The scene shows a wrecked car next to a gleaming suit of knight's armor, with Lauren Mayberry dressed head-to-toe in gothic black, standing center and singing. This is a moment from Chvrches' music video for their new single "Roses," marking the Scottish trio's first new material in five years.
"Roses" sounds worlds apart from the disco-tinged synth-pop of 2021's "Screen Violence." This time the sound is darker and harder, built on an industrial noise foundation. Mayberry growls out lines like "Raise a glass to delusions of the good days of blood and wine; of pearls for swine," before shifting into an anthemic chorus, closing with an almost "1984"-esque declaration: "If I may command your undivided attention, now we can start." The track carries clear political undertones, though the band hasn't specified exactly what event or stance it's referencing.
Chvrches also announced two intimate shows — October 26 in their hometown of Glasgow, and October 29 in London. Tickets won't be sold publicly; fans must enter a ballot for a chance to attend, with all proceeds going to charity.
Mayberry spoke about the creative process behind the new material: "This was the longest gap we've ever had between albums, and when we finally got back together to write, we really wanted to push ourselves and avoid retreading old ground. I think we did that — this feels like the most cohesive thing we've made as a band. We're excited to be back."
This isn't the first glimpse of new material the band has given this year. A few months ago, Chvrches debuted another new track, "Conman," during Robert Smith's curated Teenage Cancer Trust show at the Royal Albert Hall. The song similarly opens with a pulsing industrial bassline, with Mayberry singing, "A man made for the microphone fills my pockets full of stones / All of his wives, all of his nine lives dance on the edge of a knife."
Last summer, the band revealed they had begun work on a new album, and earlier this year, members Martin Doherty and Jonny Scott spoke to NME about what fans could expect. "It's going to surprise people," Doherty said. "I hope it'll make people happy, and also rip a few faces off." He also revealed the album was about 90% finished: "It's going to sound harder, but not so much that you won't recognize the band — it's still the same people, the same DNA."
During the five-year gap, all three members stayed busy with their own projects. Mayberry released her debut solo album, "Vicious Creatures," in December 2024, earning a three-star review from NME, which wrote that she is "on her own path of independent exploration, making it all the more exciting to see how she'll dig deeper into her personal musicality going forward." She also collaborated with IDLES' Joe Talbot, Death Cab for Cutie, and The National's Aaron Dessner — the latter collaboration being a cover of Frightened Rabbit's "Who'd Kill You Now?", included on the tribute compilation "Tiny Changes," honoring the late frontman Scott Hutchinson.
Doherty and Jonny Scott also launched a rave-influenced side project called The Leaving this year, born out of a period when both were living in Los Angeles and going through personal low points. Meanwhile, Iain Cook released a remix of The Cranberries' 1993 classic "Linger" in 2024, and in 2022 teamed up with former Sons & Daughters member Scott Paterson on the project Protection.
The new album's title, release date, and full ticket details have yet to be announced. Fans can follow the band's official channels for updates.
