Exclusive: FLO Talk ‘Therapy At The Club,’ What’s Next, & Music Industry Realities

FLO are charging forward with their latest chapter and doing so with both pride and perspective.

With sophomore album ‘Therapy At The Club’ now in full effect, Renée Downer, Stella Quaresma, and Jorja Douglas sat down exclusively with That Grape Juice‘s Glory for a candid conversation about the project, how it builds on ‘Access All Areas’, and what life in the music industry actually looks like beyond the glossy exterior.

And while there is much to celebrate, the British R&B trio were refreshingly open about the work, realities, and lessons that have accompanied their journey thus far.

Watch our exclusive interview with FLO above and more below…

‘Therapy At The Club’ and a More Defined FLO

For FLO, album number two is about more than simply following up their debut.

During our sit-down, the ladies unpacked how their creative process has developed since ‘Access All Areas’ and why ‘Therapy At The Club’ feels like a broader showcase of who they are becoming as artists.

“I think it shows our skill set and shows that we are true artists, or we’re on the path of being true artists. But you can really hear us in the songs… I think that we can just experiment and, like, we’re not one-trick ponies.”

That willingness to stretch also extends to the subject matter.

While songs about romantic woes remain firmly in the mix, FLO explained that they wanted the new project to capture the grey areas of relationships rather than constantly racing toward a clean-cut breakup.

“I don’t necessarily get heartbreak from the album. I get, like, what’s the word? Conflict… It was important for us to talk about the kind of difficulties within being in a relationship because we’ve done the whole, like, ‘Cardboard Box,’ which was very definitive, the end of a relationship.

“Whereas I think with ‘Therapy At The Club’ it was important to reflect the fact that you can still be in a relationship and have struggles, but it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the end. No relationship is perfect, so I guess just not acting like the relationship is perfect.”

That emotional complexity naturally feeds into their songwriting too. One of the ladies revealed that, creatively, the darker emotions often offer more to dig into.

“I definitely figured out that it’s easier for me to write about pain rather than, like, happier-sounding songs… The darker sound vibes just, you know, I can feel it more. There’s more layers to being sad than there is to being happy sometimes.

“It feels like happy is just very happy or love is, like, love. But being sad, there’s so many different layers and reasons.”

The sentiment sparked agreement from her bandmates, with the trio laughing about just how easily writing about happiness can veer into “corny” territory.

And, as showcased throughout the campaign, including the recently unwrapped ‘Cry Ugly’ visual, the aim has been to build an era with its own distinct identity rather than merely repeat what worked before.

FLO Get Candid About the Music Industry

Beyond the music itself, the trio were equally candid about the realities that come with navigating the industry.

Rather than presenting their ascent as an uninterrupted upward curve, FLO spoke frankly about the numbers behind the business and the inevitable fluctuations that can come between campaigns.

“Post ‘Access All Areas’ and kind of coming off of, like, the high from that, the numbers dropped. The numbers dropped and that was to be expected.

“But then since we’ve been in this campaign for ‘Therapy At The Club,’ they’re going back up and it would be really nice to see them reach the 5 million [monthly listeners] number.”

Importantly, the group stressed that those figures are not simply statistics on a screen. For them, they are an indicator of a growing community that is actively engaging with the music.

The pressures do not stop once the songs are released either.

When the conversation turned to touring, FLO were especially candid about how seriously they take every element of their live show, from the sound and styling to the lighting and wider team tasked with bringing the production to life.

“Going on tour is all about the team that you’re going on tour with. So if you feel like people aren’t carrying their weight or they’re letting you down, we take it so personally because we’re like, ‘We need you guys to excel in this.’

“It’s something that is, like, almost traumatic for us… not feeling really content with everything live, whether it’s sound, whether it’s the set, the styling, the lighting.”

The comments underline just how much sits behind the finished product audiences ultimately see.

It is a theme that surfaced elsewhere in the conversation too, including when the trio tackled the smoke and mirrors of social media and the danger of comparing real life with carefully curated feeds.

“Don’t do it. Online is not real… Beauty is subjective. Look inwards, tell yourself nice things, surround yourself with people that make you feel good about yourself.

“What’s online is controlled. That’s why everybody loves it, because they can control the narrative. Show reel… but that doesn’t mean that they’re not going through it behind the scenes.”

It makes for particularly timely viewing as ‘Therapy At The Club’ continues to make its mark and battles for the top spot on the UK Albums Chart.

Sisterhood, Success & What Comes Next

For all the business talk, FLO remain clear that the friendship at the center of the group is one of their biggest anchors.

Jorja hilariously lifted the lid on how honesty works between the three, explaining that sugarcoating is not really part of the equation.

“We are all very comfortable in telling each other kind of where you may be going wrong because really we’re the only ones that are going to do that for each other.

“Like, don’t come to me if you want me to tell you what [you want to hear]. And definitely don’t go to Stella. Maybe go to Renée, in a good way, in a good way, because someone has to be kind.

“I love Renée. She will deliver news in such a deep way… she’s smiling and she’s laughing and she’s like, ‘You’re crazy.’”

That genuine sisterhood appears all the more important as their ambitions continue to grow.

Asked to look ahead, FLO made clear that expanding their audience remains foundational to everything else they hope to achieve, including bigger tours and greater financial freedom.

“There’s no point having financial freedom if you don’t have a big fanbase. You can’t do a stadium tour if you don’t have a big fanbase.

“So that’s really what we strive for, but then the other things are what we look forward to as a result of that.”

It was a revealing answer from a group whose profile has already expanded considerably, yet who remain focused on building something with longevity rather than treating individual milestones as the finish line.

The ladies also served up some gems when Glory put them in the therapist’s chair, fielding questions about love, friendship, exes, and taking major life risks.

Their verdict on receiving the dreaded “I miss you” message from an ex? Proceed with extreme caution.

“Do you know what it is? ‘I miss you’ is a trap… unless they’re showing up to your front door with a laptop and they’re going to open the laptop and say, ‘Welcome to my present, welcome to my TED Talk on why we need to be back together’…

“Exactly. Block her, block her, block. Case closed.”

Yet, when it came to pursuing a dream, their advice was markedly less cautious.

“If you don’t try, you never know… You could be walking into the most incredible part of your life where you feel fulfilled and you feel like you’re doing your purpose, so just try.

“There probably is a Plan B whether you like it or not… so just go for Plan A. Just go for Plan A.”

Fitting words from a trio who continue to bet big on themselves.

Watch the full That Grape Juice exclusive above.

‘Therapy at the Club’ is out now