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Chvrches

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Chvrches
Chvrches Live at Sasquatch 2013
Chvrches Live at Sasquatch 2013
Background information
OriginGlasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
GenresElectronic, synthpop
Years active2011–present
LabelsGoodbye/Virgin (UK)
Glassnote (US)
Hostess (JP)
MembersLauren Mayberry
Iain Cook
Martin Doherty
Websitechvrch.es

Chvrches (pronounced as "churches" and sometimes stylized as CHVRCHES and CHVRCHΞS) are a Scottish electropop band from Glasgow, formed in 2011. The group consists of Lauren Mayberry (lead vocals, additional synthesizers), Iain Cook (synthesizers, guitar, bass, vocals), and Martin Doherty (synthesizers, samplers, vocals).[1]

Chvrches came fifth on the BBC's Sound of 2013 list of the most promising new music talent.[2] In March 2013 they released Recover EP. Their debut studio album The Bones of What You Believe will be released on 23 September 2013.

History

Before Chvrches, Iain Cook was a member of Aereogramme and The Unwinding Hours. He also wrote music for film and TV.[2] Martin Doherty was a live member of The Twilight Sad.[3] According to Mayberry, "Iain and Martin went to university together so they've known each other for quite a long time".[4]

Mayberry did a four-year law degree, followed by a Masters in journalism.[5] This led her into a career in freelance journalism for several years prior to music. She played piano since she was a kid, and drums since she was a teenager.[6] From age 15 until 22, she played drums in various bands.[4] Before Chvrches, Mayberry was member of two local bands, Boyfriend/Girlfriend and then Blue Sky Archives.[4] On the latter band, she is vocalist, drummer and keyboardist.[4]

Cook was producing an EP for Blue Sky Archives on a weekend in September 2011.[4] Cook started a new project with Doherty and asked Mayberry to sing on a couple of demos.[2] They wrote together for seven or eight months in a basement studio in Glasgow.[4] Cook, Mayberry and Doherty decided to form a new band after the sessions proved to be successful.[2] They chose the name Chvrches, using a Roman "v" to avoid confusions with actual churches on internet searches.[2] Chvrches have also stated that the band name "has no religious connotation, [they] just thought it sounded cool".

Lauren Mayberry performing live with Chvrches at Melt! Festival (2013)

In May 2012, Chvrches premiered the song "Lies", which was available exclusively as a free download from the blog of the Neon Gold label.[7] This single was followed by "The Mother We Share" in September 2012.

In June 2012, The Guardian featured Chvrches as one of New Bands of the Day.[8]

BBC described "The Mother We Share" as "electro-pop that shimmers only when the tears are washed from its speaker cones. Debut single The Mother We Share rightly caused something of a stir with its accessible yet ambitious synth angles, positioned somewhere between Robyn and The Knife".[1] "The Mother We Share" was written and recorded in two days.[2]

"Lies" ranked at number 28 on NME's Best Tracks of 2012.[9] "The Mother We Share" ranked at number 51 on The Huffington Post Top 52 Songs of 2012.[10]

On 6 February 2013, Chvrches premiered a new single, "Recover". It was followed by Recover EP, out on 25 March 2013 in the UK via Goodbye/Virgin and 26 March 2013 in the US via Glassnote.[11] In 2013, Chvrches was named one of Fuse TV's must-see artists at SXSW.[12]

On 14 June 2013, the band officially announced their debut studio album, The Bones of What You Believe, which will be released on 23 September 2013 in the UK and on 24 September 2013 elsewhere.

On 19 June 2013, Chvrches made their US TV debut performing "The Mother We Share" on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. On 15 July 2013, they released the single "Gun".[13]

The song "Gun" will feature on the official soundtrack of FIFA 14. It will be the first time Chvrches appears as part of a video game soundtrack.

On August 17, 2013, "The Mother We Share" reached it's peak on Alt Nation's weekly countdown, the Alt-18, at #9.[14][15]

Music style

Chvrches at SPIN Party, SXSW (2013)

Chvrches' music style is usually tagged as electronic or synthpop. Neon Gold described their sound as "a godless hurricane of kinetic pop energy".[7] Kitty Empire of the Observer wrote they "make accessible electro-pop that's only just short of truly brilliant".[16]

Chvrches are influenced by acts such as Prince, Tubeway Army, Robyn, Laurie Anderson, Depeche Mode, Kate Bush, and Elliott Smith.[2][3] The band writes, records, mixes, and masters their songs in a basement studio in Glasgow.[3]

Touring

When Chvrches play live, Mayberry performs lead vocals and occasionally plays synthesizers; Cook plays synthesizers and sometimes bass guitar, and also performs backing vocals; Doherty plays synthesizers and samplers, and also performs backing vocals and sometimes lead vocals.

