I remember the first time I heard Chvrches’ smash hit “The Mother We Share” in the back of my dad’s Honda Accord in 2013. I was instantly enamored by the otherworldly vocals of singer Lauren Mayberry, accompanied by a beautiful synthpop soundscape from bandmates Martin Doherty and Iain Cook. I’ve always been impressed with their discography, especially considering the genres they pulled from.
That’s why when Lauren Mayberry announced a solo project, I was immediately on board. I’ve always wondered what sorts of worlds she would dabble in outside of her main outfit, and after a rollout kicking off in mid-2023, fans were greeted with her full length Vicious Creature, released at the tail end of 2024. The album saw Mayberry lean more into the pop side of synthpop, tackling topics about power dynamics and feminism, all while maintaining her unique style of songwriting that made me interested in her work to begin with.
Mayberry’s solo career has taken her around the world, with opening slots for Death Cab For Cutie and The Postal Service on their coheadliner, as well as opening for Bleachers. Most importantly, she went on a headlining run at the end of 2023 before her debut full-length had even been released yet. Now, with an entire record under her belt, Lauren Mayberry returned to New York at the 1100-cap Webster Hall, nearly double the size of her Music Hall of Williamsburg show almost a year prior.
One of the defining traits of Lauren Mayberry’s live performances is her immaculate fashion taste, whether it’s a blue tutu from Chvrches’ show in 2019 or blood dripping down her arms from the Screen Violence era. Mayberry took the stage wearing a red dress resembling the “woman in a red dress emoji” (her words, not mine!) and immediately went into one of the first singles, “Crocodile Tears.” The stage set up was quite minimal, only containing a silver curtain behind the drummer and the guitarist, leaving Mayberry with more than enough room to dance. Mayberry’s fluidity through her stage presence was something to behold, as she went from robotic, mannequin-like posing in one moment to blissful spins in the next.
Mayberry’s setlist was quite compact, sticking to the entirety of Vicious Creature, with the exception of a cover of The Verve’s timeless classic, “Bitter Sweet Symphony.” Throughout the performance, Mayberry utilized props such as a phone at the top of the show to a megaphone with a flashlight inside during “Something In The Air” to highlight the most important lyrics in the tracks. Mayberry’s hilarious banter, something I’ve come to expect in Chvrches’ performances, did not get lost in the shift to her solo show, as she mentioned how Chvrches fans are now starting to have kids and how those kids have started to come to the shows. She also explained the laborious process about buying said props, specifically the dangers of purchasing a red, white, and blue megaphone.
Throughout her hour-long set, Lauren Mayberry succeeded at bringing the joy, the pain, and every emotion in between from her record to life. She’s well worth catching on tour, whether it’s with Chvrches or by herself. You can stream Vicious Creature on Spotify or Apple Music.
LAUREN MAYBERRY
The opener for the evening was the enchanting Cult of Venus, a one woman project focused on examining societal issues through well written electronic-centric music. Cult of Venus breezed through a set containing beautifully orchestrated electronic arrangements underscored with poignant lyricism about topics such as taking back what belongs to the people, the dangers of climate change, and the difficulty in finding hope in our daily lives.
While washed over with blue backlight and haze, Cult of Venus talked about her debut single, “Mountains,” a commentary on the destruction of the planet, and how it unfortunately remains just as relevant as it was when she released the track in 2022. Cult of Venus’ set at Webster Hall served as the final showcase of her newest track “Algorithm,” a song about the illusion of control in our lives due to a constant surveillance overtaking our every move and the infiltration of social media into every crevice of our brains, before it’s official release. You can stream the brand new track on Spotify and Apple Music.
CULT OF VENUS
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