There are two obvious questions music journalists generally love to ask. The first is why artists choose to pursue solo careers, and the second is the ambiguous question of what it means to be a woman in music. Lauren Mayberry has been asked both, and her gig at Academy 2 answered them on her own terms.
In Mayberry’s case, both questions are inextricably bound together. Her solo career, separate from her band CHVRCHES, is only a recent endeavour. At the time of the show, she only had one official solo single to her name and, furthermore, had to play a slew of largely unreleased material. In a recent NME interview, however, she explained her need to write “musical and lyrical things that I don’t get to do in a band or don’t feel comfortable doing in a band.” Her performance brought this concept to life and, despite not being a distant departure from her work with CHVRCHES, there was a noticeable shift in voice when it comes to one that is purely her own.
The opening song ‘Bird’ set the stage for what was to come. The show consistently walked the line between pop and alternative sounds, with ‘Bird’ incorporating a bit of both – an infectious warbling synthesiser line running through it matching with darker lyrics reminiscent of Siouxsie Sioux. Lyrics such as “Don’t even know if I exist / Outside of these lines you’ve drawn” also introduced the dominant themes of her solo work, namely a specifically female insecurity.
Mayberry has clearly developed her showmanship since first appearing on the indie scene a decade ago, and this was positively reflected in the new songs. ‘Change Shapes’ highlighted this, the Madonna-esque song paired with camp gestures and claps that harken back to choreography of the era the song borrows influence from. Speaking of Madonna, a highlight of the evening came in the form of Mayberry’s cover of ‘Like A Prayer’. In an evening of almost exclusively unreleased songs, the audience obviously found a bit of comfort in the familiar sing-along. It showcased Mayberry’s unashamed willingness to embrace pop music. It was also nice to see, at this point, just how much Mayberry seemed to be enjoying performing. Despite having seen CHVRCHES a couple of times, this was perhaps the most comfortable I’ve seen her on stage, joyfully pulling out a red tambourine and tapping along to the song’s climax.
Those familiar with Mayberry would probably be aware of her willingness to pay homage to major female pop idols like Madonna, Grace Jones, or Debbie Harry. What was perhaps most rogue was the show’s second cover. She explained how she has been doing a local cover in all the cities she has been touring, explaining her trouble picking from the extensive choice for Manchester (“You do music exceptionally well!”, she joked). Not many could predict what followed, however, as she entered into a saccharine cover of Take That’s ‘Back for Good’. When the song ended, she joked that she always preferred Gary Barlow to Robbie Williams.
Mayberry has always had a charming presence on stage and her stage banter is always a highlight between songs, such as when she quipped ‘f*ck the Tories, but don’t f*ck a Tory.’ A unique choice between songs, however, is also the use of spoken word interludes. The selections include Margaret Atwood, Zadie Smith, Janice Galloway, and Charlotte Perkins which all explicitly address themes of femininity present in Mayberry’s work. Perkins’ The Yellow Wallpaper will be familiar to all English literature students, or those with a cursory interest in feminist literature. Sadly, what could have been poignant moments where Mayberry reflected on both her personal experience of misogyny as a celebrity but also wider day-to-day concerns, was undermined by a rowdy crowd who whooped and hollered instead of properly listening.
The crowd was perhaps the weak link of the show. A vocal minority of those who clearly have not considered the themes of the music sadly undermined what Mayberry was trying to address. When she complained about her choice of tartan coat and discomfort, a member of the crowd disgustingly decided that it was a good time to objectify her with a bothersome catcall. Meanwhile, a man was escorted out of the front row for his disorderly behaviour.
Mayberry is not without a history of dealing with these sorts of interactions. She has spoken on the issue numerous times, dating back to 2013, including an especially dour altercation with Chris Brown. She has spoken extensively on her time as a woman in a male-dominated indie world, and even when she has expressed no desire to be a champion of ‘music feminism’ she has often been forced to be. She has spoken of others’ expectations for her to be a “punk-rock Joan of Arc of pop music”, despite no statements by her expressing any such desire. Her solo career has been re-contextualising these discussions on her own terms. The lyrics are more explicitly feminist, the influences primarily female, and the backing band consists of only women. It was a shame to see the concert be so male-dominated, but hopefully this will only diversify with subsequent releases, just as CHVRCHES’ audience has over the years.
The concluding song ‘Sorry Etc.’ was the closest Mayberry got to being a “punk-rock Joan of Arc.” The track was a highlight of the night. The riot grrrl anthem – part Bikini Kill, part Wolf Alice – displayed the full potential for Mayberry’s career with biting lyrics proclaiming to have “sold her soul to be one of the boys.”
Mayberry’s solo career is only just beginning. Stream her debut solo single ‘Are You Awake?’ below.
