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Singer-songwriter Lauren Mayberry retraces her roots as she prepares to play her first homecoming show.

Before becoming the frontwoman of synth-pop powerhouse Chrvches, Lauren made an impact locally in the Glasgow music scene. As a multi-instrumentalist, she joined bands including Blue Sky Archives with her friend Paul, who first encouraged her to write her own material. Recording their album introduced her to new bandmates, who would soon be known internationally as Chvrches. From ´óÏó´«Ã½ Introducing to playing Glastonbury and Coachella, the self-prescribed shy frontwoman was quickly thrust into an exciting new world - but there was a darker side.

For a young woman in a male-dominated pop industry, the narrative often turned to gender and image rather than musicianship. Back in Glasgow, she was surrounded by a group of like-minded friends in the local scene that she had met through TYCI: a DIY feminist fanzine that she co-founded to address gender imbalance in music at a local level. However, on the worldwide stage, she was left feeling exposed. Dealing with sexist remarks online became part of the daily job and, for Lauren, speaking out became the only option.

The songwriter’s fight against abuse soon made its way into her writing, both in Chvrches and as an artist in her own right. Now armed with a new sound and a touring line-up of female and non-binary musicians, Lauren ushers in a new solo era, reconnecting with parts of herself and taking back control to forge a new path.