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
Wonderland
CHVRCHES Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hiding inside my dreams
Fighting inside my head
Scaring myself to death
We live in a wonderland
Like blood isn't on our hands
When will it be enough?
Knew we had to get away, knew we had to get away
From the storm
Can't live forever with my head in the clouds
Can't predict the weather with my feet on the ground
You tell me that we'll be alright
But I don't know if you're right
I can't live forever with my head and my heart in the clouds
I, I'm counting every sheep
But these rabbit holes run deep
Trying to be so right
Desperate to start a fight
All of this pointless talk
Why can't I turn it off?
When will it all just stop?
When will I say I knew we had to get away?
Knew we had to get away, knew we had to get away
All along
Can't live forever with my head in the clouds
Can't predict the weather with my feet on the ground
You tell me that we'll be alright
But I don't know if you're right
I can't live forever with my head and my heart in the clouds
Can't live forever with my head in the clouds
Can't predict the weather with my feet on the ground
You tell me that we'll be alright
But I don't know if you're right
I can't live forever with my head and my heart in the clouds
The lyrics of CHVRCHES' song Wonderland speak to the struggle of living in a world that can simultaneously feel enchanting and terrifying. The singer is caught between two states of being: asleep and awake, dreamy and grounded, lost in thought and resolute in action. The image of Wonderland is used to represent this state of being, a world where "blood isn't on our hands" but where the singer's thoughts and fears are running rampant. The chorus asks the question: "When will it be enough?" What is the solution to this entanglement of fear and wonder? When does one take action to leave this troubled state of being behind?
The lyrics also speak to the idea of looking for validation from others. The singer desperately wants someone to tell them that "we'll be alright," but they are not sure if they can trust that message. They are trapped in their own thoughts, counting sheep and falling into rabbit holes, attempting to "be so right" and desperate to start a fight. The repeated line "I can't live forever with my head and my heart in the clouds" serves as a reminder that one cannot exist solely in a state of wonder or fear forever. But, it is up to the singer to find their own way out, to stop the pointless talk and turn off the thoughts that are scaring them to death.
Line by Line Meaning
I am talking in my sleep
I am struggling to confront my fears and anxieties even in my dreams
Hiding inside my dreams
I find solace inside my own imagination, but it isolates me from reality
Fighting inside my head
I am constantly battling my own thoughts and emotions
Scaring myself to death
My own fears and doubts are paralyzing me
We live in a wonderland
Our society is blinded by beauty and pleasure, ignoring the cost and consequences of our actions
Like blood isn't on our hands
We are culpable for the harm and destruction we are causing, but we choose to ignore it
When will it be enough?
When will we realize the destructive nature of our actions and take responsibility?
Can't live forever with my head in the clouds
I cannot avoid the consequences of reality by hiding in my own imagination
Can't predict the weather with my feet on the ground
I cannot control the unpredictable nature of life, even if I try to be grounded and practical
You tell me that we'll be alright
You try to reassure me, but I am unsure if you are speaking the truth
But I don't know if you're right
I am hesitant to believe that everything will work out in the end
I, I'm counting every sheep
I am trying to calm myself and find some peace, but it is proving difficult
But these rabbit holes run deep
My problems and struggles are more complicated than they appear on the surface
Trying to be so right
I am so desperate to feel in control that I push my own beliefs onto others
Desperate to start a fight
I am so conflicted within myself that I am lashing out at others
All of this pointless talk
All of our discussions and arguments seem meaningless because we are not addressing the root issues
Why can't I turn it off?
Why can't I stop obsessing over these problems and just move on?
When will it all just stop?
When will we finally work towards a solution instead of perpetuating the same negative cycles?
Knew we had to get away, knew we had to get away
Deep down, I knew that we needed to escape these harmful situations and environments
From the storm
From the chaos and danger that surround us
All along
From the beginning of our struggles, I knew that we needed to make a change
I can't live forever with my head and my heart in the clouds
I cannot continue to ignore reality and my own emotions if I want to truly live
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Gregory Allen Kurstin, Iain Andrew Cook, Lauren Eve Mayberry, Martin Clifford Doherty
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind