Lauren Mayberry

Lauren Mayberry

Lauren Mayberry performing with Chvrches at Coachella

Mayberry performing with Chvrches at Coachella in 2014
Background information
Born (1987-10-07) 7 October 1987
Glasgow, Scotland
Origin Thornhill, Stirling, Scotland[1]
Genres
Occupation(s)
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • drums
  • keyboards[4]
Years active 2003–present
Labels
Associated acts
  • Chvrches
  • Blue Sky Archives
  • Boyfriend/Girlfriend
Website chvrch.es

Lauren Eve Mayberry (born 7 October 1987) is a Scottish singer, songwriter, writer and journalist. She is best known as the frontwoman of the Scottish synth-pop band Chvrches.[5]

In Chvrches, Mayberry co-writes and co-produces the songs with Iain Cook and Martin Doherty, and sings as the lead vocalist. She also plays drums and keyboards.

Early life and education

Mayberry has played the piano since she was a child and drums since she was a teenager.[4]

Mayberry attended Beaconhurst School in Bridge of Allan. After completing a four-year undergraduate law degree at the University of Strathclyde, she earned a Masters in Journalism in 2010.[6][7] This led her into a career in freelance journalism and production running.

Musical career

From age 15 until 22, she played drums in various bands.[8] Prior to Chvrches, Mayberry was involved in two local bands, Boyfriend/Girlfriend and Blue Sky Archives.[8] In Blue Sky Archives, she was a vocalist and played the drums and keyboards.[8] As a member of Blue Sky Archives, Mayberry also covered the Rage Against the Machine song "Killing in the Name" which was released as a single.[9]

In September 2011, Iain Cook of Aereogramme and The Unwinding Hours produced Blue Sky Archives' Triple A-Side EP.[8] Cook started a new project with his friend Martin Doherty and asked Mayberry to sing on a couple of demos.[7] They wrote together for seven or eight months in a basement studio in Glasgow.[8] Cook, Mayberry and Doherty decided to form a new band after the sessions proved to be successful.[7] The band chose the name Chvrches, using a Roman "v" to distinguish themselves from actual churches on internet searches.[7]

In 2013, the band signed to Glassnote Records after releasing the tracks, "Lies" and "The Mother We Share" in 2012.[10] Their debut EP, Recover, was released in 2013.[11] The band released their debut album, The Bones of What You Believe, on 20 September 2013.[12]

She has also collaborated with Death Cab For Cutie,[13] Bleachers and The National[14] when playing shows with Chvrches.

Mayberry performing with Chvrches in 2016.

Activism and philanthropy

Mayberry is a vocal feminist and is the founder of TYCI, a feminist collective in Glasgow.[15] Her ongoing work with the organisation includes written contributions to the online magazine and blog, and she can be heard regularly on TYCI podcasts.[16] The group also hold live events, raising money for charities like Glasgow Women's Aid.[17]

In September 2013, Mayberry wrote an article for The Guardian in response to misogynist messages she received online.[18] She wrote:

What I do not accept ... is that it is all right for people to make comments ranging from 'a bit sexist but generally harmless' to openly sexually aggressive. That it is something that 'just happens'. Is the casual sexual objectification of women so commonplace that we should all just suck it up, roll over and accept defeat? I hope not. Objectification, whatever its form, is not something anyone should have to 'just deal with'.

She discussed the issue again on Channel 4 News, following aggressive responses to the band's video for "Leave a Trace".[19]

Mayberry is a patron of Rape Crisis Glasgow[20] and has been involved with other organisations such as Water Aid,[21] The Yellow Bird Project,[22] Wild Aid[23] and Plus 1,[24] donating a portion of Chvrches' ticket sales to Amnesty International. She has also been involved with Glasgow's Rock School For Girls[25] and Amy Poehler's Smart Girls.[26]

In 2015, Mayberry wrote about an abusive personal relationship for Jenni Konner and Lena Dunham's Lenny Letter.[27] In December 2016, Mayberry took part in a fundraiser show with Carly Rae Jepsen, Lorde and Charli XCX for the Ally Coalition,[28] an organisation started by Jack Antonoff to raise money for homeless LGBT youths.[29]

Personal life

Mayberry currently resides in New York City.[30] She began dating actor Justin Long in 2016.[31][32]

