Lauren Mayberry • January 31, 2025 • Soundwell SLC
Reviewed and Photographed by Kevin Rolfe
I have found that whenever a vocalist in a band decides to go solo, things can go one of two ways. They create something interesting, and enjoyable and I become a fan of their work outside of the band from where I know them. The other is they try too hard to be different from the music we know them from. Or they aren’t able to put an album of songs together without their bandmates that their fans can connect with enough. I can understand the desire to try to make your own music and create an album trying different styles and techniques. It can be a risk, but I can’t blame an artist for wanting to do that. I personally enjoyed Lauren’s debut solo album, Vicious Creature. It was exciting to see that Mayberry announced a show in Salt Lake City. I couldn’t wait to hear these songs live.
According to the tour press release, “Vicious Creature is both a startling new era in Mayberry’s artistry and the culmination of two decades of life in a band that came before. Across its songs, she writes about sexuality and empowerment from a profoundly personal perspective for the very first time, reconnecting with the icons of her youth (Tori Amos, Fiona Apple, PJ Harvey, and Kathleen Hanna) as well as ‘90s British girl groups such as All Saints and Sugababes, whose music made a formative impact on her in the 2000s.
For her first full-length release outside of CHVRCHES, Mayberry sought freedom: from rules, expectations and preconceptions. Working with prolific producers like Greg Kurstin, Matthew Korma, Tobias Jesso Jr., Ethan Gruska and Dan McDougall, she accessed not only a new world of inspiration but the deep well of creativity she’s had within her all along. “So much of this process has been an exercise in empowering myself to listen to my own intuition – something I really trained myself out of,”
Mayberry says. “That’s ultimately why you start making things – because you felt a feeling, and you wanted to articulate that somehow. I think it was important for me to relearn that kind of independence, and recognize what I bring to any table I choose to sit at.”
The Soundwell in Salt Lake City was a great venue to host this concert. The audience filled the club. Before Lauren Mayberry made her appearance, I had the opportunity to look around as I prepared to take photos. I noticed a lot of CHVRCHES t-shirts. The merch line was long and fans bought vinyls of Vicious Creature and concert shirts. I asked a few people what they expected from the show. One fan said that they thought it would be weird to see her without her fellow CHVRCHES bandmates. But they were excited to hear the solo album live.
Lauren Mayberry took the stage and opened the show with “Crocodile Tears”. I agree with the fans I spoke with. At first, it was a little strange to see Lauren as a solo artist. But it didn’t take long to lock into what was happening on stage. Mayberry shared with us that she had been sick. She unfortunately had to cancel her San Francisco show prior to coming to SLC. Some in the audience had been worried that she might not keep the Salt Lake City gig. They were glad when they learned she would make it. Lauren joked that the audience would be able to tell her singing was live because she might cough into the mic.
I thought despite being under the weather, Mayberry sounded great vocally. Her energy was a bit low, but that’s understandable considering the circumstances. When I saw the setlist after the show, I wondered if the 13-song set was a shortened list due to her health. But I later learned that it’s been the same number of songs throughout the tour. I appreciated her powering through for Salt Lake. She bantered with the audience and told stories throughout the show. Besides the lower energy, it was impossible to tell that she had been sick. I loved her voice throughout the night and hearing the solo songs live went over well with the crowd. Lauren played all 12 songs from the album.
One of my favorite moments from the show was when Lauren Mayberry sat down at the keyboard and played a cover of The Verve’s “Bittersweet Symphony”. I did not see that cover coming. But it was excellent. She was able to show her vocal range in this song. I looked throughout the audience and I saw people saying things like “I love this song” or “She sounds perfect singing this”. They were right. It was a beautifully crafted cover of a really good song.
Noticeably absent from the setlist were CHVRCHES songs. I can’t say I was too surprised. I have noticed musicians going solo for the first time will often leave songs from their band off of their initial setlists. It makes sense. I think the audience, myself included, would have enjoyed a CHVRCHES song or two. But I can appreciate the desire to focus on the solo songs on this tour.
It was great to see Lauren Mayberry in town on her first solo tour. Despite battling some health issues, I thought she gave the Salt Lake City audience a great show. I know many of them will be telling their friends that they got to see her in Utah on her first solo tour. Whether we see her back with CHVRCHES next time she’s in Utah, or promoting a sophomore solo album, I know Utah will turn out for one of the best vocalists today.
