Passionflower
Some bands make music to be heard. Passionflower make music to make people feel heard.
MEET THE BAND
FROM SURVIVAL TO SOMETHING BIGGER.
Passionflower didn't begin with ambitions of festival stages, record deals or radio airplay. It began with one person, an acoustic guitar and a need to get some things off their chest.
In 2017, Passionflower began as a solo acoustic project. Writing became a way of processing the things that were too difficult to say out loud. The idea wasn't to become famous. It was to make something that might help someone else feel a little less alone.
That purpose has never really changed.
After years performing solo, the upheaval of 2020 became the catalyst for something bigger. Passionflower began evolving into a full band, going through the inevitable trial, error and growing pains before finding the four musicians who now make up the lineup.
The acoustic guitar might have been joined by distorted riffs, pounding drums and considerably more volume, but the heart of Passionflower remains exactly where it started.
Four musicians. One shared purpose. A lot more noise.
FROM WARRINGTON TO DOWNLOAD
SOME PHONE CALLS CHANGE EVERYTHING.
Boxing Day 2021 isn't a date the band likely to forget.
A call came through from BBC Radio 1's Alyx Holcombe, inviting Passionflower to be featured on Dan P Carter's show that very night.
For an artist who had started writing songs simply to make sense of the world, it was almost impossible to process.
And things haven't exactly slowed down since.
Passionflower have gone on to feature in Alternative Press, win Kerrang! Radio's The Deal, perform at Download Festival and sign with Marshall Records.
Not bad for something that began as an acoustic project in Warrington.
But ask the band what success really looks like, and you won't get an answer about streaming numbers, festival billing or industry recognition.
You'll get something much simpler.
A dingy basement venue, packed with friends and good vibes.
THE SOUND
Ask Passionflower to describe their sound in three words and they'll tell you:
"Big heckin sad."
It's funny, but it's also surprisingly accurate.
Passionflower sit somewhere between the emotional intensity of post-hardcore, the vulnerability of emo and the expansive melodies of alternative rock.
Think the raw energy of Alexisonfire, the emotional weight of Funeral For A Friend and the atmospheric ambition of Fightstar.
But the band aren't interested in simply recreating the music they grew up with.
Their songwriting pulls elements from different genres, combining unexpected influences into something that feels both familiar and new.
It's an approach shaped by countless afternoons spent watching Kerrang! TV and Scuzz after school, absorbing everything from crushing riffs to massive singalong choruses.
The result is music that can hit hard without losing its heart.
And live, that combination becomes something else entirely.
Passionflower describe their shows as a safe haven for the weary, weird and wonderful. Somewhere to let go of whatever has been weighing you down.
You can scream every word, disappear into a circle pit or simply stand at the back and feel understood.
There's room for all of it.
START WITH: AMOR
FOUR PEOPLE. ONE VERY LOUD IDEA.
MEET THE PEOPLE BEHIND PASSIONFLOWER.
KYLE FLXWRS | VOCALS & GUITAR
The voice behind Passionflower. Having historically handled much of the songwriting, he's now part of a more collaborative creative process.
Dream collaboration? Alexisonfire or Funeral For A Friend.
NATHAN EDWARDS | LEAD GUITAR
Helping shape the band's evolving sound, Nathan brings his own influences and ideas to a songwriting process that's increasingly built around all four members.
Dream collaboration? Bring Me The Horizon or Silverstein.
LIAM PICKERING | BASS
The man who apparently sees a circle pit as an invitation rather than something to avoid. During the current lineup's first show at London's Old Blue Last, Liam launched himself straight into the crowd.
Dream collaboration? Don Broco or Escape The Fate.
SHAUN HUMPHRIES | DRUMS
Providing the rhythmic backbone to Passionflower's huge riffs and emotional intensity, Shaun completes a lineup that has found its identity through collaboration.
Dream collaboration? Tool or Deftones.
Together, they're moving away from the original solo-project approach towards something shaped by four different musical personalities.
Which probably explains why their van playlist can jump from Meshuggah to Madonna without anyone batting an eyelid.
Kyle
Vocals & Guitar
Nathan
Lead Guitar
LIam
Bass
Shaun
Drums
🌸 THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE NAME.
Passionflower takes its name from Passiflora, a plant traditionally used in herbal remedies associated with relaxation, anxiety and sleep. That idea of relief and comfort is exactly what the band want their music to provide.
📻 THE BOXING DAY PHONE CALL.
The band found out Passionflower would be featured on BBC Radio 1 on Boxing Day 2021. The reaction? Tears, followed by some very excited calls to family and friends.
🍊 THE GREAT JAFFA CAKE DEBATE.
Forget creative differences. The argument that really matters is whether a Jaffa Cake is a cake or a biscuit. Apparently, this remains unresolved.
🎤 ABSOLUTELY NO GUILT.
The band's questionable musical pleasures include Cher, Will Young, Shakira and Celine Dion. Liam would particularly like it known that his love for Hips Don't Lie comes with absolutely zero guilt.
🥁 WHEN THE MONITORS WENT MISSING.
A show at Manchester's Peer Hat descended into chaos when the sound engineer's dislike of digital equipment collided with a lineup heavily dependent on it. Nobody could hear anything properly on stage. Somehow, the show went on.
🕵️ THE INDUSTRY PLANT CONSPIRACY.
Passionflower were once accused of being industry plants. The evidence? Some people hadn't heard of them before. Apparently, years of hard work are less believable than a conspiracy theory.
⛪ A VERY UNUSUAL CV.
Between the four members, Passionflower can boast a college tutor, a chef and an ordained minister. Which might make them one of the more useful bands to have around in an emergency.
🔥 BASEMENTS OVER BACKSTAGES.
Despite playing Download Festival, the band's favourite gig was a sweaty, packed basement show at Liverpool's Jacaranda in 2023. Proof that sometimes the smallest rooms leave the biggest impression.
The Serious Bit (briefly)
MUSIC FOR THE WEARY, WEIRD AND WONDERFUL.
There's a reason Passionflower's music carries so much emotion.
It comes from lived experience.
The band know what it's like to feel like outsiders. To struggle with things that are difficult to explain. To look around and wonder whether there's somewhere you genuinely belong.
Their music isn't about pretending everything is fine.
It's about acknowledging that sometimes it isn't, and finding connection through that shared experience.
That philosophy extends to their live shows, where the band want people to feel safe expressing themselves without judgement.
It's also what keeps them creating.
Not because somebody is telling them to write another song, release another record or chase another milestone.
But because they believe music can make a genuine difference to someone's day, someone's outlook or even their sense of belonging.
And sometimes that's enough.
ABOVE AVERAGE × PASSIONFLOWER
Above Average was built around the idea that music is more than something you listen to.
It's part of who you are.
It's the bands that helped you through difficult times, the songs that remind you of particular moments and the people you meet because you happen to love the same music.
That's why Passionflower feel like such a natural fit.
They're a band who've built something from genuine emotion, worked their way through years of change and stayed connected to the reason they started.
Their story isn't just about getting played on Radio 1, signing a record deal or stepping onto the Download Festival stage.
It's about creating something meaningful and bringing people together through music.
That's exactly the kind of band I want Above Average to stand alongside.
Because supporting music shouldn't just mean celebrating the artists who've already made it.
It should mean getting behind the people putting everything into what they create, building communities and giving others a reason to feel like they belong.
Not perfect. Above Average.
Congrats - you've made it this far
That means you should probably wear the merch.
Or listen to the music.
Preferably both.
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