She is friends with Tegan and Sara[33] and Hayley Williams from Paramore.[34]

Discography

Mayberry performing with Chvrches at Hollywood Forever in Los Angeles, 2016.
With Boyfriend/Girlfriend[35]
With Blue Sky Archives
With Chvrches

References

  1. ↑ Jamieson, Teddy (21 April 2013). "Past experience helps Chvrches handle the hype". The Herald. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  2. ↑ "ABOUT - Blue Sky Archives". 22 October 2016. Archived from the original on 22 October 2016. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  3. ↑ "Get 'Lost in Music' with John Meagher". The Irish Independent. 18 July 2014. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  4. 1 2 "Chvrches Find Their Place in a Pop World". MTVIggy.com. MTV. Archived from the original on 29 March 2013. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
  5. ↑ Cohen, Ian (27 February 2011). "Rising: Chvrches". Pitchfork. Los Angeles. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
  6. ↑ Taylor Bennett, Kim (29 November 2012). "Dollars to Pounds: Chvrches". TheFader.com. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Savage, Mark (31 December 2012). "BBC Sound of 2013: Chvrches". BBC News. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Stern, Marlow (10 July 2013). "Chvrches Is the Most Addicting Band of the Summer". Newsweek. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
  9. ↑ Coplan, Chris (23 May 2013). "Listen to Chvrches' Lauren Mayberry cover Rage Against the Machine's 'Killing in the Name'". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
  10. ↑ Lipshutz, Jason (16 September 2013). "Chvrches' Hype Dreams: Can Blog Buzz Produce A Hit Album?". Billboard.com. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
  11. ↑ Zoladz, Lindsay (25 March 2013). "Chvrches – Recover EP". Retrieved 23 April 2014.
  12. ↑ "Reviews for The Bones of What You Believe". metacritic.com. Retrieved 28 September 2013.
  13. ↑ "Death Cab For Cutie Perform With Chvrches’ Lauren Mayberry: Watch - Pitchfork". Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  14. ↑ Live Nation TV (3 December 2015). "The National ft. Lauren Mayberry Perform "I Need My Girl" at Treasure Island Music Festival". Retrieved 15 February 2017 – via YouTube.
  15. ↑ Martin, Jen (27 January 2014). "TYCI – Sounds, Ideas, Collected.". Archived from the original on 9 November 2014. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
  16. ↑ "TYCI by TYCI on iTunes". Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  17. ↑ "Sleater-Kinney // Glasgow Women’s Aid Collection – TYCI". Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  18. ↑ Mayberry, Lauren (30 September 2013). "Chvrches' Lauren Mayberry: 'I will not accept online misogyny'". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
  19. ↑ Channel 4 News (27 August 2015). "Chvrches lead singer Lauren Mayberry on misogynistic trolls". Retrieved 15 February 2017 – via YouTube.
  20. ↑ "Chvrches singer Lauren Mayberry: ‘No rape victim should have to wait for help’". Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  21. ↑ "Chvrches help WaterAid transform lives with new limited-edition water bottle - Press releases - WaterAid UK". Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  22. ↑ "CHVRCHES". Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  23. ↑ "Lauren Mayberry on Twitter". Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  24. ↑ "+1+1+1+1+1+1". Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  25. ↑ "Rock'n'Roll Summer School for Girls Glasgow". Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  26. ↑ Staff, SmartGirls (16 May 2016). "Smart Snacks: Lauren Mayberry on Cyberbullying". Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  27. ↑ "Lauren Mayberry Pens Essay On Abusive Relationship For Lena Dunham's Newsletter". Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  28. ↑ "The Ally Coalition". Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  29. ↑ "Lorde, Carly Rae Jepsen, Charli XCX & Others Come Out for Ally Coalition Talent Show". Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  30. ↑ "Musician Lauren Mayberry shares her top 5 NYC spots". Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  31. ↑ "Louis, Sharon and Nicole to return to X Factor as Simon loves panel 'chemistry'". 30 November 2016. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  32. ↑ "Tumblr". Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  33. ↑ "Tegan and Sara on Twitter". Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  34. ↑ "9 Chvrches Team-Ups That Are Better Than Your Wildest Dreams". Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  35. ↑ Boyfriend/Girlfriend albums at MySpace
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.