Previously, Mayberry was a member of the bands Boyfriend/Girlfriend and Blue Sky Archives. Mayberry is a trained drummer and also did a four-year law degree, followed by a Masters in journalism. Cook was a member of Aereogramme and The Unwinding Hours and also wrote music for film and TV. 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".
The band started in October 2011 as a studio project between the long time friends Iain Cook and Martin Doherty. Cook already knew Lauren Mayberry from working with Blue Sky Archives and suggested her as a potential vocalist for the project.
CHVRCHES were influenced by acts such as Prince, Tubeway Army, Robyn, Depeche Mode, Kate Bush, Cocteau Twins, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston and Laurie Anderson. The band write, record, mix and master everything in a basement studio in Glasgow.
In May 2012, they released the song "Lies". In the same year, CHVRCHES toured with Passion Pit, as the opening band for their concerts and also toured on their own. "Lies" ranked at number 28 on NME's Best Tracks of 2012. CHVRCHES also came fifth on the BBC's Sound of 2013 list.
On 25 March 2013, they released Recover EP. They performed at SXSW and won the Inaugural Grulke Prize (for Developing Non-US Act). The band also supported Depeche Mode on four shows in July during their The Delta Machine Tour 2013.
On 20 September 2013, CHVRCHES released their debut album, The Bones of What You Believe. The album is supported by the singles "The Mother We Share", "Recover" and "Gun".
Links: official site at chvrch.es | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud | Tumblr | Vimeo
Afterglow
CHVRCHES Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All of the contours
Are laid out before me, now
To leave a trace
With all of the light and shame
We take up our own space
I'll find my own way back
A lifeline to highs and lows
To seeing the bright side
And I should know
We wait for the afterglow
To cover the blind side
And I should know
All of the empty thoughts
All of the outlines
Are laid out before us, now
To leave a trace
All of your words and mine
They keep returning
I'll find my own way back
Back to the silence
A lifeline to highs and lows
To seeing the bright side
And I should know
We wait for the afterglow
To cover the blind side
And I should know
I've given up all I can
I've given up all I can
I've given up all I can
I've given up all I can
In CHVRCHES' song "Afterglow," the lyrics describe a sense of introspection and contemplation. The first stanza describes a scene laid out before the singer in black and white. This can be interpreted as a reference to the reality of life, with its defined contours and details. The singer longs to leave their own mark or "trace" on this reality. This is contrasted with the bright side of life, represented by "all of the light," which is often accompanied by shame or darkness. Despite this, the singer is determined to find their own way back to the past tense, perhaps symbolizing a desire to return to a simpler time.
The second stanza similarly juxtaposes emptiness and outlines, representing the monotony of everyday life. The singer acknowledges the weight of their own words and those of others, which keep returning to them. They seek to find their way back to silence, further emphasizing their introspective nature. The repetition of the phrase "I've given up all I can" reinforces a sense of resignation and weariness.
Overall, "Afterglow" is a contemplative and introspective song that examines the complexities of life, while also acknowledging the importance of finding moments of brightness and positivity.
Line by Line Meaning
All of the black and white
The clear and distinct shapes and forms that make up our surroundings
All of the contours
The outlines and shapes of objects and features that create our environment
Are laid out before me, now
Everything is visible and clear, ready for me to examine and analyze
To leave a trace
To make a lasting impression, leaving a mark to show that I was there
With all of the light and shame
The contrasting feelings of brightness and darkness within us
We take up our own space
We have our own unique personalities and identities, occupying our own space
I'll find my own way back
I'll find a way to return to where I belong
Back to the past tense
Returning to the way things used to be, before everything changed
A lifeline to highs and lows
Something that helps us through the ups and downs of life
To seeing the bright side
To have optimism and positivity, even in difficult times
And I should know
I have experience in this matter
We wait for the afterglow
We wait for the moment of peace and serenity after the chaos
To cover the blind side
To protect ourselves from potential harm that we cannot see coming
All of the empty thoughts
The insignificant and meaningless thoughts that clutter our minds
All of the outlines
The rough sketches or ideas of what something could potentially be
Are laid out before us, now
The possibilities are endless and waiting for us to explore them
To leave a trace
To make an impact or influence on what could potentially be
All of your words and mine
The words that we have spoken and will speak
They keep returning
Our past words have a way of coming back to us
I'll find my own way back
I'll find a way to reconcile and make peace with what I have said
Back to the silence
Returning to a state of being where words are not spoken unnecessarily
I've given up all I can
I have exhausted all of my efforts and given everything I had
I've given up all I can
I have reached my limit and given as much as I possibly could
I've given up all I can
I have nothing left to give, I am at the end of my capabilities
I've given up all I can
I have put forth my greatest effort and there is nothing more I can do
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LAUREN EVE MAYBERRY, IAIN ANDREW COOK, MARTIN CLIFFORD DOHERTY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@emmidotti
All of the black and white
All of the contours
Are laid out before me now
To leave a trace
With all of the light and shape
We take up our own space
I'll find my own way back
Back to the past tense
A lifeline to highs and lows
To seeing the bright side
And I should know
We wait for the afterglow
To cover the blind side
And I should know
All of the empty thoughts
All of the outlines
Are laid out before us now
To leave a trace
All of your words and mine
They keep returning
I'll find my own way back
Back to the silence
A lifeline to highs and lows
To seeing the bright side
And I should know
We wait for the afterglow
To cover the blind side
And I should know
I've given up all I can
I've given up all I can
I've given up all I can
I've given up all I can
@dinobuddy
Man, I'm already in tears as soon as she gets to the word "lifeline" at about 0:44. What a powerful song.
@Real_Iron_Smith
Rest in peace, Mr. Big...
@dougc6559
I... am Mr. Big.
@EpiclyEpicGuy69
What? 💀😭
@DanielD165
My God this is a damn good song. Hell, the entire album is bloody incredible. New fan, and will be forever.
@ghiaccio1452
Dale…? Bobby…? Dad…?
I’m… sorry… it was wrong of me
I may go to jail but…
A man does what he has to do
I was just-
Just trying to feel better
@michae13james10
Wow the synths build up is magic and almost celestial.
@JJ_5289
They are excellent arrangers and songwriters. They have some great pop hooks and melodies but also some pretty cool instrumentation especially on the newest album
@TimSter15
One of the only songs that makes me cry EVERY time. There are many that will make me cry at the right time.
@Thedoomdude100
I came here after the Breaking Bwah'd YTP. And at the recommendation of Hideo Kojima