Artists: Lauren Mayberry, Lo Moon
Venue: The Troubadour
Date: September 30, 2023
When a singer of a well-known band goes solo, many questions arise; is the band breaking up? Is this an ego project? Will their solo stuff be extremely different than their band’s music?
In the case of Lauren Mayberry from alt synth pop band CHVRCHES, the answers are no, probably not, and not really. The powerful, petite singer showcased mainly new, unreleased songs from her upcoming solo record, along with a couple select covers, for a show that was short but entirely sweet (much like her).
Opening the night were three members of the group Lo Moon, playing an acoustic set of mostly new, unreleased songs as well. Despite having a back catalog of music, the group decided to road test new material, and as someone who wasn’t really familiar with their previous music, it was all still enjoyable to me (and based on reactions, the rest of the crowd). The group’s sound falls in the singer-songwriter/indie rock/indie folk arena, though helping set them apart was the vocal melodies, which called to mind 80’s alternative groups like Tears for Fears, or even a bit of Phil Collins.
While I wasn’t able to catch the names of most of the new songs, there were definitely a few that caught my attention (one who’s chorus went something like “Goodbye, I wish you far more than luck” was a stand-out). The group was grateful for the warm reception from the audience, and will be playing a free, full-band residency at Zebulon throughout October if you want to check them out.
Likely because she was watching Lo Moon from the Troubadour green room instead of getting into make-up and her show outfit, Lauren Mayberry was a little late to the stage. Her band of three talented women (keys, bass and drums) took their places, and then Mayberry came on stage and stood on a small platform (at all of 5 feet, even in heels she is still a tiny one). She launched into “Maybe This Time”, one of many upbeat, synth-pop, danceable tunes to come.
Mayberry’s choreography practice certainly has paid off; the singer was shaking her hips and twirling around the stage without missing a beat through much of the show. “Changing Shapes” brought out some 60’s girl-group swing, while “Mantra” was a little darker but equally good. “Under the Knife” brought the sad, which singer’s fan ate up with every dramatic movement the singer made.
While her Scottish accent certainly helped, it was still not hard to adore every bit of charming stage banter Mayberry made. Knowing that getting an audience to come out to hear a set of mostly unknown songs was a big ask, Mayberry made sure to include a couple of famous covers into her set. The first was Madonna‘s classic “Like a Prayer”, which fit in perfectly with the silver, glittery feel of the show. The other was chosen due to its SoCal relevance – No Doubt‘s “Don’t Speak”, for which Mayberry brought out her boyfriend (and Lo Moon guitarist/Eurythmic‘s Dave Stewart’s son/very lucky man) Samuel Stewart to accompany her on guitar. Someone had to play the Tony Kanal part I suppose.
Of course, the audience was familiar with at least one of Mayberry’s songs; first single “Are You Awake?”, which she sat down to play on piano for a lovely hushed moment. It was an interesting choice for a first single, but according to Mayberry, the next one will be “Shame”, which will certainly catch the ears of those more attuned to CHVRCHES‘ brand of alt pop.
As she only has so many solo songs to play, Mayberry acknowledged the night’s set would be short, and she closed it out with the raucous, punk track “Sorry, etc” (which was also written out on her cheek in sparkling glitter). It made for a fun finale to the show, which was also the final one of this current tour. While there’s been no official release date for Mayberry’s solo album, keep an ear out for “Shame” sometime soonish, and listen to her first single “Are You Awake?” here!
The Indy Review 
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