine these times were incredible but also not without its intensities and stresses. How have you managed the pressures that artists are often put under?
Yes they were incredible times, it almost feels like a dream now, they were also occasionally isolating and I found it hard to find a balance between being inward and then performing and sharing myself on stage with lots of people as a teen/ young adult still figuring things out. But once I was singing everything fell away.. I used to repeat this mantra before performing “Empty yourself and let the universe fill you” it helped soothe any nerves!
I haven’t been on tour for years but would wake up at sunrise, wherever I was doing a show and meditate which was invaluable if things were overwhelming. Also the connection with the audience and the souls I would meet on the way always made it worthwhile.
I miss it a lot!
What advice if any would you give your much younger self about health, love, travelling?
These quotes articulate my sentiments better than I could ~
Believe in a love that is being stored up for you like an inheritance, and have faith that in this love there is a strength and a blessing so large that you can travel as far as you wish without having to step outside it.
Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet
And
There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique, and if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium; and be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is, not how it compares with other expression. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep open and aware directly to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open. No artist is pleased. There is no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer, divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others.
Martha Graham
A dear friend of mine who’s an actress shared her thoughts on parenting saying that she feels her children keep her very much in the present, having to really forge time to be creative. Although I’m not a creative I know myself that I’ve had to approach my work life in a totally different way since having children. How have you found this having three little ones of your own?
Yes it’s a beautiful dance that I sometimes fumble through. It took 9 years from the release of my first album to my most recent , with 3 babies in between.. stepping back and letting life happen.. these experiences fuelled my creative fire again and helped find what I wanted to say and share. I wrote most of it in 2020 during the pandemic for about two months by spending two hours alone each day writing consistently , confronting myself and picking up the guitar again .. it was humbling and a rarity for me now as a mother. The kids are homeschooled which we love and I feel in my purpose doing so- but it definitely means I have to be creative with my creativity ! And include them wholeheartedly in this season.
I wouldn’t change it for the world.
What does wellbeing mean to you? Do you have any specific daily routines or rituals.
Wellbeing for me is remembering that integrity, kindness and peace are the highest currencies. In terms of daily routines- My throat is my achilles heel when I am run down or going through something - I somehow always lose my voice. So I pay attention to that and will take oil of oregano , reishi, lots of ginger and liposomal vitamin c if I remember!! I also really have benefited over the years from therapy and systemic constellations with the wonderful Zita Tulyahikayo in London.
Do you have any particular herbs that you love to use, maybe something you brew up or cook with within your family or ones that you grew up with?
I am low maintenance these days but I’m trying to reintegrate herbs into my life. I like tulsi and hibiscus tea and postpartum found that nettle tea was so nourishing. I also love to cook .. especially African- inspired dishes like groundnut stew and efo riro.. I know it’s not a herb but I use scotch bonnet pepper in my cooking and the whole family feel the cleansing benefits
Finally are there any Wilder formulas you particularly love?
I love the healing bath salts and have gifted them to many friends and family, and of course your teas - when I was pregnant and came to see you for support-
The serenity tea was so nourishing and helped me immensely. I love all you create!
