Music Existence Because of Music, We Exist
The alternative group Chvrches, a Scottish electronic band formed in 2011, has been dominating the airwaves for a significant amount of time now with their unique, refreshing synth-pop sound. And the band, consisting of Iain Cook (synthesizers, bass, guitar, vocals), Martin Doherty (synthesizers, samplers, vocals) and Lauren Mayberry, (lead vocals, additional synthesizers and samplers), is just getting started. They released their most recent single “Leave a Trace” on July 16th, and their newest album “Every Open Eye” is hitting stores in September. But perhaps the most distinguishable feature of the band is their frontwoman Lauren Mayberry, whose strong, soprano vocals assist in giving the band the energetic boost that sets them apart from the rest.
And, making music isn’t where Mayberry’s interests and talents end. In 2013, you may recall her well-known op-ed for The Guardian in which she addressed the misogynist messages she receives online. As she eloquently put it in the article: “Is the casual objectification of women so commonplace that we should all just suck it up, roll over and accept defeat? I hope not. Objectification, whatever its form, is not something anyone should have to ‘just deal with’.” No, Ms. Mayberry, it certainly is not.
And now, Mayberry has founded a Glasgow-based feminist collective by the name of TYCI. TYCI is run by women, and they produce blog posts, zines, radio shows, podcasts, live events and more to bring awareness to issues regarding feminism. Mayberry regularly contributes written pieces to the online magazine, and makes appearances on TYCI podcasts. Their is informative and eye-opening, and the issues that the blog posts touch on are wildly important to the understanding of modern day feminism.
It seems to be a rarity nowadays when a musical artist uses their influence and voice to make a substantial difference, but Mayberry is changing the game. She won’t take anything lying down, and she wants to make sure that we don’t either. And that’s refreshing.
