CHVRCHES

Chvrches merge indie origins with an affinity for mainstream pop through expansive synthesizer textures and expansive melodic lines. Lauren Mayberry’s clear, emotionally charged singing paired with the expansive keyboard work of Iain Cook and Martin Doherty on the 2013 debut The Bones of What You Believe created a bridge between the vintage synth-pop approach of Depeche Mode and New Order and the bold, EDM-tinged textures prevalent in the early 2010s, shaping the direction of many subsequent artists. On later releases the trio added polish while retaining emotional weight, fully embracing pop structures for 2018’s Love Is Dead, which featured production input from Greg Kurstin and a vocal appearance by the National’s Matt Berninger. Their fourth U.K. Top Ten album, 2021’s Screen Violence, tightened the songwriting focus and reinforced their status as leading figures in synth-pop.

Iain Cook and Martin Doherty first met as students at Glasgow’s University of Strathclyde in 2003. Doherty later recruited Cook to produce his project Julia Thirteen, and although those recordings yielded little, the two persisted in collaborating and joined Aereogramme. After departing that band in 2007, Doherty toured with the Twilight Sad while Cook scored films and television. Seeking an alternative to guitar-based rock, the pair launched an experimental electronic endeavor. In September 2011 they asked Lauren Mayberry, previously of Blue Sky Archives and holder of both a law degree and a Master’s in journalism, to record vocals on several demos. The results prompted the three to adopt the name Chvrches—using a “v” rather than a “u” to stand out in online searches—and to begin composing material drawing from Prince, Depeche Mode, and Kate Bush.

Chvrches uploaded their first track, “Lies,” in May 2012; it quickly spread online and earned rotation on BBC Radio 1. Their official debut single, “The Mother We Share,” followed in November 2012 and likewise gained traction digitally. Selected for the BBC Sound of 2013 poll, the group placed fifth. They signed with Glassnote in January 2013 and soon toured internationally, appearing at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas. The Recover EP arrived that March, and The Bones of What You Believe was released in September. Cut at Glasgow’s Alucard Studio on a limited set of keyboards that included a Minimoog Voyager, the album entered the U.K. chart at number nine and later earned gold certification there; it also reached the Top 20 in Canada, Australia, the United States, and additional territories. “The Mother We Share” charted in the U.S., Japan, Belgium, and the U.K., where it reached the Top 40, and was performed during the July 2014 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony in Glasgow. Later that year the band supplied “Get Away” for the re-scored Drive soundtrack and recorded a version of Bauhaus’ “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” for Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters.

In January 2015 Chvrches resumed recording at an upgraded Alucard Studio. Drawing from Quincy Jones’ economical yet powerful production aesthetic, they issued Every Open Eye in September 2015. The album peaked at number four in the U.K., number eight on the Billboard 200, and entered the Top Ten in Australia, Ireland, Scotland, and New Zealand; a version of “Bury It” featuring Paramore’s Hayley Williams served as one of its singles.

Chvrches made their Royal Albert Hall debut in 2016 and recorded “Warning Call” with Solar Fields for the Mirror’s Edge Catalyst soundtrack. The following year they contributed a cover of Tegan and Sara’s “Call It Off” to the tenth-anniversary edition of The Con and entered the studio with Greg Kurstin and Dave Stewart to begin work on their third album. Love Is Dead, released in 2018, presented a larger, more direct sound and included the singles “Get Out” and “My Enemy,” the latter a duet with Matt Berninger. It debuted at number seven in the U.K. and led Billboard’s Top Rock Albums and Alternative Albums charts in the U.S. The Hansa Session EP followed later that year; recorded at the Berlin facility that once hosted David Bowie and Nick Cave, it offered acoustic and string arrangements of several Love Is Dead tracks. In 2019 the group performed with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra for the launch of the BBC Scotland channel, appeared on Marshmello’s “Here with Me,” and supplied “Death Stranding” to the soundtrack album inspired by the video game of the same name.

Chvrches began tracking their fourth album early in 2020, with Doherty and Mayberry working in Los Angeles while Cook remained in Glasgow. Screen Violence, featuring a darker palette and a collaboration with the Cure’s Robert Smith, arrived in August 2021. It reached number five in the U.K., topped the Scottish chart, and peaked at number 31 on the Billboard 200. The non-album track “Over” surfaced in early 2023. That September Mayberry issued her first solo single, the reflective ballad “Are You Awake?,” while confirming that Chvrches remained active. In October the band marked the tenth anniversary of The Bones of What You Believe with a deluxe reissue remastered by Gavin Lurssen that added live recordings and previously unreleased material.