From TikToks In Bray To US Shows: Florence Road Win Olivia Rodrigo’s Praise

The Bray band’s version of Obsessed caught the pop star’s attention, and a few years on they are opening for her in front of 40,000 fans

Wicklow band Florence Road have plenty to thank Olivia Rodrigo for.

A cover of her song Obsessed, posted online while the four-piece were still schoolgirls, drew praise from Rodrigo herself and helped put them on the map, in an interview with the band published in The Times UK.

Lily Aron (lead vocals, guitar), Ailbhe Barry (bass), Emma Brandon (guitar) and Hannah Kelly (drums) met at Colaiste Raithin in Bray when they were 12.

Encouraged by their music teacher to form a band for lunchtime gigs, they began rehearsing covers in the cabin in Lily’s back garden before uploading them to TikTok.

As The Times reports, that approach built a fanbase organically, and Rodrigo’s approval of their Obsessed cover was a huge boost.

The band told the newspaper that they worried about being pigeonholed as the group that does cool covers. Their subsequent releases Storm Warnings, Hanging Out to Dry and 7563 (see below) disputed that idea.

The newspaper describes a grunge-tinged sound in the vein of not just Rodrigo, but also Paramore and a 'poppier' Wet Leg.

The connection has come full circle. Florence Road have since supported Rodrigo at Hyde Park in London and at Marlay Park in Dublin, where the crowd was 40,000 strong.

Lily told The Times she kept waiting for the nerves to arrive and they never did, only excitement.

Florence Road (Instagram)

Open for Olivia 

Looking back, she says the whole run still feels a little unreal.

Asked what she would tell her younger self, she joked that she would not want to spoil the surprise of hearing “You’re gonna open for Olivia.” Her only advice would be to wear ear protection, and to aim for headlining Electric Picnic.

Florence Road are due in the studio in the coming weeks, and their biggest Irish headline tour begins in December.

Next year brings gigs in Mexico with Sombr, Australia and New Zealand dates with Fontaines D.C., and a UK and European headline tour in May.

A stolen van and a Pearl Jam frontman

The band’s latest trip to America brought a major high followed by a major setback. Florence Road played their first Los Angeles headline show at the Troubadour, but afterwards their van was broken into.

Lily told The Times they had parked in a spot they were told had 24-hour security, which turned out not to be true. Their guitars, pedal boards and the rest of their show gear were stolen.

With a set at Eddie Vedder’s Ohana Festival in California the very next day, the band had to scramble to borrow equipment.

The Pearl Jam frontman visited their dressing room and offered Lily his own guitar, and even had his guitar tech add an extra hole to the strap so it would fit her.

She described him to The Times as 'down to earth and genuine', and said the number of people who reached out to help was 'heartwarming'.

This article is based on an interview with Florence Road originally published by The Times, which named the band among the 25 most powerful young people in Ireland in 2026.

🇦🇺we are excited to say we are heading down under to play our first headline shows in sydney and melbourne this february.

tickets on sale this morning at 9am local time! https://t.co/n6CJJOQeN6 pic.twitter.com/4YD6jQmHQ2

— Florence Road (@Florence_Road) November 5, 2026