In July, CHVRCHES frontperson Lauren Mayberry announced that she was working on solo music. Right away, the obvious question was, “Is CHVRCHES broken up?” Quick to shut that down, Lauren mentioned in her announcement that the CHVRCHES chapter of life is not over and “has many more pages yet to be written.” Of course, the next natural question was, “Will her solo music sound anything like CHVRCHES?” Now that weeks have passed and the news of her solo project has settled, Lauren is answering this question with the release of her debut single, “Are You Awake?”
A tender piano ballad, “Are You Awake?” is a slight departure from the bright synth pop we have come to associate with CHVRCHES. But Lauren’s ethereal vocals are here to greet us, as vast and as pure as ever. Effortlessly dancing around the steady piano chords, Lauren sings, “Please give me a sign / Give me a Hollywood line / Some feelings don’t fade away with space and time / It’s a state of mind,” touching on loneliness and the notion of missing someone. When the strings seep in at the end, they add to the song’s sense of beautiful tragedy, making this an emotional first single. You can check it out below.
About “Are You Awake?” and starting this new endeavor, Lauren explains,
“‘Are You Awake?’ is a song that started on a rainy day last December with Tobias Jesso Jr. 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.”
You can listen to “Are You Awake?” on platforms like Apple Music, SoundCloud, and Spotify.
Catch Lauren on her first ever solo tour this fall, which kicks off September 4 in Washington, D.C. The full list of dates and tickets can be found here.
Keep up with Lauren Mayberry: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // TikTok // YouTube // Website
