CHVRCHES

Chvrches, (pronounced as "churches") sometimes stylized as CHVRCHES or CHVRCHΞS (using a uppercase Greek letter Xi), is a Scottish alternative electronic band from Glasgow. The group consists of Lauren Mayberry (main vocals, occasionally synthesizers), Iain Cook (synthesizers, vocals), and Martin Doherty (synthesizers, vocals). Before Chvrches, Iain Cook was a member of Aereogramme and The Unwinding Hours. He also wrote music for film and TV. Martin Doherty was a live member of The Twilight Sad. According to Mayberry, "Iain and Martin went to university together so they've known each other for quite a long time." Prior to music, Mayberry completed a four-year law degree, followed by a Masters in Journalism which led her into freelance journalism for several years. She has played piano since childhood and drums since she was a teenager. Before Chvrches, Mayberry was member of two local bands, Boyfriend/Girlfriend and Blue Sky Archives. On the latter band she was the vocalist, drummer, and keyboardist. In 2011, Cook started a new project with 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. They chose the name Chvrches, using a Roman "v" to avoid confusions with actual churches on internet searches. In addition, they have stated that the band name "has no religious connotation, just thought it sounded cool."