CHVRCHES have returned with “Roses,” their first new single in three years and a sharp turn toward a heavier version of the sound that made the Glasgow trio one of the defining synth-pop bands of the last decade. Lauren Mayberry, Martin Doherty and Iain Cook still leave electronic textures in the mix, but “Roses” is driven more by abrasive guitar, hard live drums and a tense, chant-like chorus than by the bright synth rush of the band’s earlier records.
The song is also one of CHVRCHES’ most pointed pieces of social commentary. Mayberry uses images of inherited power, national mythology and an idealized British past to question the temptation to romanticize eras built on hierarchy and violence. The refrain twists the familiar language of “Ring a Ring o’ Roses” into something darker, while the closing spoken passage gives the track the feel of a public announcement from a country sliding into something more ominous. It sounds less like CHVRCHES abandoning electronics than using rock instrumentation to make the unease hit harder.
“Roses” arrives five years after Screen Violence (2021), though it is not the band’s first release since that album: CHVRCHES issued the standalone single “Over” in 2023. The group has also been testing unreleased material live, including “Con Man,” which surfaced earlier this year. “Roses” is being released through Futures Music Group and signals the beginning of the band’s next album cycle.
CHVRCHES will celebrate the return with two small UK performances this fall, playing Glasgow on 10/26 and London on 10/29. The venues have not yet been announced, and ticket access is being handled through a ballot. Proceeds from both shows are designated for charity.