Bridging the worlds of indie and mainstream pop with big synths and bigger hooks, Glasgow’s electro-pop trio Chvrches features singer Lauren Mayberry and keyboardists/vocalists Iain Cook and Martin Doherty. In September 2011, Mayberry, who previously played with the band Blue Sky Archives and holds a law degree as well as a master’s degree in journalism, began working with Cook, a former member of Aerogramme and a film and television music composer, and Doherty, a touring member of the Twilight Sad, when they asked her to sing on some demos they were recording. The sessions went so well that the trio christened itself Chvrches — spelling it with a “v” instead of a “u” to differentiate themselves in Internet searches — and began writing songs inspired by Prince, Depeche Mode, and Kate Bush. Two of these songs, “The Mother We Share” and “Lies,” earned online buzz, and in November 2012, the band released “The Mother We Share” as their debut single. Late that year, Chvrches were among the acts selected for the BBC’s Sound of 2013, ultimately finishing fifth. The trio began 2013 by playing a few North American dates, releasing the Recover EP and recording its debut album in Cook’s basement studio. After covering Bauhaus’ “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” for the movie Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters, Chvrches began working on new material in January 2015 at their own Alucard Studios. Taking inspiration from Quincy Jones’ lean yet massive-sounding production style, their second album Every Open Eye appeared in September 2015. The album’s singles included a version of “Bury It” that featured Paramore’s Hayley Williams. In 2016, the band collaborated with Solar Fields on “Warning Call,” which appeared in the video game Mirror’s Edge Catalyst. The following year, Chvrches contributed a cover of Tegan and Sara’s “Call it Off” to the 10th anniversary edition of the duo’s album The Con, and went into the studio with producers Greg Kurstin and Dave Stewart to work on their third album. Boasting a bigger, more straightforward sound than their previous releases, 2018’s Love is Dead included the singles “Get Out” and “My Enemy,” a collaboration with the National’s Matt Berninger.~ Heather Phares
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