Since the release of their 2013 debut The Bones Of What You Believe a lot has happened for the Glaswegian trio. When they wrote and recorded their debut no one had heard of them.
The three members (Iain Cook, Martin Doherty and Lauren Mayberry) came together with the idea of working on a writing project together, unsure of what path that would take, one this is for sure – they definitely were not expecting to become one of indie music’s most admired and closely watched bands.
They’re now getting ready to release their anticipated follow up, Every Open Eye. Recorded at at the band’s Alucard Studios – a converted three-bedroom flat on the southside of Glasgow –Every Open Eye offers an alternative approach in a climate of music written by committee or the same handful of well-known songwriters, going back to the idea that a band can write, record and produce their work entirely by themselves. Set for release this Friday the 25th via Liberator Music/Goodbye Records – we cannot wait for the record, so we’ve put together a few reasons why you should get excited too.
Their Debut Was One Of The Best Albums Of 2013
Fans of the Glasgow synth-pop trio have been waiting on a follow-up to 2013’s The Bones of What You Believe the moment they became enchanted by the precise vocals of Lauren Mayberry and the inescapably catchy layers of synths and percussion from Iain Cook and Martin Doherty.
The album responsible for the infatuation was 2013’s The Bones of What You Believe, which was not only one of the freshest debuts we’d heard in years, but also one of the top releases of that year, signalling the emergence of a vital and important new independent pop voice.
What We’ve Heard So Far Has Been Awesome
The band’s hugely anticipated second album was heralded by the shimmering single ‘Leave A Trace’. The track provides many hints at where the band has taken their sound on the new album, with its expanded sonic pallet and mixtures of light and dark.
Subsequent singles ‘Never Ending Circles’ and ‘Clearest Blue’ sealed the fact that we were bearing witness to the rise of a new CHVRCHES, a band that is now in full command of its formidable creative powers both in the studio and on the live stage.
They’re Coming For Laneway Festival
If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll know that earlier this week, the lineup for St Jerome’s Laneway Festival 2016 was announced and once again, it was absolutely packed with stellar local and international talent, including Grimes, Battles, FIDLAR, Shamir, and more.
But in addition to these great names, which also includes The Internet, Tobias Jesso Jr, High Tension, Magical Cloudz, Thundercat, East India Youth, Violent Soho, and Flume, were previous Laneway performers CHVRCHES, whose set was one of the highlights of Laneway 2014.
Lauren Mayberry Is An Absolute Legend
CHVRCHES frontwoman Lauren Mayberry has become something of a feminist hero for many musicians, but unfortunately that status was not bestowed upon her by choice. Instead, it came about after she hit back at the incessant abuse of online misogynistic harassers.
In addition to articulately calling out the haters online, in 2013 the singer penned an op-ed for The Guardian, detailing the misogynistic and rape-themed emails she consistently receives. Mayberry’s fearlessness and eloquence in the face of the haters cements her as one of contemporary music’s most important exponents.
Preliminary Reviews Have Been Promising
The singles we’ve heard so far are a pretty good indication that CHVRCHES have something very special up their sleeves for their sophomore effort, but if you’re the kind of music lover who puts stock into reviews, you’ll be chuffed to know the preliminary write-ups of Every Open Eye have been very positive.
In a five-star review, Billboard wrote that “the sound is cleaner — there are fewer of the stop-start hitches and processed-vocal effects from Bones — the beats are more resounding, and the choruses often even more explosive”.
CHVRCHES’ new album, ‘Every Open Eye’, is out this Friday, 25th September via Liberator.
