| Last Saturday there was a plan to visit Basho Cafe on Hastings and squat a while. On the way to Basho, a Pallet Coffee Roasters (article coming soon) across the street was noticed and plans to visit there in the future were formed. Plan Basho was scuttled upon realization it be not a place for squatters. A visit to Pallet would come sooner than thought.
Good music was had and included in the mix was a band I was told by the barista stylizes its name with a Roman “v” and calls itself “Churches.” The song that played was “Recover.”
Synthpop trio Chvrches hails from Glasgow, was formed in 2011 and substituted a “u” for a “v” in their name to help people actually find the band rather than religious institutions. They are part of a wave of artists that includes Grimes and Lights who have brought back the synth that many thought had died with Depeche Mode, New Order and the rest of their buddies from the 80s.
After earning a degree in law, then a master’s degree in journalism, charming, at times endearingly awkward, but always articulate frontwoman Lauren Mayberry decided to change career paths and now supplies the clean, lilting, angelic vocals that drive the band deeper and deeper into well-deserved stardom.
In September last year, the three members visited Google for a performance but mostly for an interview with Mayberry about music, gender, and social media. This included a part about Mayberry`s article in British national paper, the Guardian, in which she lambasted the cowardly trolls of cyberspace and addressed the perils of being the front woman of a band in the social media age.
Mayberry is a role model for a world lacking more leadership from celebrities. She is a much needed addition to the push for equality and justice.
Chvrches played 2014‘s Squamish Festival and we look forward to them returning to Canada. Look out for them if they happen to be in your area!
Below is some media:
(1) Mayberry sits with a Google rep as mentioned above. The performance is at the end.
(2) Chvrches covers Arctic Monkeys` “Do I Wanna Know?”: one of those times when the cover is far better than the original. Nice descending melody and deep synth offsets the lightness of vocals for the chorus.
(3) Mayberry dons festive makeup and charms the crowd. Chvrches ignites Paris on Halloween for the 2014 Pitchfork Music Festival
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