Chvrches Return With Politically-Tinged Single ‘Roses’

Chvrches dropped a new single, “Roses,” along with a music video for the raucous track. The song marks the first new music from the trio, comprised of Lauren Mayberry, Martin Doherty, and Iain Cook, after going on hiatus.

A press release describes the song as “a mission statement for the band’s sonic shift.” It sees the musicians reflecting on the political state of Britain as Mayberry sings, “Raise a glass to delusions of the good days of blood and wine; of pearls for swine.” The chorus interpolates English folk song “Ring a Ring o’ Roses.”

“This is the longest break we had ever taken between albums and when we got together to write new music, we wanted to really push ourselves and not be retreading ground we’d walked before,” Mayberry said in a statement. “I really think we achieved that. It feels like the most coherent vision we’ve had as a band. We’re excited to be back.”

Chvrches will perform two shows in October with the proceeds going to charity. They will play Glasgow on Oct. 26 and London on Oct. 29. More info is available on the band’s website.

Chvrches’ last album, Screen Violence, arrived in 2021. In 2023, Mayberry announced that she was stepping away from the band to embark on her own solo career. She released a solo LP, Vicious Creature, in December 2024 and toured in support of the album in 2025.

Last summer the group confirmed they have been working on new music. The musicians premiered a new song, dubbed “Conman,” during a show at Royal Albert Hall in London earlier this year. “I promise I’m not just inside watching telly all the time, we have been making a record,” Mayberry told the audience. “And we thought, since this is a special night, we would play something off that record for you guys. So be kind to us, we’ve never played this in front of human beings before.”