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
Killer
CHVRCHES Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My mental health
Yeah
On a broken carousel
Spun down to hell
How far we fell
Maybe just as well
The stones we throw
Yeah
It was death by stereo
When they dealt the final blow
Nowhere to go
I turned into a killer
I'm insane
I'll cry you a river
Down the drain
Are you entertained?
No one to call
In my downfall
Yeah
In the valley of the dolls
I was climbing up the walls
No light at all
I turned into a killer
I'm insane
I'll cry you a river
Down the drain
I turned into a killer
Played the game
Don't look in the mirror
Fear no pain
Are you entertained?
I turned into a killer
I'm insane
I'll cry you a river
Down the drain
Are you entertained?
The lyrics to CHVRCHES’ song “Killer” depict a person who has lost themselves due to their own mental health struggles. The first stanza describes the singer’s descent into a “broken carousel” that has spun them “down to hell”. They reflect on their own demise, perhaps acknowledging that the fall was “maybe just as well” because the “stones we throw” told them so. The metaphorical stones could symbolize the negative thoughts or criticisms that the singer has internalized. The phrase “death by stereo” suggests that sound may have played a role in the singer’s struggles. The second stanza implies that the singer is isolated with “no one to call” in their “downfall”. The “valley of the dolls” presents an eerie and eerie image, conveying a sense of hopelessness. However, the lyrics also suggest some degree of agency, with the singer “climbing up the walls” in a bid for survival. The final stanza repeats the refrain that the singer has become a “killer” and has “turned into a killer” who is “insane”. The repeated promise to “cry you a river down the drain” and the question “are you entertained?” both suggest that society, or those around the singer, have played a role in their struggle, perhaps by dismissing or ignoring their pain.
Overall, the song seems to describe a person who has lost touch with reality and turned to violence as a coping mechanism. The lyrics are bleak and haunting, but the music itself is upbeat and high-energy, which creates an interesting contrast.
Line by Line Meaning
I lost myself
I feel like I don't know who I am anymore
My mental health
My emotional and psychological well-being
On a broken carousel
Felt like I was going around in circles and not making progress
Spun down to hell
Everything spiraled downwards and became worse
How far we fell
The extent to which things got worse
Maybe just as well
Perhaps it's better this way
The stones we throw
The criticism and judgment we give to others
They told me so
People's words and actions had a negative effect on me
It was death by stereo
The situation and negative impact of others caused a sense of paralysis or death
When they dealt the final blow
When people finally pushed me to my breaking point
Nowhere to go
I felt stuck and didn't know what to do next
I turned into a killer
I became consumed by anger and resentment
I'm insane
I'm mentally unstable and not thinking clearly
I'll cry you a river
I'm so upset that I'll cry excessively
Down the drain
My emotions and feelings are being wasted and not being heard
Are you entertained?
Is this what you wanted? For me to be upset and unstable?
No one to call
I felt like I had no one to turn to for help
In my downfall
As things continued to get worse for me
In the valley of the dolls
Feeling like I was surrounded by artificiality and fakeness
I was climbing up the walls
I felt trapped and constrained
No light at all
I couldn't see a way out of my situation
Played the game
I participated in the negative energy and behavior
Don't look in the mirror
I don't want to face or see the truth about myself
Fear no pain
I'm numb to the pain and hurt that I'm causing
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Iain Cook, Martin Doherty, Lauren Mayberry
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Chris C
Is this the best album CHVRCHES has ever put out? It feels like it.
Michael Anthony
Best album of the year imo
darylsans
It is one of them....
darylsans
Every chvrches album is a unique gem.
Char87
It Is, at least for me too
hey what’s up
their best era
Gorka Floyd
Mi banda favorita de los últimos años. Sonido magistral. El disco es una obra maestra. Hoy en día, pocos grupos me transmiten y me hacen sentir tantas cosas como Chvrches Love you guys!
Mario Crescecio
This song sounds so good!!! This album is completely perfect!
ih alá
no words to explain the amazing feeling when i hear this song
UltimateAwe
This is level of excellence is beautiful to behold. This song should have been on the standard edition. So excited to be seeing them tomorrow!