In 2012 and 2013, Chvrches toured in various countries from Europe (including their home country), USA and Canada. They also performed at various music festivals like SXSW, Field Day, Canadian Music Fest, Sasquatch!, The Great Escape, Firefly Music Festival, Pitch Festival, T in the Park.

Chvrches were the opening act for Discopolis, School of Seven Bells, Passion Pit, Two Door Cinema Club and currently, the band is supporting Depeche Mode on selected shows during their The Delta Machine Tour 2013.

Some of the artists that opened for Chvrches were Dan Croll, MØ, Isaac Delusion, Young Fathers, Arthur Beatrice, Conquering Animal Sound and Still Corners.

Discography

Studio albums

Extended plays

Singles

Release date Title Peak chart positions Album
UK
[18] 		Tokio Hot 100
[19]
11 May 2012 "Lies" — — The Bones of What You Believe
17 September 2012 "The Mother We Share" — 100
6 February 2013 "Recover" 91 —
15 July 2013 "Gun" 55 44

One-off songs

  • "I Would Die 4 V" (live cover of a Prince song, 2012)
  • "Falling" (live BBC Radio 1 cover of a Haim song, 2013)

Remixes

  • Ultraísta – "Gold Dayzz" (CHVRCHES Remix)
  • St. Lucia – "Before the Dive" (CHVRCHES Remix)
  • MS MR – "Hurricane" (CHVRCHES Remix)

Music videos

  • "Recover" (2013)
  • "Gun" (2013)
  • "The Mother We Share" (2013)

Awards and nominations

Year Organisation Award Result
2012 BBC Sound of 2013 Sound of 2013[2] Fifth
2013 South by Southwest Inaugural Grulke Prize (for Developing Non-US Act) at South by Southwest[20] Winner

References

  1. ^ a b "BBC - Music - CHVRCHES".
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "BBC News - BBC Sound of 2013: Chvrches". Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  3. ^ a b c "On the Radar - No 207: CHURCHES".
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Chvrches Is the Most Addicting Band of the Summer - Newsweek and The Daily Beast".
  5. ^ "Dollars to Pounds: Chvrches - The FADER".
  6. ^ "Chvrches Find Their Place In a Pop World - MTV IGGY". Retrieved 18 April 2013.
  7. ^ a b "Neon Gold Beat Company: SKIN + BONE".
  8. ^ "New Band of the Day - No 1,295: Churches - Music - guardian.co.uk".
  9. ^ "50 Best Tracks Of 2012 - The Big Picture - NME.COM - The world's fastest music news service, music videos, interviews, photos and more".
  10. ^ "John Chattman: A-Sides Music: Top 52 Songs of 2012 (Call Me Maybe...Not)".
  11. ^ "Chvrches: Recover - Tracks - Pitchfork". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  12. ^ 30 Must-See Acts at SXSW 2013 - Photos - South by Southwest - Festivals - Fuse. Fuse.tv (2013-02-28). Retrieved on 2013-04-16.
  13. ^ "Chvrches unveil tracklisting for debut album 'The Bones Of What You Believe' - News - NME.COM".
  14. ^ Results 8/17/2013 | The Unofficial Alt-18 (retrieved August 18, 2013)
  15. ^ Alt Nation - New Alternative Rock From Cutting Edge Bands - SiriusXM Radio (retrieved August 18, 2013)
  16. ^ Empire, Kitty. "Chvrches- review". music. The Guardian. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  17. ^ "Chvrches - EP". Discogs. 10 July 2013. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
  18. ^ "Chvrches > Artist Chart History". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 March 2013.
  19. ^ Peak positions for Chvrches' singles on Tokio Hot 100:
  20. ^ "Haim, CHVRCHES, and The Flaming Lips are Winners of the Inaugural Grulke Prize at SXSW 2013 | SXSW 2013". Retrieved 14 April 2013.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chvrches.
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