Life has barely slowed down for the three members of FLO. Rising as an international girl group means Jorja Douglas, Renée Downer and Stella Quaresma are constantly moving between tours, music video revisions, photo sessions, studio work, Tiny Desk performances and flights across the world. By the middle of 2026, they have already packed more into six months than many people could imagine completing in an entire year.
Girl groups are frequently judged by their appearance and sexuality while receiving less credit for their songwriting or creative control. FLO have steadily challenged that attitude with their infectious music and striking vocal harmonies. In February, the trio brought their mothers to a “wholesome” night at the Grammy Awards, where debut record ‘Access All Areas’ earned a nomination for Best Progressive R&B Album. Their current lives are far removed from Sylvia Young Theatre School, where Downer and Quaresma met before Douglas, the daughter of retired athlete Stephi Douglas, joined after they found her singing on Instagram. Although they watched the ceremony from “in the bleachers” and left without the award, the experience gave them another ambition to pursue. “Now we have somewhere to go,” says Quaresma.
When the group finds a gap in its crowded calendar to speak with NME, it feels as though these interviews could be the last moment of calm for some time. Sitting closely together with Douglas’ grey French bulldog, Bunny, they appear cheerful while saving their energy for choreography practice later that evening. Their eagerly awaited series of acoustic performances in record stores is also only days away. “It’s so intimate,” says Douglas. “We get to be in close proximity to the fans, so we always have lots of fun on the in-stores.”
The affection between Douglas, Downer and Quaresma is obvious, but FLO’s supporters have also become part of that shared sisterhood. Through their second album, ‘Therapy At The Club’, the trio welcomes listeners into their circle and shows how women can encourage one another.
Despite its name and several songs exploring nights out, ‘Therapy At The Club’ is not simply a record about clubbing. Its real focus is female companionship, the instant friendships formed inside bathroom queues, romantic struggles and the way music can help people work through difficult emotions before releasing them.
“Found myself on the floor unexpectedly / Chasing that good medicine in the melody / I was down, all my girls dancing next to me”, FLO sing on recent single ‘Remedied’. The energetic pop track captures the excitement before a night out and the confidence that comes from knowing your outfit looks perfect. Douglas believes its message centres on refusing to apologise for enjoying yourself. “When you’re going to the club, you need to leave it all behind [and have] a great time with your mates,” she says. “It’s about us having the best time and using each other as a form of therapy.”
Downer says part of the excitement surrounding a night out comes from having the freedom to embrace your real personality or briefly become someone completely different. “You can be fully yourself, or you can pretend to be somebody you’re not to make you feel a bit better. I think everybody’s intention is to have a good night and be fun.”
Quaresma also believes the combination of friendship, music and club culture encourages people to relax and creates a welcoming environment. “You go into the bathroom and suddenly someone that you feel like you’ve known for years is there. They have a problem [and] all the girls come out of the cubicles to fix it.”
“All of the negative things about being a girl all go away [in the club]. I’ll scratch your back, you scratch mine” Stella Quaresma
Quaresma continues: “I feel like all of the negative things about being a girl – girls being bitchy, side-eye, whatever – all go away [in the club],” she adds. “I’ll scratch your back, you scratch mine. You got lip liner? OK! I feel sometimes men in clubs are just a bit nasty, and that makes girls stick together even more.” Douglas strokes Bunny’s head as she enthusiastically agrees. “100 per cent!” she says. “Just bond over your mutual disgust of men.”
When asked to name FLO’s most unforgettable night together, Downer immediately answers: “I remember Stella’s birthday!” The group laughs while recalling a Mayfair dinner and evening out that quickly unravelled because of a cannabis cake.
“I commissioned the cake – I had no idea what had gone into it!” says Douglas. “Stella’s friends started dropping like flies! I felt this immense guilt, Reneé left, and I thought ‘My god, I’ve ruined it’ – but Stella had a great time!” Quaresma laughs as she remembers how little they consumed. “We only had the tiniest bit,” she says. “If we had a whole slice, we would have died!”
‘Therapy At The Club’ unfolds as a complete emotional story, beginning with the search for romance before moving through fear, heartbreak and eventually deciding that enough is enough. Upcoming track ‘Cry Ugly’ places FLO’s impressive harmonies and vocal runs at the centre while describing an argument between lovers shortly before a night out. “1am on the dot, guess it’s bullshit o’clock / This man don’t know when to stop”, Quaresma sings above restless percussion and heavy bass as the trio effortlessly exchange notes.
“I really wanted to talk about the more negative aspects [of relationships and the club],” says Douglas, who used events from her own life as inspiration. “I don’t know what it is about the stress of getting ready to leave [but] that’s when we start to argue!”
Revenge arrives through confidence and a perfectly timed thirst trap on ‘Leak It’, the comeback single that introduced their latest chapter. Drawing from the bold and playful appeal of Pussycat Dolls’ ‘Buttons’, FLO embrace the music they grew up loving while developing their writing and imagining where girl groups can go next. They spent a significant amount of time in the US, writing continuously each day. Whether creating alone or alongside other writers, the concept behind ‘Therapy At The Club’ remained the central idea guiding every session.
“We wanted to venture out on our own and develop our talent as songwriters and singers,” says Downer, remembering the difficulty of leaving familiar territory and confidently expressing their opinions during sessions. “It was a lot of mental preparation. Going in, we’re going to say what we want to say, how we want to feel, and take control of the room.” The finished record contains an ambitious 16 songs. Douglas puts it more simply: “She’s thicc.”
The album moves from huge pop choruses to sensual slow songs and sincere tearjerkers without wasting a moment. Rappers Juicy J and Kwn appear on ‘Pose’ and ‘Sex In Peace’. The former unexpectedly samples Technotronic’s ‘Pump Up The Jam’, while the latter delivers something polished and seductive. ‘Don’t Break Her Heart’ wraps a warning in sweet vocals and sparkling production while emphasising the need for women to protect one another. Its video approaches the mystery with tongue in cheek humour, but the lyric “If you break her heart, I will break your face” leaves no room for confusion. The question, then, is how FLO respond when one of them experiences heartbreak.
“[Recording this album] was a lot of mental preparation. [We wanted] to say what we want to say and take control of the room” Renée Downer
“You want to go into the motherly role, but we are sisters,” says Downer. “So that comes with a balance of maintaining respect for each other’s decisions. So long as we are able to talk about anything, that’s the most important thing.”
Douglas joins the conversation: “We know rationality is the only way to get through to each other.” She pretends to slap the air while saying, “As much as you want to”, before admitting, “sometimes you have to not.” Quaresma adds: “There’s no handbook. People have tried to write one. It’s not one size fits all.”
Seven years into their mission to become the biggest girl group in the UK, FLO welcome the growing sense of friendly competition within the scene. “At the start it was just us [in the west] – Little Mix had just left,” says Quaresma, who is particularly enthusiastic about KATSEYE’s single ‘Animal’. Douglas agrees that the landscape now feels more active. “It’s definitely more of a buzz. I’m loving GIRLSET and Say Now!” she says.
With other groups now sharing the spotlight, FLO can concentrate on reaching new audiences. Their next destination is Asia, where they will tour for the first time this summer. The trio have moved beyond being newcomers and have little reason to keep checking who might be following behind them. ‘Therapy At The Club’ finds FLO releasing old worries and looking ahead, with more Grammy opportunities surely waiting. Quaresma says: “Next time, we’re gonna sit at the bottom.” She then confidently adds: “And we’re gonna win.”
FLO’s ‘Therapy At The Club’ arrives August 7 through EMI.
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