Lauren Eve Mayberry (born 7 October 1987) is a Scottish musician who is the vocalist and percussionist of the pop band Chvrches. Mayberry is the lead vocalist of the band, and co-writes and co-produces its songs alongside Iain Cook and Martin Doherty. She is a soprano and also plays drums and keyboards. Outside of music, she is an active feminist and philanthropist. Mayberry, as part of Chvrches, has achieved commercial and critical success; releasing four studio albums to date: The Bones of What You Believe (2013), Every Open Eye (2015), Love Is Dead (2018) and Screen Violence (2021). Their 2012 single and signature song, "The Mother We Share", won the Popjustice £20 Music Prize for Best Pop Song in 2013. In 2019, the band collaborated with Marshmello on the song "Here with Me", which was certified two-times platinum in the United States by the RIAA. Chvrches began a hiatus in 2024, with Mayberry releasing her debut solo album Vicious Creature in December of that year through EMI and Island Records. On release, it reached number three on the Scottish Albums Chart.
Early life and education Mayberry was born on 7 October 1987 in the rural village of Thornhill in Perthshire, Scotland; where she would spend her childhood. She has played the piano since she was a child and drums since she was a teenager. Mayberry attended Beaconhurst School (now known as Fairview International School), a private school in Bridge of Allan. She also lived for six months in Gladstone, Illinois, as a foreign-exchange student. After completing a four-year undergraduate law degree at the University of Strathclyde, she earned a master's degree in journalism in 2010, and won the Royal Environmental Health Institute for Scotland Journalism Award. This led her into a career in freelance journalism and production running. From 2009 to 2010 she was a contributor to the UK music website The Line of Best Fit.
Career
Early career From age 15 until 22, Mayberry played drums in various bands. Prior to Chvrches, Mayberry was involved in two local bands, Boyfriend/Girlfriend and Blue Sky Archives. In Blue Sky Archives, she was a vocalist and played the drums and keyboards. 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.
CHVRCHES (2011–present) In September 2011, Iain Cook of Aereogramme and The Unwinding Hours produced Blue Sky Archives' Triple A-Side EP. Cook started a new project with his friend Martin Doherty and asked Mayberry to sing on a couple of demos. They wrote together for seven or eight months in a basement studio in Glasgow. Cook, Mayberry and Doherty decided to form a new band after the sessions proved to be successful. The band chose the name CHVRCHES, using a Roman "v" to distinguish themselves from actual churches on internet searches.
In 2013, the band signed to Glassnote Records after releasing the tracks "Lies" and "The Mother We Share" in 2012. Their debut EP, Recover, was released in 2013. The band released their debut album, The Bones of What You Believe, on 20 September 2013. The band's 2021 album Screen Violence was made remotely, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mayberry has collaborated with artists such as Marshmello, Death Cab For Cutie, Bleachers, The National, the lead singer of Paramore, Hayley Williams, and The Cure's frontman, Robert Smith. In 2018, Mayberry was featured on the cover of Vestal Magazine, and in October 2023 she was on the cover of DIY magazine. That same year Chvrches performed at BBC Radio 1's Biggest Weekend in Swansea.
Vicious Creature (2023–present) In 2023, it was announced that Mayberry would be releasing solo material for the first time, which would be accompanied by a US and European/UK tour later in the year. She released her debut solo single, "Are You Awake?", on 1 September 2023. She co-wrote the song with award-winning Canadian songwriter Tobias Jesso Jr. This was followed by the singles "Shame", "Change Shapes", "Something in the Air" and "Crocodile Tears" over the next year. Her debut album Vicious Creature was released on 6 December 2024, described as "more directly 'pop'" and "an eclectic set that ranges from acoustic guitar and piano ballads to 1980s- and 1990s-inspired dance anthems." The lyrics on album track "Oh, Mother" documents Mayberry's shifting relationship with her mother, whilst "Crocodile Tears" criticises emotionally manipulative men, reflecting Mayberry's perceived "need to please others at cost to herself." In 2024, Mayberry was a special guest on the podcast Before They Knew Better. She is touring again in 2025, including the UK in March, although expecting to be back with Chvrches in 2026; to which she said 'We were very lucky. I hope there are more pages in that book.
Activism and philanthropy
Feminism and women's rights
Mayberry is a vocal feminist and is the founder of TYCI, a feminist collective in Glasgow. Her ongoing work with the organisation includes written contributions to the online magazine and blog, and she can be heard regularly on TYCI podcasts. The group also holds live events, raising money for charities like Glasgow Women's Aid, and produced a radio show. Mayberry believes it helps fans who wish to find out to know 'where she stands' on issues, rather than 'a slanging match online". In September 2013, Mayberry wrote an article for The Guardian in response to misogynist messages she received online. She wrote:
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