CHVRCHES frontwoman Lauren Mayberry released her first ever solo single, “Are You Awake?”, on September 1st.
The Scottish singer announced in July that she would be releasing some solo music and heading out on tour, however, there was no indication of when we could expect to hear any new music.
The pop band’s lead singer didn’t keep fans waiting for long, as on August 11th , she revealed that her first single “Are You Awake?” would be with us in September.
Over the weekend, Mayberry dropped the highly anticipated single, as well as a music video for the song.
“Are You Awake?” was written by Mayberry and Canadian singer-songwriter Tobias Jesso Jr, who has collaborated on songwriting with other UK artists such as Adele and Niall Horan.
The piano-led ballad is a slight leap from the energetic synth-pop we have come to expect from CHVRCHES, and in a recent press release, Lauren shared that “I was thinking a lot about loneliness and homesickness, and as soon as Tobias started playing the chords, the lyrics and melody came to me really quickly. I finished the song with my friend Matthew Koma, who really understood what I was trying to say.”
“For a long time, I couldn’t imagine doing anything outside of CHVRCHES but I think some things that I needed to write had to be done from purely my own point of view. I never really thought I’d write a piano ballad, or a solo album full stop, so life really is full of surprises. I am really looking forward to this chapter and can’t wait for people to hear more of the music.”
Though Lauren is venturing out on her own, her career with CHVRCHES is far from over. The trio announced last month that in celebration of the 10 year anniversary of their debut album, The Bones Of What You Believe, they would be releasing a re-issue of their 2013 LP on October 13th. The re-issue of the album will include 4 previously unheard tracks, as well as 5 live recordings. The band has given fans a taste of what’s to come by releasing “Manhattan”, one of the unheard songs that didn’t make it onto the album’s original release.
You can listen to “Manhattan” below.
For tickets to Lauren Mayberry’s upcoming tour, click here.
Tour dates:
05/10/2023 – SWG3 TV Studio – Glasgow, UK
06/10 – O2 Academy – Birmingham, UK
08/10 – Academy 2 – Manchester, UK
09/10 – Koko – London, UK
11/10 – Melkweg Oz – Amsterdam, Netherlands
12/10 – Lido – Berlin, Germany
13/10 – Strom – Munich, Germany
15/10 – La Maroquinerie – Paris, France
16/10 – Luxor – Cologne, Germany
17/10 – Rock Cafe – Prague, Czech Republic
19/10 – Flex – Vienna, Austria
21/10 – Bogen F – Zurich, Switzerland
22/10 – Magnolia – Milan, Italy
24/10 – La Nau – Barcelona, Spain
25/10 – Sala Copernico – Madrid, Spain
