

In January 2013, the band signed with Glassnote and soon embarked on an international tour that included a performance at that year’s South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas. Late that year, Chvrches were among the acts selected for the BBC’s Sound of 2013, ultimately finishing fifth. The band’s official debut single, “The Mother We Share,” appeared in November 2012 and was also an online hit. It quickly became a viral hit and received airplay on BBC Radio 1. In May 2012, Chvrches posted their first song “Lies” online. 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. In September 2011, the pair invited vocalist Lauren Mayberry, who’d previously played with the band Blue Sky Archives and holds a law degree as well as a Master’s degree in journalism, to sing on some demos.

Seeking a change from alternative rock, they founded their own experimental synth project. By 2007, they had left that group, with Doherty joining the Twilight Sad as a touring member and Cook becoming a composer for film and television. Though little came of the sessions, they continued to work together, and became members of the band Aereogramme. The pair forged their musical partnership when Doherty asked Cook to produce his band Julia Thirteen. On 2021’s Screen Violence, Chvrches sharpened the edges and hooks of their songs as they reaffirmed their place as synth pop standard-bearers.īefore Chvrches formed, keyboardist/vocalist Iain Cook and keyboardist/vocalist Martin Doherty became friends in 2003 while studying at Glasgow’s University of Strathclyde. They went all in on their pop leanings on 2018’s Love Is Dead, where their collaborators ranged from pop producer Greg Kurstin to the National‘s Matt Berninger. Later, Chvrches brought an extra sheen to their music without sacrificing any of its depth. The mix of Lauren Mayberry’s crystalline, emotive vocals and the sweeping synths of Iain Cook and Martin Doherty on 2013’s bittersweet yet anthemic debut album The Bones of What You Believe bridged the gap between the classic synth pop of Depeche Mode and New Order and the brash, EDM-influenced sounds of the early 2010s, influencing countless contemporaries along the way. Crafting songs with big synths and bigger melodies, Chvrches combine their indie roots with their love of chart-friendly pop.
