CHVRCHES Ft Robert Smith - 'How Not To Drown'
The new collaboration between CHVRCHES and The Cure’s Robert Smith, has left us stunned. ‘How Not To Drown’ is a creative feat and a refreshing blend of genre-influences.
Together with the release of their new single, CHVRCHES have announced their highly anticipated fourth studio album. ‘Screen Violence’ is due for release in August and will hopefully be filled with sounds similar to ‘How Not To Drown’. It is the second release from the album, following previously released single ‘He Said She Said’, both showcasing the signature CHVRCHES-sound and stark vocals of singer Lauren Mayberry. On ‘How Not To Drown’, Mayberry’s vocals unite captivatingly with the striking vocals of Robert Smith.
The single shares the emotional and personal narratives of Mayberry and her CHVRCHES band member Martin Doherty, who both shared that the coming together of the single coincided with a period of depression and isolation.
Despite the tough and dark story behind ‘How Not To Drown’, this electronic pop track sounds anything but heavy and melancholic. There is a bittersweet lightheartedness to the song’s intro, as if to hide the loneliness that is wrapped in its lyrics. Besides the narrative, the song also showcases the band’s necessity to think creatively during lockdown.
The song and upcoming album, ‘Screen Violence’, were recorded almost entirely remotely between Los Angeles and Glasgow, the band self-produced and mixed the album via video calls and audio sharing programs to create something that is different and inherently CHVRCHES.
Words by Laura Rosierse