Lauren Mayberry is taking her power back. Releasing her new single “Shame” via Island Records, the CHVRCHES vocalist is experimenting with her love of ‘90s pop-rock, musical theatre, and synth-wave across the arrangement. It is a multi-layered piece that explores the relatable feeling of shame, which is an incredibly complex emotion. Mayberry paints a vivid picture that juxtaposes uncertainty with sarcasm, giving the song a twinge of humor that lightens the mood.
“I had the idea for a while of a song that had the tagline of ‘what a shame’, but in a sarcastic way,” she says. “And the word ‘shame’ having a double meaning – the shame you feel and internalize, but what a shame you feel like that and can’t change it.”
Digging deeper into the meaning behind the song, Mayberry explains the shame she felt growing up as a young woman in the 21st century. Society’s expectations, mixed with the media, proved to be a toxic and disillusioning environment for the artist to find herself. Through soaring vocal melodies and lyrical aggression comparable to Alanis Morrisette, the songstress reveals the journey all women take to set aside gender stereotypes and embrace their wants and needs individually.
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“Looking back on a lot of my life in terms of relationships, sexuality, and my sense of self in the world, there is a lot of shame associated with that,” she continues. “I came into my teens in the early-mid 2000s, a time period we now regard as a bit of a shithole in terms of gender and media messages.”
“What was deemed ‘attractive’ for women and girls was quite disturbing in hindsight, and that’s what went into my brain at a formative time, romanticizing bargain basement, local band boy versions of ‘Reality Bites’ Ethan Hawke. But now I know better, my wiring is still to find those things attractive on a cellular level. I know not to want those things academically, but emotionally, romantically and sexually, I have been trained to find those things valuable and attractive.”
Catch Lauren Mayberry on tour this fall in Europe during her string of headlining dates. Grab your tickets here before they’re gone!
Tour Dates:
- Oct. 11—Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg Oz
- Oct. 12—Berlin, DE @ Lido
- Oct. 13—Munich, DE @ Strom
- Oct. 15—Paris, FR @ La Maroquinerie
- Oct. 16—Cologne, DE @ Luxor
- Oct. 17—Prague, CZ @ Rock Cafe
- Oct. 19—Vienna, AT @ Flex
- Oct. 21—Zurich, CH @ Bogen F
- Oct. 22—Milan, IT @ Magnolia
- Oct. 24—Barcelona, ES @ La Nau
- Oct. 25—Madrid, ES @ Sala Capernico
